GCI or regaining Indonesian citizenship: which route fits you?
The short answer: Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) lets former Indonesians, their descendants and some family members live in Indonesia without time limit, while keeping their foreign passport. It does not make you Indonesian again. Regaining Indonesian citizenship is a separate application, and it means giving up your other nationality, because Indonesia does not allow dual citizenship for adults.
So the real question is simple: do you want to keep your current passport? If yes, look at GCI. If you want to be Indonesian again, look at regaining citizenship.
Last reviewed: 8 November 2026 · Written by Tiffany Efny Tampubolon, S.H., LL.M., PERADI advocate, practicing since 2015
What is Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI)?
Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration launched GCI in November 2025 as its answer to calls for dual citizenship. It gives a stay permit with no expiry date to foreigners with strong ties to Indonesia. Holders only need to report in person every five years.
Who can apply
Category | Visa index |
Former Indonesian citizens | E32E (E32F with special expertise) |
Descendants of former citizens, up to the second degree | E32G (E32H with special expertise) |
Foreigners married to an Indonesian citizen | E31A |
Foreigners married to a holder of an Indonesian stay permit | E31B |
Children of a legal marriage between a foreigner and an Indonesian | E31C |
People from territories formerly part of Indonesia, people involved in separatist activities, and serving foreign military, intelligence or civil service staff are excluded.
What you need
Proof of your link to Indonesia: an old Indonesian passport or ID card, family card, birth or marriage certificate
Proof of income, around USD 1,500 a month or USD 15,000 a year, according to the immigration office
An investment commitment (bonds, shares, mutual funds, deposits or property), lighter than for the Golden Visa; applicants on the expertise route need an invitation letter instead
Applications are made online through the eVisa portal
What GCI does not do
It does not restore Indonesian citizenship or give you an Indonesian passport.
It may not allow you to work as an employee in Indonesia. Check this before you rely on it for a job.
It does not change the rules on land: as a foreigner, you still cannot hold freehold title (hak milik).
How regaining Indonesian citizenship works
How it was lost. Under Article 23 of the Citizenship Law (Law No. 12 of 2006), an Indonesian who voluntarily acquires another nationality loses Indonesian citizenship by operation of law. Many people only find out years later, when they try to renew an Indonesian passport.
Getting it back is an application. Articles 31 and 32 of the same law allow a former Indonesian to apply to regain citizenship. The procedure is set by Government Regulation No. 2 of 2007, as amended by Government Regulation No. 21 of 2022.
You will give up your other passport. Indonesia allows dual citizenship only for children of mixed marriages, until they choose. An adult who regains Indonesian citizenship must renounce the other nationality.
Expect a residence and documents process. Applications generally require living in Indonesia on a stay permit for a period first, plus civil records, a police clearance (SKCK) and proof of your former citizenship. The exact requirements depend on how the citizenship was lost.
Don't travel on an expired or invalid Indonesian passport. Using an Indonesian passport after losing the citizenship can cause serious problems at immigration.
GCI and regaining citizenship side by side
GCI | Regaining citizenship | |
Nationality | You stay a foreigner | You become Indonesian again |
Your foreign passport | You keep it | You give it up |
Right to live in Indonesia | Stay permit with no expiry; report every 5 years | Full, as a citizen |
Working as an employee | Possibly restricted; check first | Yes |
Freehold land (hak milik) | No | Yes |
Who it is for | Former Indonesians, descendants to the second degree, spouses and children of Indonesians | Former Indonesian citizens |
Process | Online application, with proof of income and an investment commitment | Application to the Ministry, with residence, documents and renunciation |
Which suits you?
Choose GCI if your life, pension or business is tied to your current passport, and you want to live in Indonesia without renewing a permit every year.
Choose to regain citizenship if you want to own freehold land, work freely, or simply be Indonesian again, and you can give up your other nationality.
For children of mixed marriages who chose a foreign nationality at 18, GCI may now be the simplest way back.
Related: Indonesian citizenship law · Dual citizenship in Indonesia · How to obtain Indonesian citizenship
Frequently asked questions
Does GCI give me dual citizenship?
No. GCI is a stay permit. You remain a foreign national, and Indonesia still does not allow dual citizenship for adults.
I took another nationality years ago. Am I still Indonesian?
Generally not. Acquiring another nationality voluntarily ends Indonesian citizenship by operation of law, even if no one told you and your records were never updated.
Can my foreign spouse apply for GCI?
The immigration office lists foreigners married to Indonesian citizens as an eligible category. Check the current conditions before you apply, because guidance on spouses has varied.
Can I buy land with GCI?
No. GCI holders are foreigners and cannot hold freehold land title. Other rights, such as right of use (hak pakai), may be available.
Talk to a citizenship lawyer
Which route fits depends on how you lost your citizenship, your family situation and your plans. Start with a written question (EUR 110 / IDR 2,000,000), a 30-minute call (EUR 125 / IDR 2,500,000) or a one-hour meeting with a written summary (EUR 245 / IDR 4,500,000), taxes included.
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