President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday that Indonesia’s government plans to revise the country’s citizenship law to allow some Indonesians to hold dual nationality for the first time. He announced the plan in a state-of-the-nation address to parliament ahead of Indonesia’s Independence Day, alongside next year’s state budget.
The policy would be “limited,” Prabowo said, reserved for “selected talents that Indonesia needs” rather than the general public — he cited doctors, AI experts, artists and soccer players as examples. Indonesian law currently does not recognize dual citizenship for adults; minors who hold two passports must choose one nationality at age 18. Last year Indonesia opened a separate route — an indefinite residency permit for former Indonesian citizens — as an alternative short of full dual citizenship.
The push comes amid concern over a “brain drain” as Indonesians move abroad for better opportunities: nearly 4,000 Indonesians became Singaporean citizens between 2019 and 2022, according to Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration. Deputy house speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad told reporters that lawmakers had already processed citizenship-related applications for athletes, an area where an influx of mainly Dutch-born diaspora members has entered the national soccer team. The government’s revision will go to parliament; no timeline for passage was given.
References
Reuters – Indonesia to introduce ‘limited’ dual citizenship, president says
