Indonesia’s dual citizenship plan wins diaspora support, but is it enough to tempt them home?
President Prabowo Subianto has said the government is mulling offering limited dual citizenship to attract millions of strategically important diaspora talent who could make extraordinary contributions to the nation.
The logo of Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration is seen at an immigration office in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
JAKARTA: For two decades, the United States has been home for Indonesian Vivi Fajar, her husband and three children.
But she never seriously considered applying for an American passport until the recent news that Indonesia was mulling a new scheme allowing limited dual citizenship for Indonesians with selected “talents” that Indonesia needs – including scientists, doctors, engineers, artificial intelligence experts, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes, particularly footballers.
For Vivi, her Indonesian husband and their three children aged nine, 12 and 14, this could open up a potential new set of options for her family to maintain strong ties with their home country while also getting the benefits of US citizenship.
While uncertain if she would qualify as an “extraordinary talent”, she hopes that her work as an insurance administrator and her husband’s job as a software engineer might grant them consideration.
“I am excited but cautious, waiting for the details regarding the fee, tax, and others,” said Vivi, who is based in California, but has retained her Indonesian citizenship.
Speaking annually at parliament on Aug 14 to propose Indonesia’s 2027 budget, President Prabowo Subianto said the government wanted to propose limited dual citizenship to attract millions of strategically important diaspora talent who could make extraordinary contributions to the nation.
“Indonesia has a diaspora numbering in the millions. Among them are outstanding scientists, doctors, engineers, artificial intelligence experts, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes, particularly footballers, as well as world-class professionals,” said Prabowo.
“Some have had to adopt other nationalities due to career needs, family considerations, or their work abroad. We must not force Indonesia’s best talent to choose between opportunities to pursue their work on the global stage and their ties to their homeland.”
Indonesian law does not currently recognise dual citizenship for adults, and minors with two passports must choose their nationality when they turn 18, with a mandatory three-year grace period ending at age 21.
Members of the country’s diaspora whom CNA spoke to largely welcomed the proposal but wanted more details and transparency on the plan.
The government is still studying how such a policy could work.
“It has merely been put forward as an idea, with a request that we examine it together. We haven’t reached the stage of defining what the scheme would look like,” Secretary of State Prasetyo Hadi told reporters on Aug 15.
Prasetyo said that even if the proposal is eventually approved, dual citizenship would be granted selectively and would not become a blanket entitlement.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
The proposal comes as Indonesia seeks ways to attract skilled Indonesians living abroad and address concerns about losing talent to overseas markets.
A survey by YouGov in February last year revealed that 41 per cent of Indonesian Gen Z and 31 per cent of millennials were actively considering moving abroad. The survey involved 2,003 male and female respondents.
Another 1,000-person survey by Populix a month later showed that 82 per cent of young respondents wanting to leave cited higher income overseas as their main driver.
The same year, the hashtag #KaburAjaDulu, which means “just escape first”, went viral on social media.
According to data from the ministry of law and human rights released in 2026, nearly 8,000 Indonesians applied to renounce their citizenship over a five-year period, or on average about 1,600 people per year.
The majority of those were young professionals and students between the ages of 25 and 35, with Singapore being the top destination country, followed by Australia and the US. Singapore does not allow dual citizenship, while Australia and the US allow dual citizenship.
Previously, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Indonesia’s deputy house speaker, told reporters that lawmakers had processed citizenship applications for athletes.
An influx of mainly Dutch-born members of Indonesia’s diaspora has entered the national soccer team and, as of July, about 13 naturalised players are playing in the Super League, the country’s top professional men’s football division.
But the limited dual citizenship proposal raises broader questions over who should qualify, whether the policy can deliver on its promise, and whether it’s enough to bring needed talents home, say analysts.
WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS
Prabowo said on Aug 14 that the government will design the policy through a selective and measured approach.
“This will include … incorporating integrity assessments, clearly defined obligations, and full safeguards for national security and interests,” he said.
But observers questioned how Indonesia would select people deemed valuable, how talent would be defined, and whether professional or economic value should determine access to citizenship.
The proposal goes further than Indonesia’s existing Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) programme, which gives certain former Indonesians and people with Indonesian ties a way to live in Indonesia without restoring citizenship.
Under the GCI scheme launched last year, foreign nationals with blood, kinship, historical, or strong ties to Indonesia will be granted an indefinite permanent residency permit, without altering their foreign citizenship.
It was launched to address the debate surrounding dual citizenship, although as of February, only 11 people had applied, according to Indonesia’s immigration ministry.
Bilal Dewansyah, assistant professor of constitutional law at Padjadjaran University, told CNA the low number could be due to the high application fee of 34.8 million rupiah (US$1,963) and the programme being relatively new.
Bilal said Indonesia could in principle create a pathway for certain categories of people to hold dual citizenship.
However, he warned that a talent-based system could conflict with fundamental principles of Indonesian citizenship if it excluded Indonesians whose citizenship is based on descent, if they do not work in jobs that meet the criteria for “extraordinary talents”.
Under current Indonesian law, children of mixed marriages can hold limited dual citizenship but must eventually choose one nationality once they reach 21.
Former Indonesian citizens who acquire another nationality also lose their Indonesian citizenship.
“These groups should also be given the opportunity to hold dual citizenship,” Bilal said.
“Their Indonesian citizenship was acquired at birth under the principle of ius sanguinis, which has been a fundamental basis of Indonesian citizenship law since independence.”
Ius sanguinis is a Latin term meaning “right of blood” and refers to a legal principle that determines a child’s citizenship based on descent or their parents’ citizenship, rather than where they were born.
Bilal said those who acquire dual citizenship from those groups should be treated equally in terms of their civil, economic, social and cultural rights, but there should be certain political restrictions.
“For example, (those) dual citizens could be excluded from holding certain national political positions, such as the presidency or being a member of the parliament.”
Political scientist Nicky Fahrizal of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) similarly said any classification would need to clear legal criteria and procedures.
A separate pathway for people with specialised expertise could be created, he said, but only if the criteria are transparent and Indonesia has the economic and research ecosystem to make use of those skills.
“There needs to be more specific regulations for those who genuinely wish to hold an Indonesian passport, so that their choice to become Indonesian citizens isn’t in vain,” said Nicky.
“We don’t want them to feel their choice was wasted because they chose based on a certain offer, only to find that the reality upon arrival doesn’t match what was promised.”
However, the Indonesian Diaspora Network (IDN-Global) said that dual citizenship should ultimately be available more broadly.
Nathalia Widjaja, president of IDN-Global, said a talent-only approach could exclude most of Indonesia’s diaspora.
“Dual citizenship should reflect a spirit of inclusion rather than creating a hierarchy among Indonesians,” she said.
The Indonesian Mixed-Marriage Society, PERCA, has raised a similar concern.
Chairwoman Rulita Anggraini said children of mixed marriages with an Indonesian parent should be among the first groups considered if Indonesia moves towards broader adult dual citizenship.
She said that such a group should be granted dual citizenship, regardless of profession, because “Indonesia’s citizenship framework is fundamentally based on descent or blood ties, and this should remain the primary consideration when determining citizenship policy.”
“Unlike a talent-based system, descent provides an objective basis for citizenship that leaves less room for subjective interpretation or potential abuse based on particular interests,” she added.
If dual citizenship is granted based on particular talents or expertise at the discretion of certain authorities, the system could become subjective, transactional and discriminatory, she said.
“It could be subjective because the definition of what is strategic or needed depends on who makes that assessment.”
She said the government should first conduct a careful, comprehensive review based on equality and human rights, rather than subjective, transactional, or discriminatory considerations.
DIASPORA WELCOMES THE IDEA BUT WANTS MORE
For Indonesians living overseas, the possibility of retaining Indonesian citizenship alongside another nationality has obvious practical attractions.
Vivi in California said dual citizenship could also influence her family’s long-term plans.
Although she and her husband currently want to retire in the US to remain close to their children who are still in school, she would be more open to eventually spending time in Indonesia if her children were able to work or start a business in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy as dual citizens.
“An Indonesian passport allows us to come and go and stay in Indonesia and have a property or business there. So all benefits related to Indonesia … while a foreign passport, for example a US passport, allows us to travel without a visa to most countries, and benefit as a US citizen,” said the 43-year-old.
Indonesian Santi Annewan in Brisbane, Australia, shares similar views.
Having worked as a psychologist in Australia for about 15 years, she is reluctant to return to work in Indonesia because her husband and children, aged 12 and 13, are Australians.
But the dual citizenship plan could make it easier for her to set up a business in Indonesia while still being based overseas, as building a business means dealing with taxes and administrative matters that could be easier with both Indonesian and Australian citizenship.
“I know that in my industry of mental health, the business is greatly needed in both countries as I see potential big demand from both citizens of Indonesia and Australia,” said Santi, who is in her 40s.
“And also considering that some family members in Indonesia have their own psychological clinic, the marriage of business between these two countries could become more feasible in the future.”
Meanwhile, an Indonesian scientist with a PhD living in Basel, Switzerland, who wants to be known as Miranda Senja, said she is sceptical about whether the proposal would be implemented.
But she would welcome the ability to keep her Indonesian nationality while holding a Swiss passport.
She said having both passports would make a significant practical difference, particularly for international travel and returning to Indonesia without dealing with visa requirements.
Miranda supports limiting eligibility to people with skills Indonesia needs. But she said the criteria should be based on data, including which sectors are facing talent shortages.
“I think it should be based on data. I don’t think this is an idealistic debate,” said the 43-year-old.
A PROPOSED SCHEME TO REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN?
According to the Global Economy website, which focuses on world economic data, Indonesia’s Human Flight and Brain Drain Index was 5.4 in 2024, higher than the world’s average of 4.98 based on data from 176 countries.
A score of 0 means no brain drain, while 10 means severe brain drain.
Ferdiano Pradipta Salim, 34, who heads an e-commerce and social commerce at a healthcare company in Jakarta after studying and living in Singapore, said citizenship would need to be accompanied by better employment prospects and living standards.
Indonesia still has relatively few industries offering high-skilled career paths in areas such as research and innovation, he said, and limited opportunities for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals to build long-term careers domestically.
“It’s not enough just to say, ‘Come back and be Indonesian again’,” he said.
“You need to offer attractive jobs and career opportunities.”
Entrepreneur Aditya Lesmana, 40, who operates an automotive marketplace called Carro between Jakarta and Singapore, said citizenship was often not the biggest barrier faced by diaspora businesspeople.
For him, the more significant obstacles were regulatory complexity, taxation, capital requirements and legal certainty.
“Most diaspora have the option not to return,” he said. “If Indonesia wants them back, it has to give them compelling reasons to choose Indonesia.”
Rather than requiring diaspora members to physically relocate, he argued that Indonesia should make it easier for them to contribute from overseas through investment, technology, expertise and international networks.
The debate also comes as Indonesia experiments with another way to reconnect with its diaspora.
The small number of GCI applicants, the programme that provides indefinite residence for eligible foreign nationals, has raised questions over whether residency rights alone are enough to attract people who have built their lives abroad.
The proposed dual-citizenship scheme could face a similar test: whether its benefits are substantial enough to change decisions about where people live, work and invest, analysts said.
For now, the government has yet to settle the more fundamental question of who should qualify.
Prasetyo, the Secretary of State, said the proposal would require further joint study and it must be passed by the parliament.
“What is certain is that if we collectively agree to it, the process would be highly selective,” he said.
Source: CNA/ks(ao)
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
