Jakarta.  Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas on Tuesday defended the government's decision to raise fees for citizenship status changes, saying the new tariffs would affect only a small number of applicants rather than the general public.

"The increase in the fee for renouncing Indonesian citizenship is also insignificant in terms of its impact. So far, there have been only around 300 applications. The fee has increased from Rp 1 million to Rp 5 million ($56 to $280)," Supratman told reporters at the parliament complex in Jakarta.

The revised fees are stipulated under Government Regulation (PP) No. 30/2026 on Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) at the Law Ministry, signed by President Prabowo Subianto on July 2.

Supratman said the regulation marked the first revision of the ministry's fee structure in nearly a decade and should not be turned into a public controversy.

"The regulation had not been revised for almost 10 years," he said.

Meanwhile, he added applications from foreign nationals seeking Indonesian citizenship are subject to quotas and are generally limited to high-income individuals.

Supratman added that foreign applicants must have lived in Indonesia for five consecutive years or 10 non-consecutive years before becoming eligible for naturalization, making the process accessible mainly to those with sufficient financial means.

"You can compare how much it costs to obtain citizenship in other countries with Indonesia. The fee has increased from Rp 50 million to Rp 75 million," he said.

Earlier, Director General of General Legal Administration Widodo said the revised fees were introduced to reflect changing economic conditions.

Under the new law, foreign nationals applying for Indonesian citizenship through marriage will be charged Rp 25 million per application.

A Rp 5 million fee applies to children born to mixed-nationality marriages, children born in countries that recognize jus soli citizenship, and dual nationals opting to retain Indonesian citizenship.

The regulation also sets a Rp 1 million fee for applications to regain Indonesian citizenship.

Indonesians seeking to renounce their citizenship through a petition to the president will be charged Rp 5 million.

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