Sooner or later everyone in Indonesia will need a Surat Domisili. Thankfully, this article will explain how to get one.
Contents:
What is a Surat Domisili?
A Surat Domisili (or sometimes Surat Keterangan Domisili) is a letter from your local government that certifies your residential address. Literally, it means Letter of Domicile. However, functionally it is more accurately a “Proof of Residence”. Surat Domisili is often a starting point to obtain other forms of identification in Indonesia or when dealing with government entities such as Catatan Sipil (Civil Registry).
When do you need one?
Usually you will need one when you move into a new area. An expat typically requires a Surat Domisili when applying for SKTT (Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal) or KTP OA (Kartu Tanda Penduduk Orang Asing) from the Civil Registry office. Another instance maybe when forming a corporation, in which case a Surat Domisili Perusahaan (Letter of Domicile for a company) will be needed. Functionally it is the same.
Before obtaining Surat Domisili: Surat Pengantar – Letter of Introduction
The first thing you need to do is get a Surat Pengantar (Letter of Introduction) from your local Kepala Rukun Tetangga (Kepala RT). In Bali, you are looking for the Kelian Dinas. He or she oversees the immediate neighborhood and is responsible for anywhere between a dozen or so to a couple of hundred families. A good Kepala RT will know all the residents in his or her area, and it is customary for newcomers to introduce themselves to the Kepala RT even before they move into the new area. In most areas, this job is very informal so the “office” will be most likely his or her house.
To make things as easy as possible, you should write a Surat Permohonan (see here if you don’t know how). You should include all the information that will be contained in the Surat Domisili. Normally this is the following:
- Nama : (name)
- Tempat / Tgl. Lahir : (place and date of birth)
- Jenis Kelamin : (gender)
- Agama : (religion)
- Pekerjaan : (job)
- Kebangsaan : (nationality)
- Paspor : (passport number)
- Alamat : (address)
The Kepala RT will refer to this while typing out his letter of introduction. Usually, this takes a few minutes, and you can wait while this is being done.
The other things you need to prepare is a copy of your KITAP/KITAS and passport, as well as your sponsors KTP and KK.
Getting the Surat Domisili
The Surat Domisili is issued by the smallest unit of local government: The Kelurahan (or Kantor Desa if you are in a rural area). With the introduction letter in hand, go to your local Kelurahan or Kantor Desa. If you don’t know where it is, don’t worry. Literally, everyone in the neighborhood will know where it is. Once there, submit the introduction letter, and copies of your documents. The Lurah or Kepala Desa will sign it. He will probably also have a chat with you, as no doubt he will be curious as to who the newcomer in his area is. Again, this should take only a few moments, and you can wait for it to be completed.
Fee
The official fee for this letter is determined individually by each local government. It usually varies between Rp 50,000 to Rp 500,000.
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