How to Obtain a Police Clearance Certificate in Indonesia

In Indonesia, a police clearance certificate, or police certificate (SKCK), is an official document given out by the Indonesian national police department. The purpose of this certificate is to review and confirm the criminal records or criminal history of all local and foreign individuals.

The police certificate in Indonesia is particularly important for foreigners starting a business, working in the country, or other immigration purposes. This is because it serves as proof that foreigners have no previous criminal actions or have not committed any crimes that can be harmful to the workplace, the communities, and the entire society.

Before foreign individuals can start working, staying, and living in Indonesia, the Indonesian government will require foreigners to show a police clearance certificate. In other words, a police certificate is one of the deciding factors if a foreigner’s residency permit will be approved.

Process of Obtaining a Police Certificate in Indonesia

There are two major steps to apply for your police certificate in Indonesia:

1. Visit your local police office and get a recommendation from the authority.
2. The national police issue the police clearance certificate based on the recommendation you obtain from the local police.

If you are currently residing in Indonesia during the time of application, you can have your fingerprints taken at the local police office. For foreigners residing outside of Indonesia, there is no need to travel to Indonesia for the fingerprints taking process.

Instead, you can submit your fingerprints record at a fingerprinting agency, notary public, or a foreign local police office in your residency country. Once the fingerprints are taken overseas, you need to send the original fingerprint document to Indonesian authorities to process your application at the national police office.

Reasons for Rejected Applications

In some cases, your police clearance certificate application can be rejected due to the following reasons:

1. You don’t meet the document requirements. This reason is very common when foreigners residing in Indonesia hold a tourist or visit visa. Another possible reason is that the authority no longer has copies of the required documents.
2. Fingerprint issues. This can be because the fingerprint quality is not on par with the requirement or you are not able to provide your fingerprints at an overseas agency. The police authority in Indonesia won’t be able to confirm your criminal record in the national database without a fingerprint or with a bad-quality fingerprint. Since no confirmation of criminal records can be made, the authority will then reject your application of a police certificate in Indonesia.
3. Your existing and previous employers do not sign the police certificate application letter. The reasons employers hesitate to sign your application letter are because they are concerned about legal risks; the employment relationship between you and your employer didn’t end well, or the employer no longer has its business operated in Indonesia. However, an Indonesian citizen can sign the police certificate application letter without the signature from employers.

How Cekindo can Assist

Indonesia is one of the business-friendly destinations in the world to start your business. However, all proper documents such as certificates, approvals, and visas are a must.

A fast and convenient way out to this is to engage with Cekindo as your advisor to apply for your visa and police certificate in Indonesia.

Cekindo provides a hassle-free police certificate and visa application services for all locals and foreigners. Being a foreign entrepreneur, comprehending the local laws, and keeping up with the regulatory changes can be quite challenging. At Cekindo, we help you work out all formalities of starting a business in Indonesia.

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