Australian Embassy
Indonesia

Frequently Asked Questions & Latest Information

Coming to Australia: http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/visi/info/coming-to-australia

Adopting children in Indonesia

Information Regarding Adoption of Children in Indonesia by Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents

This information is intended to assist Australian citizens or permanent residents who are considering adopting a child in Indonesia.

Important:  The Australian Government cannot give advice on matters of Indonesian law. KEMENSOS is the government authority that administers Indonesian law and policy in matters relating to adoption and custody of children. More information on the procedures can be obtained through KEMENSOS at their telephone number: 021 3100375.

Expatriate/National Adoptions

An expatriate adoption is a specific type of adoption that takes place when an Australian citizen or permanent resident living abroad for 12 months or more adopts a child through a process approved by an overseas agency or government authority.

It's important to note that Australian adoption authorities are not responsible for expatriate adoptions, and they do not assess or approve applicants for such adoptions. 

It is also important to note that expatriate adoptions are not automatically recognised in Australia. This means there is a risk that the child may not meet the immigration requirements to enter and remain in Australia.

For further information, please refer to the Expatriate Adoption National Practice Agreement - 2024 (dss.gov.au)

Indonesian Adoption Authorities

The Social Ministry (KEMENSOS) is the agency in the Indonesian Government to manage the administration of Indonesian adoption law and regulations.

There have been a number of instances in which Australians have been poorly advised (including by legal practitioners) and have entered into fostering/adoption arrangements which, even though endorsed by local courts, do not meet the requirements of Indonesian adoption law.  Before entering into such arrangements, you should contact KEMENSOS for further guidance and obtain independent legal advice. 

Home Affairs Responsibilities

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for managing immigration and citizenship requirements for adoptions, and for assessing and deciding on visa applications.

The Department of Home Affairs cannot issue you with a letter of support, Letter of No Objection or a No Objection Certificate.

The latest information on requirements and eligibility for the Adoption (subclass 102) visa can be found on the Home Affairs website: Subclass 102 Adoption visa.

Health Assessment

Generally a health assessment is required if you are applying for a permanent visa, want to remain in Australia in excess of 6 months, will enter a health facility or are older than 75, though they can also be requested in other circumstances as well.

The department’s policy on requesting health checks is outlined on our website.

When to Book Flights and Accommodation

Clients should not book flights or make travel commitments until they have a visa to travel to Australia.

The department will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by clients whose visa application was finalised later than expected or where an application is unsuccessful.

Urgent Travel

Home Affairs at the Australian Embassy, Jakarta, processes applications in the order in which they are received. Home Affairs is not able to escalate cases except in emergency or compassionate and compelling circumstances. Having a planned travel date and booked airline ticket or accommodation is not considered reason to expedite processing of a visa application.

Please ensure you apply in plenty of time so that you can travel on your preferred date by referring to our current processing times.

If you need to request escalation you can contact us through our webform. Please note that non-exceptional requests for expedition received within service standards will not be responded to.

Authorising someone to act on your behalf

You may use a registered migration agent, travel agent or student education agent who can submit your visa application for you. You may also authorise someone else to act on your behalf. To do this you must submit the relevant form to HA:

Australian privacy laws prevent us from responding to enquiries from people who are not authorised by you. This includes people who are providing support to an application.

Work and Holiday Visa for Indonesians

As part of formal agreement between the Governments of Australia and Indonesia, the Work and Holiday program for Program Year 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025 will be capped at 4,796.

Requirements:

Each applicant must:

  • Be between eighteen (18) and thirty (30) years old (including the ages 18 and 30) at the time the visa is applied for;
  • have tertiary qualifications, or have successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study;
  • apply in their home country (Indonesia);
  • have good English (for Indonesian applicants) - which is assessed as at least “functional” on a language test;
  • Have no dependent family members who will join them (that is, there are no husband/wife and children allowed as family members on the applicant’s visa);
  • have not had a visa of this type before;
  • have sufficient funds for their personal expenses for the first three months and evidence of sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket to Indonesia – generally this is about $5,000 AUD;
  • have good health and good character;
  • provide a letter of support from the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration which states that the applicant meets these requirements.

Conditions:

People who are granted Work and Holiday visas must not:

  • be employed by any one employer for more than six (6) months;
  • engage in any studies or training for more than four (4) months.

Limit:

Details of the work and holiday program such as the number of visas available are subject to formal discussions between the Australian and Indonesian Governments. Please check our website regularly for updates.

For further details, see the Information Checklist.

If you are an Australian interested in applying for a Work and Holiday visa for Indonesia please see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/whm-program/working-holidays-for-australians.