Documents · Practice

Apostille in Indonesia: online, in one step

Since 4 June 2022 Indonesian documents are legalised with a single certificate instead of a chain of four authorities. The application is filed on the Ministry of Law portal, costs IDR 150,000 per document and requires no office visit. The apostille is recognised in over 120 countries — but it does not replace translation.

Updated: 24 September 2026 · Verified by the Malina Visa team

The short answer

An Indonesian document that has to be presented abroad no longer travels through a chain of ministries and embassies. One stamp is enough.

✓An apostille — a single certificate recognised in over 120 Hague Convention countries
✓Arranged online on the Ministry of Law portal: apostille.ahu.go.id
✓IDR 150,000 per document — paid by bank transfer, ATM or mobile banking
✓No office visit — registration through payment all happens on the site

This works only between convention countries. If the document is bound for a state outside it, the older consular legalisation still applies — longer and more expensive.

What changed in 2022

Previously an Indonesian document took a long road: notary, then the Ministry of Law, then Foreign Affairs, then the destination country's embassy. Each step meant a queue, a wait and a payment.

5 January 2021

Indonesia ratified the Hague Apostille Convention.

4 June 2022

The convention entered into force. From that date member states must accept an Indonesian apostille and may not demand consular legalisation.

The result

Instead of four authorities in sequence — one online application and one certificate.

If someone still describes «legalisation through the embassy» for a convention country, that information is several years out of date.

How it is done

Registration

Create an account at apostille.ahu.go.id and activate it via the emailed link.

The application

Choose the legalisation or apostille request menu, enter your details, the document type and the destination country.

Upload

Attach the original or an official copy — PDF or a high-quality image.

Verification

A ministry officer checks the document. On approval the system issues a billing code.

Payment and issue

IDR 150,000 through the bank. Once payment clears, the apostille certificate is printed and attached to the document.

Certificates can now be printed at regional ministry offices across the country rather than only in the capital. For anyone living in Bali that made the final step noticeably easier.

Which documents usually need one

✓Certificates — birth, marriage, divorce
✓Official statements — including the SKCK police certificate when a foreign authority asks for it
✓Corporate papers — the PT PMA deed of establishment, extracts, powers of attorney
✓Notarial documents — contracts, consents, declarations
✓Educational — diplomas and their transcripts

The logic is simple: an apostille goes on an official document issued by an Indonesian authority. A private paper has to be made official first, through a notary.

Translation: where people go wrong

An apostille confirms the authenticity of a signature and seal, but it does not translate the document. These are two separate tasks, and confusing them costs time.

✓Official in Indonesia means a sworn translation
✓A sworn translator needs no notary: they translate and certify themselves
✓Foreign documents for use here are translated into Indonesian

!Some organisations still ask for the sworn translator's signature to be notarised as well — check before paying for the translation
!Authorities often do not say up front which translation they need, ordinary or sworn. Ask directly, or you will pay for it twice

Apostille for an Indonesian birth certificate (akta kelahiran)

The most common case among our clients: a child is born in Bali and the Indonesian birth certificate has to be used back home — to register the birth, apply for citizenship or a passport. If the destination country is a Hague Convention member, an apostille is all you need.

1. The original from Dukcapil

Birth certificates are issued by Dukcapil, the civil registry. Before the apostille application, the certificate must be legalised (legalisir) by Dukcapil.

2. Apply on apostille.ahu.go.id

3. Pay IDR 150,000

Once approved, the system issues a billing code; pay by bank transfer, ATM or mobile banking.

4. Collection and translation

The certificate is collected at a regional ministry office — in Bali, that is Denpasar. If the destination requires a translation, use a sworn translator and check with the receiving authority how the translation must be certified.

Tip. After a birth, foreign parents also need to sort out the child's status in Indonesia — see our guide to visas for children.

Frequently asked questions

What does an apostille cost in Indonesia?

IDR 150,000 per document. Payment is made by bank, ATM or mobile app once the ministry has approved the application and issued a billing code.

Do I have to visit the ministry in person?

No. The application is filed at apostille.ahu.go.id: registration, document upload, verification and payment all happen online. The finished certificate is printed at regional offices across the country.

Since when has the apostille applied in Indonesia?

The convention entered into force on 4 June 2022, following ratification on 5 January 2021. Before that, documents went through full consular legalisation across several authorities and an embassy.

Which countries accept an Indonesian apostille?

More than 120 states party to the Hague Convention. For countries outside it, consular legalisation remains.

Does an apostille replace a translation?

No. It confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal, not the content. Translation is separate, and in Indonesia the official form is a sworn translation.

We will prepare your documents for apostille and translation

Tell us which document and for which country — we will check the requirements and assemble the pack.

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