Indonesia Emigration and Immigration

Online Records

 * 1890-1960 Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * 1960-2012 at FamilySearch -  How to Use this Collection; images only.  Court records relating to emigration.
 * 1954-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1960-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1951-2013 } at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1958-2013 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1960-2013 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1977-2003 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Includes Naturalsasi (naturalizations).
 * 1961-2013 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. These records include SBKRI (applications for Indonesian citizenship) and Berita Acara Sumpah (minutes of citizenship oaths)
 * 1950-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Includes naturalization and citizenship records.
 * 1953-2013 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1975-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only.
 * 1925-2013 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Naturalization records from the Wonogiri District Court, Indonesia. These records include Permohonan SBKRI (Applications for Indonesian Citizenship), Surat Keterangan W.N.I. (Certificate of citizenship), and Permohonan Surat Keterangan W.N.I. (Applications for Indonesian Citizenship).
 * 1927-2011 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Naturalization and citizenship-related records from the district court of Purwodadi, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. Includes the following record types: Pewarganegaraan (naturalizations), and Surat Bukti Kewarganegaraan Republik Indonesia (SBKRI) which documents Indonesian citizenship of ethnic Chinese living in Indonesia.
 * 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.

Finding the Town of Origin in Indonesia
If you are using emigration/immigration records to find the name of your ancestors' town in Indonesia, see Indonesia Finding Town of Origin for additional research strategies.

Indonesia Emigration and Immigration
"Emigration" means moving out of a country. "Immigration" means moving into a country. Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in the country. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birthplaces. Sometimes they also show family groups.

Immigration into Indonesia
Immigration to Indonesia was in practice since the ancient era. The early phase of Indonesia Emigration started when fishermen of Indonesia migrated to the neighboring islands. Immigration to Indonesia also took place at this time when huge populations from the Indian subcontinent visited the country and settled there. They also highly influenced the culture and society of the country considerably. Thus Indonesian culture is primarily a blend of Indian and Chinese culture.

Immigration, naturalization and foreigner registration (Imigrasi, pewarganegaraan, kewarganegaraan)
These records are very valuable for making proper connections to place of origin in other countries, and for pinpointing place of residence in Indonesia. Many researchers do not know their ancestor's place of origin. They are generally available from the 1700s to the present. Records can be found at the National Archives, municipal archives, and Chinese community kapitans.

They generally include the immigrant’s name, age, occupation, birth date and place, former residence, destination; wife’s name, childrens’ given names and ages or number of children; religion, race, nationality, sometimes picture. Chinese immigration records give names and places in Chinese characters.