The Indonesian Police can issue a criminal record check or Surat Keterangan Catatan Kepolisian (SKCK) to both Indonesian citizens and foreigners. Foreign governments and institutions often require a criminal record check when foreign individuals apply for a working or studying visa or filing for a permanent residency or citizenship.
The Bureau of Intelligence and Security (Baintelkam) of the Indonesian Police Headquarters (MABES) is the authorized party to issue the SKCK based on some necessary steps of criminal verification recorded in their system. The certificate is bilingual (the Indonesian and English language) and is valid for six (6) months.
All Indonesian citizens can apply for a criminal record check. The Indonesian polices requires foreigners to submit a copy of their work and stay permit when applying. This means that foreign tourists are unable to obtain the SKCK. The submission process may also be delegated to a third party in case the applicant is unable to process it personally.
COMMON REASONS OF REJECTION APPLICATION
1. THE INABILITY TO RECORD FINGERPRINTS AT THE POLICE OFFICE.
In case applicants stay abroad, they may experience difficulties in recording their fingerprint. Often local police offices do not provide assistance for fingerprint recording. As alternative, applicants can perform the fingerprinting at a private fingerprint agency or a local notary.
Once the fingerprint form is completed, the client will need to ship it to Indonesia. The original form is one of the mandatory requirements for submitting the application of the criminal record check (SKCK).
2. FORMER COMPANY IN INDONESIA WHERE THE EXPATRIATE PREVIOUSLY WORKED AT IS UNABLE TO SIGN AND ISSUE THE SPONSOR LETTER
The Indonesian Police Headquarters (MABES) obliges the company to sponsor the expatriate’s PCC application. The reason is that as sponsor, the Indonesian company is legally responsible for the foreigner in Indonesia. Some companies, unfortunately, are unable to issue the sponsor letters due to their internal policy. In such case, foreigners can engage a third party Indonesian company that is willing to sponsor the application. Our company is able to provide such sponsorship.
3. THE ABSENCE OF WORK PERMIT OR STAY PERMIT RECORD
The police requires foreigners to attach a copy of their work permit (IMTA/Notifikasi) and stay permit (ITAS) to the application. Often foreigners do not keep a copy of these documents. The work permit is a corporate document which companies usually not share with their foreign workers. Foreigners can therefore reach out to their (former) company and ask for a copy. In case the company is no longer keeping any record of the work permit, the police will likely reject the application.
As an alternative solution for foreigners who cannot meet the minimum application requirements, our firm can issue a statement letter. In this letter we explain why the foreigner was unable to apply for the criminal record check. This statement letter is usually accepted by foreign authorities.
To save time and money, it important to have all documents analyzed by an agent before starting the application. You may consult with our team for further guidance.