All services provided by UNHCR and partners are free of charge.
To seek asylum in Indonesia, you must first register with UNHCR.
Registration is the process where UNHCR writes down, checks, and updates basic information about you and your family members.
These are the steps to register with UNHCR Indonesia:
- You need to submit a request to UNHCR,
- UNHCR will contact you for your registration interview,
- You need to attend your registration interview.
Please note, UNHCR Indonesia can only register you if you are in Indonesia.
- If you are not in Indonesia, please select the country you are in on the HELP website for information relevant to you.
To submit your request for registering with UNHCR Indonesia, use one of the following options:
Self-service Portal
You can request to be registered with UNHCR by using our self-service portal.
You can create your personal account through the self-service portal and request specific services from UNHCR Indonesia, including a new registration request.
- Please note that only some services provided by UNHCR in Indonesia can be requested through this self-service portal.
Find out how to create an account and use the portal:
Kobo Online Form
You can submit your new registration request by filling out this online form.
Choose “No” for the question “Have you been registered by UNHCR?” and fill in all required information, including:
- Full name,
- Country of origin,
- Active phone number (WhatsApp number),
- Current address,
- Passport information and visa status.
If you are already registered with UNHCR Indonesia and wish to register a newborn baby or a family member who has recently arrived in Indonesia, please submit the above online form and wait for UNHCR to contact you.
You can also request to register with UNHCR Indonesia by sending us an e-mail at [email protected].
Please send the following information in your email:
- Full name, country of origin, current address in Indonesia, phone number (WhatsApp number), information about family members in Indonesia, visa status in Indonesia,
- Attach your passport photo and Indonesian visa page,
- Registration record from other UNHCR operations, if previously registered.
Due to the high volume of requests for new registration, you may have to wait a few months before UNHCR contacts you for an interview. Please do not submit repeat requests for registration.
Questions? Select below each question to learn more about each step ⬇️
What happens after I submit a request for registration?
Once you submit a request for registration via the online form or e-mail, UNHCR will contact you to schedule a registration interview. Please note that it may take several months before your interview is scheduled due to the high number of requests received.
If you live in Jakarta and the surrounding area, UNHCR will schedule an appointment for you in person at the UNHCR Reception Center in Jakarta. If you are residing far from Jakarta, UNHCR may schedule an interview with one of our field teams. Currently, UNHCR has field teams in Aceh, Medan, Pekanbaru, Tanjung Pinang and Makassar.
During your appointment, UNHCR will collect basic information on you and your family members, take your biometrics (photograph, fingerprint, iris scan), ask some questions to better understand why you are unable to return to your home country, and provide you some information on the asylum system in Indonesia. Please provide truthful and accurate information during your registration interview. Failure to do so may have an impact on your asylum claim.
What should I bring to my registration interview?
Please bring all available documents relevant to your asylum claim, including passports, identity documents, marriage or birth certificates, national ID cards, evidence of previous registration with another UNHCR office or foreign government, or family registry. During the registration interview, you must provide truthful and correct information.
UNHCR has a comprehensive policy on protection of personal data of refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR. Detailed information on UNHCR’s data protection policy is available at: Data protection | UNHCR.
What happens after the registration interview?
Asylum-seekers newly registered with UNHCR will be issued with a UNHCR identity document (card or certificate) with a specific expiration date. The document includes your basic information and UNHCR case number and proves that you are a person under the protection of UNHCR Indonesia.
You will be informed of your rights and duties as an asylum-seeker registered with UNHCR and a foreigner within the territory of Indonesia. As a foreigner seeking asylum in Indonesia, you are obligated to respect the local customs and culture and obey Indonesian laws and regulations.
You will also receive basic information (also available on this site) of assistance programs available in Indonesia. Please note that due to limited resources, basic assistance is not provided for all refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia. Inclusion in any assistance program requires an individual assessment. For more details about assistance programme, please visit relevant assistance pages in the HELP site.
How do I register with UNHCR from Immigration Detention or at the airport?
If you are currently being held at an Immigration Detention Center or at an international airport in Indonesia, please contact the Legal Protection Hotline at 0811 9840 643.
How do I register my newborn baby with UNHCR?
If you are registered with UNHCR and wish to register your newborn, please submit a request via Kobo Online Inquiry Form .
Choose “Yes” for the question “Have you been registered by UNHCR?” and fill in your UNHCR case number. Please make sure to insert your active contact number and choose “Newborn Registration” as the topic of your concern, then submit.
UNHCR will contact you to schedule a registration interview. Please ensure you have the birth notification issued by the hospital/clinic/midwife with you for the registration interview. For more information on the birth notification, please read the HELP page on birth registration.
How do I update my contact details (address and/or phone number)?
It is extremely important that you maintain accurate contact details in UNHCR’s database as this is how we will contact you with any case updates or important information.
In particular, please ensure a consistent WhatsApp number. If you obtain a new phone number, try to maintain the WhatsApp number with which you registered with UNHCR. If you must change the WhatsApp, please notify us immediately.
If you would like to update your contact details or address, please submit the request via Kobo Online Inquiry Form.
Choose “Yes” for the question “Have you been registered by UNHCR?” and fill in the UNHCR number that appears on your UNHCR document. Fill in your new contact details and choose “Contact Details Update” as the topic of your concern, then submit. UNHCR may call you to verify the information and will make necessary updates in the database. Please note that if you are requesting a phone number update, UNHCR will automatically update your number in our database.
Please make sure to always update UNHCR with your active WhatsApp number as UNHCR will reach out to you via WhatsApp if there is any update in your case file or to share important information. Your case file might be inactivated if you do not update your UNHCR ID document in a timely manner and you are uncontactable for an extended period.
How do I update my personal information?
If you would like to update your personal information such as name, date of birth, education, religion, or marital status, please submit your request via Kobo Online Inquiry Form.
Choose “Yes” for the question “Have you been registered by UNHCR?” and fill in the UNHCR number that appears on your UNHCR document. Choose “Biodata Change” as the topic of concern.
UNHCR will contact you to proceed with the request. Please be informed that biodata change requests should be supported by evidence and not all requests will be approved by UNHCR.
What if I get married/divorced?
If you are married or divorced and need to merge or split your case, please submit the request via Kobo Online Inquiry Form. Choose “Case Merge/Separation” as the topic.
UNHCR will contact you to proceed with the request. Please be informed that merge/split requests should be supported by evidence and not all requests will be approved by UNHCR.
What if I want to cancel or close my registration with UNHCR?
If you wish to withdraw your asylum application or your refugee status with UNHCR, including if you wish to return to your home country, please submit a request to close your case with by signing the withdrawal form. Please submit the request to withdraw your case via Kobo Online Inquiry Form. Choose the “Voluntary Return” topic.
UNHCR will contact you for counseling and to obtain more information.
Depending on your country of origin, IOM and UNHCR might be able to support you for voluntary repatriation through the Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) Program. Please note that the AVR program is available for limited nationalities and not applicable to all situations. Please visit the “voluntary repatriation” page for additional information.