Remember the two foreigners who were arrested for possessing illegal Indonesian national identity cards (KTP)? Another picture of a KTP registered to a Russian citizen went viral recently. However, a government official explained that, this time, the KTP is legit.
A picture of a Badung-issued KTP belonging to a 43-year-old Russian man with the initials KA has been making the rounds online. The KTP was reportedly issued on Sept. 22 last year and will be valid until June 16, 2027.
While it is actually not that surprising for a foreigner to hold a KTP, KA’s case was interesting because foreigner-owned KTPs are supposed to be orange in color – not blue like for Indonesians.
“The Russian man married an Indonesian citizen and, after we checked, he has the KITAP (Permanent Stay Permit),” said Badung Population and Civil Registration Office (Dukcapil) Head Anak Agung Ngurah Arimbawa.
As for why KA’s KTP is not orange, Ngurah Arimbawa stated that his office had not received the orange papers (locally known as blangko) by the time they issued KA’s ID card.
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Regulation No. 72/2022 mandates that foreigners’ KTP be orange.
Last month, a Syrian man who used the fake Indonesian name Agung Nizar Santoso and a Ukrainian man who identified himself as Alexander Nur Rudi were arrested by the authorities along with four Indonesians who helped them get their fraudulent KTPs.
In addition to the KTPs, both men reportedly also each owned a Family Card (KK) and local ATM cards, and they were in the process of applying for tax identification numbers (NPWP).
Ngurah Arimbawa reiterated that the Russian man’s case is different and the Badung Dukcapil observed all regulations before issuing his KTP.
Badung Disdukcapil Secretary Putu Suryawati explained further that the office received the orange papers on Nov. 22 last year – three months after KA’s KTP was issued.
She explained that, as of April 13 this year, there are 1,385 foreign nationals holding KTPs in Badung, representing 3 percent of the area’s population.
