Wow.. I am back after couple of months not visiting my lonely blog pages…
Finally I write again after recently some of my friends asked about my blog, they said ‘what’s wrong with your blog? when was the last time you visit your blog??? then I have no clue what to answer those questions, until I realized that I never write again after my last posting. Actually the reason is simple that I have no supporting tools to write my blog at home but to be honest a little bit lazy as well hehe…However, I am ready to write again and now I would like to share you about a Free to marry letter or in Bahasa we called it ‘Surat Bebas Nikah or Surat Lurah’
All foreign marriage applicants are required to present a ‘Certificate of No Impediment’ or similar document declaring ‘freedom to marry’ issued by their Consulate or Embassy representative within Indonesia. This letter stated that you are free to marry and no obstacles which forbid you to marry your partner. Please do note that every nationality has different requirement in obtaining this letter. There are some consulate representative here in Bali but almost all Embassy are located in Jakarta,which is sometimes the couple need to go there directly to process the letter just if there is no consulate representative of their nationality in Bali. Then if not intending to visit Jakarta, some embassy allow the couple to send the documents needed by fax or email in advance OR to process it here in their consulate representative in Bali instead of visiting their Embassy in Jakarta in which save you from another trip to Jakarta. Another alternative to get this letter is you may obtain this letter from your original country.
As stated above, each nationality has different requirements to obtain this letter and each of them required different period of time to issue the letter, some takes only 1 day and some takes 3 months which is depend on the process in issuing the letter, then to get it signed and stamped by the consulate representative or embassy. Your wedding organizer may act as your representative in obtaining this letter, but again its all depend on the consulate’s policy either the wedding organizer can be the client’s representative or the couple should contact the consulate personally. Some important or supporting documents which are always required in processing this letter are copy of pasports, birth certificates, divorce letter (if any) and statement letter from their local civil registry that mentioned they are free to marry, then all the above original letter need to be shown to the consulate or embassy during their arrival here in Bali or Jakarta as evidences to collect the letter. Also each of them charge various prices in issuing this letter, most of them charge in Rupiah and foreign currency which also depends on the exchange rates at that moment.
At the meantime, for Indonesian citizen this letter called ‘Surat Bebas Nikah or Surat Lurah (N1,2,3,4), this letter can be obtained at lurah office or kantor kepala desa in your local area where you are originally from. The documents which are needed in obtaining this letter are also the same as the above, regarding the prices that they might charge and times that they needed to issue the letter, again its depend on each lurah office’s policy. In this letter will mention about your latest status whether you are single, widow/er, then this letter to be submitted to civil office as the requirement for processing your legal wedding with others documents and to be registered under the wedding law in Bali.
One important note that this letter should be valid at least 3 months before the exact wedding date after issued by the consulate or embassy.
Well as per described above, we know that this ‘free to marry letter or surat bebas nikah’ is one of important documents that you need to obtain for having legal wedding ceremony in Indonesia or Bali. Without this letter, you may just have a blessing or commitment ceremony without any legal implications. Therefore, I would suggest you to contact your wedding organizer or consulate representative or embassy in advance to process this letter.
Good luck happy couple 🙂