Australia Partner Visa from Indonesia — Evidence Guide

For Indonesian applicants applying to Australia. Official source: Australian Embassy Jakarta (Department of Home Affairs).

Applicable visa categories

Partner Visa (Offshore) (309/100) — varies by case; check the Home Affairs visa processing time guide
Partner Visa (Onshore) (820/801) — varies by case; check the Home Affairs visa processing time guide
Prospective Marriage Visa (300) — varies by case; check the Home Affairs visa processing time guide

What is different for Indonesian applicants

Partner and Prospective Marriage visa applications are lodged online in ImmiAccount and managed by the Department of Home Affairs; the Australian Embassy in Jakarta says its staff cannot help with general visa enquiries. Home Affairs’ list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centres (stated as correct at March 2026) has no location in Indonesia. Home Affairs says it will tell you whether you need to give biometrics and how, which may mean travelling to a centre in another country or, if you are eligible, using the Australian Immi App.
Which marriage record you hold depends on how you married. The Australian Embassy’s general guide says Muslim marriages are performed by the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama, KUA), which issues the marriage book (Buku Nikah), and recommends also getting a marriage certificate from the Civil Registry Office (Kantor Catatan Sipil) if you intend to relocate to another country. Non-Muslim marriages must be registered at the Civil Registry Office to be legal.
The Indonesian police certificate is the SKCK (Surat Keterangan Catatan Kepolisian), issued by the Indonesian National Police (POLRI). Home Affairs lists applying in person at Mabes POLRI or a regional POLDA office, or through the Presisi Polri app, and a relative, friend or legal representative can submit the documents for you if you live outside Indonesia. For immigration purposes a police certificate is valid for 12 months from issue.
The Australian Embassy in Indonesia warns about visa scams: the Department of Home Affairs is the only official Australian Government provider of visas, ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying, and you should never let anyone apply for you without making sure everything in the application, including your relationship status, is true and accurate.

Document authentication (Indonesia)

Indonesia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since June 2022. Apostilles are applied for online through the Ministry of Law's Directorate General of Legal Administrative Affairs (Ditjen AHU), and civil-registry deeds such as akta kelahiran and akta perkawinan are among the eligible documents.

Issuing authority: Ministry of Law — Directorate General of Legal Administrative Affairs (Apostille) (Ditjen AHU).

Civil documents commonly required

Akta kelahiran (birth certificate) issued by the civil registry (Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil, Disdukcapil)
Buku nikah (marriage book) issued by the KUA (Kantor Urusan Agama) for Muslim marriages, or kutipan akta perkawinan (marriage certificate extract) from Disdukcapil for non-Muslim marriages
Kartu Keluarga (KK, family card)
KTP-el (electronic national identity card)
SKCK (Surat Keterangan Catatan Kepolisian, police record certificate) from the Indonesian National Police

Official form guides

888: Supporting statement in relation to a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa application

Common refusal grounds at Australian Embassy Jakarta (Department of Home Affairs)

Relationship requirement not met: the evidence across the four Home Affairs categories (finances, household, social matters and commitment) does not show a genuine and continuing spouse or de facto relationship.
De facto applicants not meeting the 12-month de facto relationship requirement before applying (Home Affairs notes that time spent dating or in an online relationship might not count), unless an exception applies, such as a relationship registered with an Australian State or Territory authority.
False or misleading information or bogus documents. Home Affairs states that providing altered, edited or digitally manipulated documents, including photos, is unlawful, and that bogus documents or false information may lead to refusal, visa cancellation and restrictions on future applications.
Sponsorship not approved: the sponsor character requirements, or sponsorship limitations where no exception applies (a third Partner or Prospective Marriage sponsorship, sponsoring another partner within the last 5 years, or the sponsor having been sponsored as a partner within the last 5 years).
For 820/801 applicants already in Australia: holding a visa with a no-further-stay condition such as 8503 without a waiver approved before applying, or applying without a substantive visa (and without having held a Prospective Marriage visa) and not showing compelling reasons.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

A written relationship history: how, when and where you first met, how the relationship developed, time spent apart, significant events and your plans for the future.
Evidence that you stay in touch when apart, which Home Affairs lists under commitment, for example dated message and call records kept genuine and unedited. Home Affairs suggests updating relationship evidence regularly in ImmiAccount while the application is processed.
Statements from 2 witnesses aged 18 or over who know you both and know about your relationship (Form 888 can be used), with proof of status for any witness who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. 820/801 applicants who do not hold a substantive visa must also include at least two statutory declarations when they apply; Form 888 does not meet that requirement.
Indonesian civil documents scanned in colour with English translations: the marriage record (Buku Nikah from the KUA or the Civil Registry marriage certificate), a birth certificate (Akta Kelahiran) showing both parents’ names, and your national identity card (KTP) if you have one.
Joint finances and household evidence where it exists: joint accounts or leases, bills in both names, mail addressed to you both, and a statement on how you share housework.

Frequently asked questions

Where do Indonesian applicants lodge an Australian partner visa?

Online, in ImmiAccount. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta states that visitor, student and partner visa applications must be lodged online, and that visa applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs; embassy staff cannot help with general visa enquiries. For the offshore Partner visa (309/100) and the Prospective Marriage visa (300) you must be outside Australia when you apply. Your sponsoring partner then applies to sponsor you in ImmiAccount using the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) or application ID from your application.

How do I get an Indonesian police certificate (SKCK) for Home Affairs?

The SKCK is issued by the Indonesian National Police (POLRI). Home Affairs’ country information lists applying in person at Mabes POLRI or a regional POLDA office if you are in Indonesia, or through the Presisi Polri app; if you live outside Indonesia, a relative, friend or legal representative can submit the documents for you. You need a police certificate from every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16. Certificates are valid for 12 months for immigration purposes and Home Affairs may ask for new ones if they expire before a decision, so check the processing-time guide before you apply for one.

Do Indonesian documents need translation or an apostille for an Australian partner visa?

Documents in Indonesian need an English translation, and you provide both the original and the translation. Translators in Australia must be NAATI-accredited; translators outside Australia do not need accreditation but must include their full name, address, telephone number, and qualifications and experience in the language, in English. Home Affairs says you do not need to have documents certified, and its partner-visa document steps do not list an apostille. If a document ever needs one, the Hague Apostille Convention has applied to Indonesia since 4 June 2022, and the competent authority is the Directorate General of Legal Administrative Affairs (AHU) at the Ministry of Law.

We married at the KUA. Is the Buku Nikah enough as marriage evidence?

Home Affairs asks for your marriage certificate or other evidence that your marriage is valid in Australia. The Australian Embassy’s general guide explains that the KUA issues the Buku Nikah for Muslim marriages and that registration with the Civil Registry Office is usually not required, but it recommends getting a Civil Registry marriage certificate if you intend to relocate to another country. The embassy also notes that since 1 January 1995 a marriage legally performed overseas, which would have been legal if performed in Australia, is accepted as a legal marriage under Australian law.

Can we marry in Indonesia, or apply for the Prospective Marriage visa instead?

Both routes exist. For an Australian citizen to marry in Indonesia, the embassy says they need a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI) from the Australian Embassy in Jakarta or the Consulate-General in Bali, Surabaya or Makassar, depending on the region. The embassy’s general guide also states that under Indonesia’s Marriage Law (Law No. 1 of 1974) both parties must hold the same religion, and it advises confirming current requirements with the Civil Registry Office or KUA. For the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) you apply from outside Australia, must have met face to face as adults, show that you will marry within 9 months of the grant (for example, with a letter from the person who will officiate), and marry before the visa ends. The wedding can take place in any country, but the marriage must be valid under Australian law.

Can WhatsApp chats be used as evidence for an Australian partner visa from Indonesia?

They can support your application. Home Affairs lists staying in touch when apart as evidence of commitment and asks for a written account of the time you spent apart. A dated, chronological export of your messages and call history can support this, but it does not replace marriage, identity, financial or witness evidence. Keep exports genuine and unedited: Home Affairs states that providing altered, edited or digitally manipulated documents, including photos, is unlawful.

Official sources

Related corridors

Australia Partner Visa from Vietnam — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Vietnamese applicants — subclass 309/100 & 820/801, four evidence pillars, English translation rules.
Australia Partner Visa from India — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Indian applicants — subclass 309/100 & 820/801, four evidence pillars, English translation rules, arranged-marriage FAQ.
Australia Partner Visa from China — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Chinese applicants — subclass 309/100, 820/801 & 300, notarial police certificate, translations, marrying in China.
Australia Partner Visa from the Philippines — Australian partner-visa evidence guide for Filipino applicants — subclass 309/100, 300 and 820/801, CFO digital certificate, NBI Clearance, biometrics.

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