Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor
Encyclopedia
A Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor (SPLP, "Travel Document in Lieu of a Passport") is an Indonesia
n travel document
issued to persons who do not have other appropriate travel documents, for the purpose of proceeding to and from Indonesia. There are several categories of SPLPs, covering both Indonesian citizens and non-Indonesian citizens. Indonesia also issued a travel document known in English as an Alien Passport (Paspor Orang Asing
), a two-year 24-page document which is separate from the SPLP.
Indonesian SPLPs are often issued to Indonesians abroad who have not registered their stay abroad with the Indonesian consulate and have lost their original passports. They may also be issued in Indonesia in case stocks of blank Indonesian passport
s run low. They have sixteen pages and are valid for three years. In 2010, about 10,000 Indonesians staying in Malaysia without valid travel documents applied for SPLPs in order to return to Indonesia for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The Indonesian Consulate General in Sabah
states that their policy is to issue passports only to employed persons or those with guarantors; others receive SPLPs and are encouraged to leave the country to escape Malaysia's crackdowns on immigration violators.
Alien SPLPs have sixteen pages and are valid for one year. According to Indonesian missions abroad, alien SPLPs can be issued in two ways. First, they may be issued to foreigners in Indonesia who do not have any valid travel documents in order for them to depart Indonesia, and in this case are valid only for a one-way journey. Second, they may be issued to foreigners outside of Indonesia who do not have any valid travel documents to go to Indonesia, and in this case are valid for both legs of the journey to and from Indonesia. Issuance of an Alien SPLP requires proof that the holder can be readmitted to the country of departure. The Alien SPLP can be issued to individuals or families; the fee will be higher for the latter case.
Official SPLPs are issued to government officials to travel outside of Indonesia on official duty but do not qualify for an official passport, as well as to persons who have lost their official passports while outside of Indonesia. Like Alien SPLPs, Official SPLPs are valid only for one journey and a period of one year.
has stated that it officially recognises the Indonesian SPLP ("passport-like travel document for Indonesian citizens") for visa-issuance purposes; the Benelux
countries, Spain
, France
, Slovenia
, and Norway
have explicitly indicated that they do not recognise it. Germany
and Estonia
indicated that they will accept SPLPs ("travel document in lieu of a passport") for exit purposes only to enable the holder to return to Indonesia. Other European Union countries did not provide the Council of the European Union
's Visa Working Party with any information on their acceptance.
In the 1992 Immigration Act, the Indonesian SPLP, Alien SPLP, and Official SPLP are enumerated in Article 29 as three of a total of eight kinds of travel documents of the Republic of Indonesia. The issuance of the Alien SPLP was governed by Article 35, while no specific article governed the Indonesian SPLP or Official SPLP. Again, issuance of the Alien SPLP was only mentioned for the case of foreigners in Indonesia, not those outside of Indonesia. Government travel documents regulations issued in 1994 gave details about each type of SPLP: Indonesian SPLP in Articles 26 to 30, Alien SPLP in Articles 31 to 35, and Official SPLP in Articles 36 to 39. The regulations state that Alien SPLPs may be applied for either within the territory of Indonesia in order to depart from the country, or outside the territory of Indonesia in order to make a journey to Indonesia and then depart. The regulations required applicants for Alien SPLPs to have guarantors (penjamin) in Indonesia.
Prior to 1994, the SPLP had been issued in the form of a single-sheet letter, but from 1994 onward, the General Directorate of Immigration indicated in a public guidelines notice that it would be switching to a book-type format like a normal passport, due to forgery
concerns. The notice listed some additional grounds for granting of an SPLP: Indonesian SPLPs would be issued to Indonesians living as illegal immigrants in other countries, as well as in the event of depletion of stocks of blank passports, while Alien SPLPs would be issued to former Indonesian citizens
who had lost citizenship under Article 17(k) of Act No. 62 of 1958 and wanted to travel to Indonesia in order to regain Indonesian citizenship.
Regulations issued by the General Director of Immigration in November 2010 described the Alien SPLP as issued for the purpose of leaving and then returning to Indonesia, or entering once from outside the territory of Indonesia.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n travel document
Travel document
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international treaty organization to facilitate the movement of individuals or small groups of persons across international boundaries...
issued to persons who do not have other appropriate travel documents, for the purpose of proceeding to and from Indonesia. There are several categories of SPLPs, covering both Indonesian citizens and non-Indonesian citizens. Indonesia also issued a travel document known in English as an Alien Passport (Paspor Orang Asing
Paspor Orang Asing
The Paspor Orang Asing or Paspor Untuk Orang Asing is an alien's passport issued by Indonesia. It is a two-year, 24-page document issued to persons permanently resident in Indonesia who cannot obtain travel documents from any other country...
), a two-year 24-page document which is separate from the SPLP.
Issuance
At different times, various types of SPLPs have been authorised by Indonesian immigration and travel documents laws and regulations for both Indonesian citizens and non-Indonesian citizens.- Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor Untuk Warga Negara Indonesia ("Travel Document in Lieu of an Indonesian Citizen Passport" or "Indonesian SPLP"), a multiple-journey document issued to citizens of Indonesia.
- Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor Dinis ("Travel Document in Lieu of an Official Passport" or "Official SPLP"), a single-journey document issued to government officials. Provision is no longer made for this type of SPLP since the 2011 Immigration Act.
- Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor Untuk Orang Asing ("Travel Document in Lieu of an Alien Passport" or "Alien SPLP"), a single-journey document issued to aliens.
- Surat Perjalanan Lintas Batas ("Cross-Border Travel Document" or "SPLB"), a multiple-journey document issued to Indonesian citizens living in border areas; it is classified as a kind of SPLP since 2011.
Indonesian SPLPs are often issued to Indonesians abroad who have not registered their stay abroad with the Indonesian consulate and have lost their original passports. They may also be issued in Indonesia in case stocks of blank Indonesian passport
Indonesian passport
Indonesian passport is a travel document issued by the Government of Indonesia to Indonesian citizens only, residing in Indonesia or overseas.-Biometric passport:...
s run low. They have sixteen pages and are valid for three years. In 2010, about 10,000 Indonesians staying in Malaysia without valid travel documents applied for SPLPs in order to return to Indonesia for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The Indonesian Consulate General in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
states that their policy is to issue passports only to employed persons or those with guarantors; others receive SPLPs and are encouraged to leave the country to escape Malaysia's crackdowns on immigration violators.
Alien SPLPs have sixteen pages and are valid for one year. According to Indonesian missions abroad, alien SPLPs can be issued in two ways. First, they may be issued to foreigners in Indonesia who do not have any valid travel documents in order for them to depart Indonesia, and in this case are valid only for a one-way journey. Second, they may be issued to foreigners outside of Indonesia who do not have any valid travel documents to go to Indonesia, and in this case are valid for both legs of the journey to and from Indonesia. Issuance of an Alien SPLP requires proof that the holder can be readmitted to the country of departure. The Alien SPLP can be issued to individuals or families; the fee will be higher for the latter case.
Official SPLPs are issued to government officials to travel outside of Indonesia on official duty but do not qualify for an official passport, as well as to persons who have lost their official passports while outside of Indonesia. Like Alien SPLPs, Official SPLPs are valid only for one journey and a period of one year.
Acceptance
, only ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
has stated that it officially recognises the Indonesian SPLP ("passport-like travel document for Indonesian citizens") for visa-issuance purposes; the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
countries, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
have explicitly indicated that they do not recognise it. Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
indicated that they will accept SPLPs ("travel document in lieu of a passport") for exit purposes only to enable the holder to return to Indonesia. Other European Union countries did not provide the Council of the European Union
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
's Visa Working Party with any information on their acceptance.
Prior
The 1950 Travel Documents Act in Article 1 authorised the issuance of "other travel documents" in general, but did not use the specific term SPLP. The 1959 Travel Documents Act specifically enumerated the SPLP in Article 1 as one of five types of travel documents of the Republic of Indonesia, and the only one which was not a passport. It did not distinguish between Indonesian, Alien, or Official SPLPs as did later acts; it simply stated in Article 4 that Indonesian citizens could obtain either regular passports or SPLPs, while aliens dwelling in Indonesia could obtain alien passports or SPLPs if they had no travel document from any other state or could not obtain one in a reasonable time. In both cases the SPLP could be issued for an individual or include the individual's wife and minor children (under 16) as well. There was no provision for Official SPLPs.In the 1992 Immigration Act, the Indonesian SPLP, Alien SPLP, and Official SPLP are enumerated in Article 29 as three of a total of eight kinds of travel documents of the Republic of Indonesia. The issuance of the Alien SPLP was governed by Article 35, while no specific article governed the Indonesian SPLP or Official SPLP. Again, issuance of the Alien SPLP was only mentioned for the case of foreigners in Indonesia, not those outside of Indonesia. Government travel documents regulations issued in 1994 gave details about each type of SPLP: Indonesian SPLP in Articles 26 to 30, Alien SPLP in Articles 31 to 35, and Official SPLP in Articles 36 to 39. The regulations state that Alien SPLPs may be applied for either within the territory of Indonesia in order to depart from the country, or outside the territory of Indonesia in order to make a journey to Indonesia and then depart. The regulations required applicants for Alien SPLPs to have guarantors (penjamin) in Indonesia.
Prior to 1994, the SPLP had been issued in the form of a single-sheet letter, but from 1994 onward, the General Directorate of Immigration indicated in a public guidelines notice that it would be switching to a book-type format like a normal passport, due to forgery
Fake passport
A fake passport is a passport issued by governing bodies and then copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status of the bearer...
concerns. The notice listed some additional grounds for granting of an SPLP: Indonesian SPLPs would be issued to Indonesians living as illegal immigrants in other countries, as well as in the event of depletion of stocks of blank passports, while Alien SPLPs would be issued to former Indonesian citizens
Indonesian nationality law
The Indonesian nationality law is a law regulating about who an Indonesian citizen is, the requirements and how to obtain Indonesian citizenship, the loss of Indonesian citizenship, the requirements and how to re-obtain Indonesian citizenship, and the penal provision...
who had lost citizenship under Article 17(k) of Act No. 62 of 1958 and wanted to travel to Indonesia in order to regain Indonesian citizenship.
Regulations issued by the General Director of Immigration in November 2010 described the Alien SPLP as issued for the purpose of leaving and then returning to Indonesia, or entering once from outside the territory of Indonesia.
Current
The 2011 Immigration Act in Article 24 listed three types of passports (Diplomatic, Official, and Ordinary) and three types of SPLPs (Indonesian, Alien, and Border Pass). It did not mention Alien Passports nor Official SPLPs. Article 27 through 29 discussed SPLPs. Article 27 (like the 1992 Act's Article 35) did not mention the issuance of Alien SPLPs to people outside of Indonesia, and stated that the issuance of Alien SPLPs was restricted to foreigners whose countries lack diplomatic representation in Indonesia. Article 28 continued the practise of granting SPLPs either on an individual or collective basis. Article 29 discussed border passes. The Indonesian government has not yet issued travel document regulations in accord with the new Immigration Act.External links
- Picture of SPLP and blog entry about it made by an Indonesian citizen who lost her passport while staying in Spain