About Indonesia Expat Expertise I am a foreigner from a Western country but have been living in Indonesia for the past 9 years. As a person living and working here, I am able to provide information on transport options and average prices within the country, as well as getting in and out of the country, general hassles people will come up against, visas, recommended homestays, honest and ethical people for legal consultation and private investigation, scams that foreigners should be aware of, safety considerations in certain areas, requirements of living and working here, information regarding leasing houses, apartments, some information on mixed marriages, where to find good medical treatment, jobs, housing, imported foods, cars, restaurants, etc.
Experience I have been living and working here since the beginning of 1999 and have traveled and lived in Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Central Java and West Java.
Expert: Indonesia Expat Date: 2/4/2008 Subject: marriage
Question i have an indonesian girlfriend who resides in wonosobo and i intend to marry her soon, she's a muslim and i am not, is it possible for us to get married without me having to convert to islam, and i was thinking if the family;s opposition is too severe, i was considering eloping with her, i currently reside in manchester, uk
Answer Hi Onake,
Forget about a mixed religion marriage in Indonesia. Trying to make it happen will be like hitting yourself in the head repeatedly for an extended period of time. Also keep in mind that eloping may very well make your gfs family hate you forever more. I take it they are originally from Wonosobo? If that's the case, they're Javanese. The wedding ceremony and all that goes with it will be a very important thing to them. In addition, how old is your gf? If she's still fairly young, she may need the permission of her father - if he's still alive - or another male relative before she can get married.
That being said, if you and your gf really want to have a mixed religion marriage and she is able to travel unrestricted outside of Indonesia, you can do it in Singapore. That would involve going to Singapore and staying there for 2 weeks before being able to have the ceremony. You would have to take all personal paperwork, like birth certificates, passports, other types of ID, etc. You should do a Google for more detailed info. Check 'getting married in Singapore' and other search terms to that effect. The rules may have changed. You would then have to register the marriage through the Civil Registry office in Indonesia once returning to Indonesia to have it valid by Indonesian law. That means no involvement of Kantor Agama (religious affairs office for Muslims).
If she agrees to it and she is able to travel, I'm quite sure you could get married in the UK very easily since you are from there. You'd have to check your local rules and regulations. Same thing would apply once you came back to Indonesia. You'd have to register the marriage here as well to have it valid under Indonesian law.
