The Portal To —
Law of IndonesiaIndonesia
A civil-law country built on Pancasila, with a directly elected President, a Constitutional Court, regional autonomy across thousands of islands, special autonomy for Aceh and Papua, customary law (adat) and Islamic law alongside the state’s own law, and new criminal codes that took effect in 2026. How the system works, how to live, work and invest there, and why a foreigner cannot own freehold land. Free articles, organized by subject, growing every week.
New portal — the first articles are on their way.
Who This Page Is For
This portal collects material on Indonesian law, a civil-law system with real legal pluralism: the state’s own law is joined by Islamic law, which applies to Muslims in defined areas and more widely in Aceh, and by customary law (adat), which the Constitution recognises. Indonesia is not an Islamic state: it is a unitary republic based on Pancasila. It is written for readers who visit, live, work, study, buy property or do business in Indonesia or who want to understand its legal system, and it explains laws, institutions and procedures without giving legal advice or opinions on individual cases. Everywhere else on this site, content reflects US law unless a page says otherwise.
Course · 8 modules and a capstone · $15 · Module 1 free
Indonesian Law
A first course in Indonesian law: adat and Dutch colonial law and Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and the presidency, regional autonomy and special autonomy for Aceh and Papua, customary law and Islamic law, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court and the notaries, the fundamental rights and administrative courts, contracts and land rights and why foreigners cannot own freehold land, companies and the positive investment list, employment and tax, and the new Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, natural resources and arbitration.
Start the course →The first Indonesia articles are coming soon.
This portal fills in automatically, subject by subject, as new articles on Indonesian law are published — check back shortly.
Legal documents
31 legal documents in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
Leases, loan and sale agreements, powers of attorney, family documents, letters and more, ready to fill in and sign, in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian), with the English translation alongside for the other party. PDF and Word. 6 € for a document in the language, 9 € with the English translation. Included in the individual All-Access plan, in the language you choose.
- • Perjanjian Sewa Tempat Tinggal
- • Perjanjian Jasa (Freelance)
- • Perjanjian Pinjaman
- • Perjanjian Kerahasiaan (NDA)
- • Perjanjian Jual Beli Barang Bergerak (termasuk kendaraan bekas)
- • Persetujuan Orang Tua untuk Anak Bepergian ke Luar Negeri
See the documents in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
These are general templates for use in any country, each with a ‘check in your country’ list. They are not drafted under Indonesia law, and they are not legal advice.
Continue The Journey
The Civil Law Tradition
Where the Indonesian Civil Code comes from and what it shares with the Netherlands, France, Germany and the legal systems of continental Europe and Latin America: the Roman roots, the great codes and legal science.
Explore the civil law tradition →Looking at another legal system? Law by country · Compare legal systems