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Indonesian land certificates are issued by the National Land Agency (BPN) in Indonesian only, and the title type printed on them decides who may hold the land, for how long, and what can be done with it. Here is what each common certificate means in English, and how to check one before you buy, lease or lend against it.
Fees: a certificate explanation is part of the free first consultation; a formal land office check or sworn translation is quoted before it starts. See notary fees in Bali.
What is a Sertifikat Hak Milik (SHM) in English?
Certificate of Ownership. Hak Milik is full ownership of the land, the strongest title in Indonesian law, with no time limit. The holder can use, sell, lease, mortgage or leave the land to heirs. Only Indonesian citizens can hold it. A foreigner cannot hold SHM in their own name, and holding it through an Indonesian nominee is void.
What is a Sertifikat Hak Guna Bangunan (SHGB) in English?
Right to Build Certificate. HGB gives the right to build and own buildings on land for 30 years, extendable by 20 and then 30 years, up to 80 in total. Indonesian citizens and companies can hold it, including a foreign-owned PT PMA. It can be sold or mortgaged during its term. An expired HGB has a two year window for renewal. Only an Indonesian citizen can convert HGB land back to SHM.
What is Hak Pakai in English?
Right to Use. Hak Pakai lets the holder use land for a set term. It is the title a foreigner with a KITAS or KITAP can hold personally: up to 30 years at first and up to 80 in total with extensions, although these years have been revised by regulation before.
Is Hak Sewa a certificate?
A lease (Hak Sewa) is a contract with the owner, not a title issued by BPN. The certificate stays in the owner's name. See lease agreements.
What is a Sertifikat Laik Fungsi (SLF) in English?
Certificate of Fitness for Use. The SLF is a building certificate, not a land title. It confirms that a finished building has passed inspection and is safe to occupy or operate, and a villa offered for rent needs one. It is valid for 20 years for a house and 5 years for other buildings. Applying for one is covered on the PBG and SLF page.
What does an Indonesian land certificate show?
The certificate number, the measurement letter (surat ukur) with the land area and boundaries, the type of right, the holder's name, and any end date for HGB or Hak Pakai. Mortgages and other charges are recorded in the land book at BPN, which is why the paper in your hand is never the whole story.
How do I check a land certificate in Bali?
- Compare the holder's name with the seller's or landlord's KTP or company documents.
- Ask the land office for a certified check against the land book, and an encumbrance record (SKPT) for mortgages, blocks and disputes.
- Confirm the zoning, the boundaries on the ground and that the land tax is paid.
This is the core of property due diligence. When an office or bank wants the certificate in English, the team explains it and coordinates a sworn translation.
Can I check a land certificate online (cek sertifikat tanah online)?
Partly. The land ministry's Sentuh Tanahku app (ATR/BPN) lets you look up basic data on a registered plot from the certificate number, such as its location and status. It is a useful first look, but it is not proof. It does not show every block, dispute or mortgage, and it cannot tell you whether the paper in the seller's hand is genuine.
Before you pay a deposit, the PPAT requests a certified check (pengecekan sertifikat) at the BPN land office. The land office compares the original with the land book and records the check on it. That is the step that catches forgeries, mortgages and court blocks. See property due diligence.
