The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood
When you settle in and have unpacked all the boxes and the crates, it is time to get used to your domestic staff (and they to you) and to ensure that you register yourself and your family at several neighborhood levels.

During the Japanese occupation, the Japanese armed forces introduced different neighborhood levels. This system is still maintained. Starting from the bottom there is the RT (which stands for Rukun Tetangga).

An RT is a group of up to 100 households, headed by a leader, known as kepala RT, or more affectionately Pak RT. Pak is short for Bapak, which means both Father, Dad and Sir. Pak RT needs to know who is living in his RT and, in the case of foreigners, for how long.
Shortly after arrival visit Pak RT, show your passport and explain who you are, why you live here, at which address and for how long. Pak RT usually also wants to know the names of your domestic staff. He will give you a simple note, signed and stamped. With this note you report to the next higher level, which is the RW (short for Rukun Warga).

A RW is composed of a number of RT and it is headed by the Kepala RW . At the RW level you will usually find an office with clerks. Instead of Pak RW, the clerks will do the processing. Once again you will receive a note, stamped and signed. You will need to pay a registration fee too.
The note from the RW office is required to report to the Kecamatan or sub-district level. Here again you are charged a registration fee.

If your office is not equipped to do all the registration formalities, depending on the level of education of your domestic staff, they may do so at the RT and RW levels on your behalf, but you must personally fulfill the registration at the Kecamatan level.