In many villages and on the edges of towns in Kalimantan, land changes hands without a certificate. What the seller holds is an SKT (Surat Keterangan Tanah, a land statement letter) from the lurah or village head, an old segel letter, or a statement of physical possession known as a sporadik.

Land like this isn’t necessarily a problem. Many families have farmed or lived on it for generations. But those letters are not a certificate, and a buyer needs to know exactly what they’re buying.

This guide is for anyone being offered land on an SKT or segel, whether for a house, a smallholding or a long-term hold. It explains what the letters mean, the risks, how to check them, and how to buy safely.

What SKT, segel and sporadik are

The three terms are often used loosely, but they mean different things:

  • SKT (Surat Keterangan Tanah). A letter from the lurah (head of an urban ward) or village head, sometimes also acknowledged or issued by the camat (district head), stating that a person holds a piece of land of a given size and boundaries.
  • Segel. The everyday name for an old land letter, usually a sale letter or statement written years ago. The form and content vary a great deal.
  • Sporadik. Short for Surat Pernyataan Penguasaan Fisik Bidang Tanah, a statement of physical possession by the person who holds the land, witnessed by neighbours and acknowledged by the lurah or village head. It is often used as a basis for first-time registration.

These letters usually name the person holding the land, its area, the neighbours on each boundary and how the land was acquired.

SKTA in Central Kalimantan

Central Kalimantan also has the SKTA (Surat Keterangan Tanah Adat, a customary land statement letter). It is issued through the customary (adat) institution, with the damang, the adat leader, playing a role.

An SKTA records customary recognition that someone holds a piece of land. Like an SKT, it is not a certificate from the Kantor Pertanahan (the district land office).

If you’re buying land on an SKTA, check with the adat institution that issued it too. Ask whether the letter is recorded there, and whether anyone else has ever claimed the same parcel.

Proof of possession, not a title

This is the key point. SKT, segel, sporadik and SKTA letters show the history of possession: who has worked the land, since when, and from whom it came. They are useful evidence when the land is registered.

Title issued by the state is a certificate from the Kantor Pertanahan. Until the land is registered, there is no official record at the land office of its boundaries and its right holder.

The practical effects are real. SKT land usually can’t be used directly as bank collateral, it attracts fewer buyers, and it sells for less than certified land in the same location.

Risks to know about

  • Two letters for one parcel. An SKT can be issued more than once for the same land, by different officials or in different years.
  • Unclear boundaries. Many letters only name the neighbours or natural markers such as ditches and trees, with no clear measurements or coordinates.
  • Overlap with forest zones or concessions. Land inside kawasan hutan (designated state forest) can’t simply be certified, even with an SKT. Some land also turns out to lie inside a plantation or mining concession.
  • Signatures by former officials. The lurah or village head who signed may have left office long ago, so the letter is hard to confirm.
  • A seller who isn’t the only one entitled. Inherited land that hasn’t been divided can be sold by one heir without the others agreeing.

These risks don’t always show on a first visit. That’s why each one needs checking before any money changes hands.

Questions for the seller

Before you check anywhere else, start with a conversation with the seller. The answers often point the way:

  • How long has the land been held, and who was it acquired from?
  • Are there earlier letters, and where are the originals?
  • Who are the neighbours on each side, and has any boundary ever been disputed?
  • Has anyone applied to certify the land before, including through PTSL (Pendaftaran Tanah Sistematis Lengkap, the government’s systematic land registration program)?
  • Are there other heirs or family members with a claim?
  • Is the land currently pledged, rented out or farmed by someone else?

Write down the answers, then compare them with what you find at the village office, on the ground and on the map.

How to check before you pay

  1. Ask for all the original letters, and don’t settle for photocopies. That includes earlier letters showing where the land came from, and PBB (annual land and building tax) receipts if there are any.
  2. Visit the village or kelurahan office. Ask whether the letter is recorded in the village land register or ledger, who signed it, and whether any other letter has been issued for the same parcel.
  3. Check at the kecamatan (district) office if the camat signed or recorded the letter.
  4. Walk the boundaries with the seller and the neighbours on every side. Ask whether they agree with the boundary. Record the corner points with a map app on your phone.
  5. Open BHUMI, the parcel map run by Kementerian ATR/BPN at bhumi.atrbpn.go.id. See whether nearby parcels are already certified, and whether the location the seller points to clashes with a registered parcel.
  6. Ask the forestry office whether the location lies inside kawasan hutan.
  7. Ask the Kantor Pertanahan whether the parcel has ever been registered, is being processed, or lies in an area covered by PTSL.

If even one answer is doubtful, hold off on paying. Our guide on avoiding land disputes when you buy lists other warning signs to look for.

Buying safely and registering the land

If the checks come back clean, the next step is to put the transaction on record and register the land:

  • Record the sale officially. Sign a deed before a PPAT (Pejabat Pembuat Akta Tanah, the official who draws up land deeds). Where there are few PPATs, the camat can act as a temporary PPAT (PPAT Sementara). For land that isn’t certified yet, the PPAT usually asks for a letter from the lurah or village head on the land’s status.
  • Involve everyone entitled. If the land was inherited, all heirs sign. If the seller is married, their spouse consents too.
  • Register as soon as you can. Apply for first-time registration at the Kantor Pertanahan, or join PTSL if your village is covered. The process is explained in our guide on turning girik land into SHM.
  • Price it honestly. Land on a segel or SKT is reasonably priced below certified land. Build the cost, time and risk of registration into your offer.
  • Consider registration first. If questions remain unanswered, ask the seller to register the land and obtain a certificate before you buy, even if it means a longer wait.

For farmland, including smallholder oil palm, these checks matter just as much. Our guide to oil palm plantation legal status covers the extra documents to look at. For land conditions and flooding, see also tips for buying land in South Kalimantan.

If you have land on a segel letter that you want to sell, Vorneo can still market it through the List Your Property page, though it usually draws fewer interested buyers and a lower price than certified land.