In many parts of South Kalimantan, especially inherited family land on the outskirts of Banjarmasin or in the surrounding regencies, land ownership is still recorded only as girik, not as a formal certificate from the National Land Agency (BPN, Badan Pertanahan Nasional). Many landholders assume girik is already strong enough proof of ownership, when in fact its legal status is quite different from a certificate. Understanding what girik actually is, why it is worth converting into an SHM (Sertifikat Hak Milik, or freehold title), and how the process works at BPN will help if you plan to sell, pass down, or use that land as collateral in the future.
What Girik Is, and Why It Is Not the Same as a Certificate
Girik, known in some areas as petuk or Letter C, is essentially an old village-level land tax record, not an ownership document issued by the state through BPN. Girik dates back to an older administrative system, before modern land registration was widely rolled out, and functioned more like a tax card than a title deed.
Because it is not a certificate, girik does not carry the same legal certainty as an SHM or an HGB (Hak Guna Bangunan, or building-use right). It mainly serves as an early piece of evidence that someone has physically controlled and managed a plot of land, often across generations, rather than final proof of ownership. This is why girik land is often described as unregistered land, even when a family has occupied and worked it for many years.
Why Converting Girik into SHM Matters
There are several good reasons to pursue this conversion sooner rather than leaving it to the next generation. First, an SHM provides far stronger legal certainty and full state recognition, which significantly lowers the risk of disputes or third-party claims. Second, certified land is much easier to sell, use as collateral for a mortgage or business loan, or formally pass down to heirs. Third, the longer girik land goes unregistered, the harder it becomes to trace its history and find witnesses who can confirm past ownership, especially once the original holder has passed away.
Banks generally cannot accept girik land as loan collateral, since there is no formally recognized title yet. So if you plan to use the land for financing down the road, converting it into an SHM is effectively a prerequisite.
Another factor pushing owners to convert sooner is the growth happening around the land itself. In developing areas such as the outskirts of Banjarmasin, Banjarbaru, or newly opened access roads elsewhere in South Kalimantan, girik land tends to rise in value as the surrounding area grows. Unfortunately, that rising value also makes the land a more attractive target for competing claims if its legal status is still unclear. Securing the land’s status early, before its value climbs and draws more attention, is generally far easier than sorting it out once the land has become contested.
The First-Time Land Registration Route at BPN
The process of turning girik into a certificate is known as first-time land registration (pendaftaran tanah untuk pertama kali), since administratively the land has never been entered into BPN’s system before. There are generally two routes.
The first is an individual, routine application, where the landholder goes directly to the local Land Office to request certification. The second is through PTSL (Pendaftaran Tanah Sistematis Lengkap, the government’s complete systematic land registration program), which registers land in bulk across a whole area or village, usually at a much lower cost than the individual route because most steps are carried out simultaneously by BPN field teams. If your village or sub-district happens to be included in a PTSL program that year, it is well worth taking advantage of. To find out whether your area is on the current year’s list, check directly with the village office or your local Land Office, since program coverage changes annually.
Documents and Land History You Will Need
One of the most decisive parts of this process is demonstrating a continuous history of possession. The more complete that history, the smoother the process tends to go. Documents typically requested include:
- The original girik or petuk and copies of it
- A statement of land history and physical possession from the village office, endorsed by the village head
- Proof of any earlier transfers, such as customary sale documents, inheritance letters, or deeds of gift, if the land has changed hands before
- A statement declaring the land is free of disputes and not currently pledged as collateral, typically signed by the owner and witnessed by neighboring landholders
- Land and building tax (PBB) payment records for recent years
- The applicant’s ID card and Family Card
The more generations that have passed since the girik was first issued, the more complex the history you may need to piece together, particularly if any transfer along the way was never documented in writing. In these situations, witness statements and confirmations from village officials become especially important.
The On-the-Ground Process, from Survey to Certificate
Once your application is filed, BPN officers will carry out a physical survey of the plot to confirm its size and boundaries match what has been claimed and that it does not overlap with a neighboring plot. The data is then posted publicly for a period, giving anyone who believes they have a claim to the same land a chance to object. If no objection is raised before that period ends, the process moves forward to issuing the certificate in the applicant’s name.
During this announcement period, it helps to stay cooperative if officers or other parties need further clarification, for instance about a boundary shared with a neighbor. Resolving a small issue like this early on is far cheaper and faster than having it surface after the certificate has already been issued.
How long the entire process takes varies considerably, depending on how complete your documents are, whether any dispute arises, and the workload at your local Land Office, so it is best not to rely on a fixed timeline. For a realistic estimate of the time and cost involved in your area, ask directly at the Land Office or consult a PPAT (the licensed land deed official) experienced with girik conversions.
The Risks of Buying Land That Is Still Girik
If you are considering buying land that is still girik, there are a few risks worth understanding upfront. Because it has never been formally registered with BPN, there is a chance the same land is claimed by more than one party, especially if the chain of past transfers was never properly documented or involves multiple heirs. The seller may also not actually have full authority to sell if they are not the sole heir, or if other heirs have not agreed to the sale.
If you are still interested in this kind of land, ask the seller to produce the original girik along with its complete history, verify the record with the local village office, and consider involving a PPAT or notary from the negotiation stage onward. Some buyers prefer to require the seller to complete certification before finalizing the transaction, even though that means a longer wait. Another option is to negotiate a price that accounts for the cost and time of conversion you will bear yourself afterward.
Final Thoughts
Converting girik land into an SHM takes patience, from piecing together the land’s history and gathering documents to waiting through the survey and public announcement stages at BPN. But the payoff is worth it: your land becomes legally safer, easier to pass down, and more valuable in economic terms. This article is general education, not legal advice, so for the specifics of your own land, it is best to consult a notary/PPAT or your local Land Office (BPN) directly.
If you hold girik land in Banjarmasin or elsewhere in South Kalimantan and would like to talk through the right next step, the Vorneo Property team is happy to help on WhatsApp at no charge.
