Every year, students from more than 60 countries enrol in Maharashtra's engineering, medical, pharmacy, and management colleges. For Indonesian students, the appeal is simple: world-class programmes taught fully in English, fees that are a fraction of what you would pay in Australia or Singapore, and a single official window that handles your entire application. That window is fn.mahacet.org, the Government of Maharashtra's portal for foreign and international candidates.

This guide is written specifically for students applying from Indonesia for the 2026-27 academic year. Let us start with the question every Indonesian parent asks first: will my child's SMA certificate even be accepted?

Indonesian Qualifications: What India Recognises

The good news is that the Indonesian secondary school system is well understood in India. If you have completed your Ijazah SMA (Sekolah Menengah Atas) after 12 years of schooling, you hold a qualification that India treats as equivalent to its own Class 12. This applies to SMA, SMK, and MA streams.

Because your certificate comes from a foreign board, you will usually need an Equivalence Certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The AIU formally lists the 12-year secondary qualification of Indonesia among those it recognises, so the process is routine rather than uncertain. The certificate confirms that your SMA is treated as Class 12 for the purpose of admission to Indian colleges. Allow four to six weeks for this, and apply for it early so it does not delay your college admission.

One exception worth noting: medical courses such as MBBS require the NEET qualification, which is a national rule for all medical aspirants in India, including international students. For engineering, pharmacy, management, science, and most other streams, no entrance exam is needed.

Which Category Do You Fall Under?

Choosing the correct applicant category is the single most important decision in your application. For students from Indonesia, there are two common paths.

Foreign National Student (FNS)

This is the category for most Indonesian students. If you hold an Indonesian passport, you apply as a Foreign National Student through the portal. You do not need an Indian connection of any kind. This is the simplest and most common route, and it is what the rest of this guide assumes.

NRI or OCI

If you are an Indian citizen living in Indonesia, you would apply under the NRI category, which needs an NRI certificate from the Indian Embassy in Jakarta. If you or your parents hold an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, the OCI route applies instead. You can confirm exactly where you fit using the eligibility checker at fn.mahacet.org, which takes about two minutes and costs nothing.

Fee Structure for Indonesian Students

There are two separate costs to understand, and people often confuse them. First is the one-time portal fee paid to the CET Cell. Second is your actual college tuition, which you pay to the college you join. Here is the breakdown.

The portal registration fee is USD $1,200 in total, split as USD $50 for provisional eligibility and USD $1,150 for full registration. At current rates that is roughly Rp 19 to 20 million in total, paid once. This is separate from, and far smaller than, your college tuition.

To put this in perspective, a four-year engineering degree at a strong Maharashtra college can cost less per year than a single semester at many Western universities. On top of tuition, plan for living costs of roughly USD $200 to $400 a month in Pune or Nagpur, and USD $350 to $600 a month in Mumbai, covering hostel, food, and local transport.

Indonesian students can also explore scholarships, including ICCR awards, national SII scholarship schemes, and merit-based fee waivers offered by individual colleges.

How to Apply: Step by Step

The entire application runs through one portal, so you are not chasing colleges individually. Here is the full sequence.

1. Check your eligibility at fn.mahacet.org. The free checker confirms your category and the documents you need.
2. Register online and select the correct category, which for most Indonesian students is Foreign National Student.
3. Upload your documents: passport, Ijazah SMA, transcripts, AIU equivalency certificate, and photographs.
4. Pay the USD $50 provisional eligibility fee online to begin the assessment.
5. Pay the USD $1,150 registration fee after you receive your provisional eligibility letter, then apply to colleges through the single window.
6. Apply for your Indian student visa at the Indian Embassy in Jakarta once you have an admission confirmation, and book your travel.

A practical note on agents: you do not need one. The portal is the official government route, and the eligibility checker plus the support email below will answer most questions. If you do use an agent, never let anyone keep your original documents, and verify every fee against the figures on the official portal.

Getting to Maharashtra: Travel and First Week

Travel from Indonesia is straightforward. Direct flights connect Jakarta (CGK) to Mumbai (BOM) in around six and a half hours, operated by carriers including IndiGo, AirAsia, and Air India. One-way economy fares often start near USD $160 to $190, which is roughly Rp 2.5 to 3 million, though booking early gives you the best price. Connecting flights through Kuala Lumpur or Singapore can be cheaper if your dates are flexible. Pune has its own airport, and many students fly into Mumbai and continue to Pune by road or train.

Will Your Degree Be Recognised in Indonesia?

Yes. Degrees from colleges approved by India's regulators, namely AICTE for technical programmes and UGC for universities, are recognised internationally. When you return to Indonesia, you formalise that recognition through penyetaraan ijazah luar negeri, the foreign diploma equalisation process run by the Directorate General of Higher Education under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek).

The process is now fully online through the IjazahLN portal. The ministry assesses your foreign qualification against the Indonesian National Qualifications Framework (KKNI) and confirms its level, such as Sarjana for a bachelor's degree. To make this smooth, two things matter: choose a college that is clearly AICTE or UGC approved, and keep your transcripts, curriculum details, and original certificates organised. The fn.mahacet.org portal only lists recognised Maharashtra institutions, which protects you here.

Common Mistakes Indonesian Students Make

Leaving the AIU equivalency too late

The AIU certificate takes weeks, and a missing certificate can stall an otherwise complete application. Start it the moment you decide to apply, not after you receive an offer.

Selecting the wrong category

Indonesian passport holders apply as Foreign National Students, not NRI. Choosing the wrong category creates delays and document mismatches. Use the eligibility checker to confirm before you register.

Treating the visa and FRRO as afterthoughts

Apply for your student visa as soon as your admission is confirmed, and complete FRRO registration within 14 days of landing. These are firm rules for Foreign National students, not optional steps.

Frequently Asked Questions