The authorities of the Philippines have expressed support for the introduction of a unified visa system among the ASEAN countries, similar to the one that the Schengen Area member states have.
According to the authorities, a unified visa would help the ASEAN countries – Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia – to promote cross-border tourism and boost their economies, VisaGuide.World reports.
Commenting on the initiative and voicing strong support for it, the Tourism Secretary of the Philippines, Christina Garcia Frasco, said that the ASEAN countries have a lot to offer to international travelers, but this will only be possible through a unified visa.
She further expressed hope that the matter will be discussed again next year when the Philippines will host the ASEAN Summit in Manila, suggesting that the country intends to push for the initiative to be confirmed and implemented in the near future.
I am glad to hear similar interest from our fellow ASEAN nations, and we are very hopeful that the subject matter will again come up as the Philippines hosts ASEAN in 2026.
The Secretary also emphasized that the ASEAN countries can collaborate while maintaining a healthy competition, and at the same time, said that they should be able to diversify their dependency into additional markets. The last comment was made following a drop in Chinese visitor arrivals in the Philippines.
In addition to the Philippines, the authorities of Vietnam and Cambodia have also already supported the proposal to introduce a unified ASEAN visa.
How Will the Unified ASEAN Visa Work?
The proposed unified visa among ASEAN countries is modeled after the Schengen visa in the EU and the GCC visa in the Middle East.
Considering these two models, a unified ASEAN visa would give the holders the right to visit multiple countries on a single visa for a limited period of time.
For example, when the unified visa is introduced, a traveler who obtains a visa from Thailand would be able to enter all the other ASEAN countries without needing to apply for a separate visa for each individual country.
While the details are still not clear, it is believed that such a visa would permit entry from one ASEAN country to another without undergoing border checks.
In addition to simplifying travel for tourists, a unified visa would also attract more visitors to the region and would boost economic growth and cultural exchanges.