ASEAN Common Visa
ASEAN Common Visa | |
|---|---|
| File:ASEAN and East Timor.svg States covered by the proposed ASEAN Common Visa
ACV Area Member of ASEAN committed by treaty to join the ACV Area in the future (Timor-Leste) | |
| Type | Proposed visa policy framework of ASEAN |
| Participating states | |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,452,000 km2 (1,719,000 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2025 estimate | 677,000,000 |
• Density | 152/km2 (393.7/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2025 estimate |
• Total | $11.8 trillion |
• Per capita | $17,400 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2025 estimate |
• Total | $3.9 trillion |
• Per capita | $5,760 |
The ASEAN Common Visa is a proposed shared visa framework intended to facilitate short-term travel by non-ASEAN nationals across participating member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Under the proposal, a single visa issued by one participating state would permit entry into multiple ASEAN countries, subject to national immigration laws and border controls. The initiative has been discussed primarily in the context of tourism facilitation, regional connectivity, and economic integration.
Unlike internal travel arrangements for ASEAN nationals, which are largely governed by bilateral and regional visa-exemption agreements, the ASEAN Common Visa has been conceived exclusively for non-ASEAN visitors. Though based on the European Union's Schengen System, the proposal does not involve the removal of internal borders between member states, nor does it create a unified immigration jurisdiction. Entry, exit, enforcement, and security screening would continue to be administered individually by each participating country in accordance with domestic law.
ASEAN-wide adoption has not yet occurred, the proposal remains under active consideration, with periodic renewed interest driven by tourism recovery strategies and evolving regional mobility policies. As of the mid-2020s, the ASEAN Common Visa has not been formally established. Discussions continue within ASEAN frameworks regarding scope, participating states, technical infrastructure, and legal coordination, with the initiative remaining a proposed instrument of regional cooperation rather than an operational visa regime.
History
Proposal and feasability
The concept of an ASEAN Common Visa emerged in the early 2010s as part of broader efforts to enhance tourism and regional connectivity within ASEAN. The proposal gained momentum in 2011 during Indonesia’s chairmanship, when Indonesian officials advanced the idea ahead of the 19th ASEAN Summit in November as a component of the ASEAN Connectivity agenda. At the 44th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Bali in 2011, foreign ministers agreed to commission a formal feasibility study to commence in 2012. Around the same period, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono publicly expressed optimism that member states would reach agreement on a common visa framework to encourage closer intra-regional interaction and support ASEAN’s connectivity objectives.[1] The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2010 identified the easing of visa requirements as a priority, and tourism officials were already discussing a unified visa concept. In January 2011, ASEAN Tourism Ministers adopted the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2011–2015, which included elements of a single shared visa as a strategic objective in ASEAN's long term goals.[2]
By 2012, foreign ministries and immigration agencies from each member state finished compiling an in-depth feasibility study on the ASEAN Common Visa following the 2011 mandate. The "Study for an ASEAN Common Visa for non-ASEAN Nationals" had been completed by the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and was ready for further deliberation.
References
- ↑ antaranews.com (2011-10-31). "ASEAN moves closer to adoption of common visa". Antara News. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ↑ "2011 Joint Communique of the 44th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting" (PDF). Centre for International Law (CIL), National University of Singapore. Bali, Indonesia: National University of Singapore. 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
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