Schengen-style 'super-visa' system for Southeast Asia soon

Manila: At least seven Asean countries could rollout a planned Schengen-style, super-visa system soon.

The countries in talks for the "Asean super-visa system": Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Sounds too good to be true? Perhaps not for long.

One report speculates it could happen by end-2025, if not in 2026, the year Manila will host the next summit for the bloc.

What's super-visa?

Imagine this: hopping from the beaches of Thailand to the food streets of Penang, then cruising to Vietnam — all on a single visa. 

Thailand has been cooking up this game-changer, inviting a number of its Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) neighbours to join forces in a “One Destination” initiative.

What’s the big idea?

It’s all about making travel smoother, more exciting, and more Insta-worthy. Visa-free travel among Asean member states has been in place since 2006, formalised during the 39th Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

With the "One Destination" scheme, think Schengen-style visa — the kind travellers use to jump around Europe without getting stamped at every border. 

That’s exactly what the bloc wants to bring to Southeast Asia.

Asean actually groups 10 states in the region: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Thailand’s tourism advisors recently took the idea to Singapore (on April 22), where Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan seemed genuinely interested. 

Not surprising — who wouldn’t want easier travel and more tourist dollars?

Local media here also reported that the Philippines has expressed “strong support” for the unified Asean visa system to boost seamless cross-border travel in the region. 

On May 15, a week before she quit her post (May 22), Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco had endorsed the initiative during the “Skift Asia Forum” in Bangkok. 

The proposal aligns with Asean's goal of unified tourism branding, she said. Manila is hosting the 2026 Asean Summit.

A dream come true. You’d only need one visa to explore six different cultures, cuisines, and coastlines. 

It also means: fewer forms, shorter queues, and a whole lot more adventure.

What travellers could theoretically enjoy:

• Luxury cruises from Singapore to Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City to Manila

• Self-drive tours across mainland Asean 

• Food trails through Michelin-rated restaurants and vibrant night markets

• Cultural festivals and local events across borders

• Heritage tours featuring shared and distinct culture

• Expect travel bundles packed with Michelin-star meals and swanky hotel stays.

Tourism is a huge job and dollar generator. Thailand and Malaysia alone rake in more than US$90 billion a year from tourists.

A unified visa could push those numbers even higher — up to 70 million tourists annually, according to one estimate.

It’s also about staying competitive. Europe has its Schengen area. Why not Southeast Asia?

Thailand is already prepping — it now offers visa-free entry to travellers from 93 countries, including many top tourist sources like China and India.

If all goes according to plan, you could be using this ASEAN super-visa by late 2025. Perhaps 2026.

That’s just around the bend in travel time.