Overview
Cooperation on Immigration and Consular Matters was first initiated in 1996. In order to provide the necessary guidance to enhance cooperation for immigration and consular matters, the ASEAN Plan of Action (PoA) for Cooperation on Immigration Matters was adopted in 2000.
Notable milestones from this cooperation includes the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption and the establishment of the ASEAN Lane. Adopted in 2016, the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption exempts citizens of other ASEAN Member States holding valid national passports from visa requirement for a period of stay of up to 14 days from the date of entry, provided that such stay shall not be used for purposes other than visit.
Meanwhile, the implementation of ASEAN Lanes at major international airports in the region provides ASEAN citizens with an expedited immigration processing lane to facilitate the travel of nationals from the ASEAN Member States and to boost tourism.
Priority Areas of Cooperation
In recent years, ASEAN’s cooperation on immigration and consular matters focuses on the exchange of information and best practices as well as capacity building of immigration officers. The annual deliberation of the DGICM in recent years also includes issues such as the operationalisation of the Guidelines on Consular Assistance by ASEAN Member States’ Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of other ASEAN Member State to the ASEAN Member States, development of the Intelligence Data Sharing Protocol (IDSP), and the effective implementation of the ASEAN Lane at Major International Airport in all ASEAN Member States.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DGICM also supports the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.
Major Sectoral Bodies/Committees
The DGICM as a subsidiary body of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) is the main ASEAN mechanism to facilitate ASEAN cooperation on immigration and consular matters.
Key Documents
Agreement and Plan of Actions
- ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption
- ASEAN Plan of Action for Cooperation on Immigration Matters
Declarations
Guidelines
- Guidelines for the Provision of Emergency Assistance by ASEAN Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of ASEAN Member Countries in Crisis Situation
- Guidelines on Consular Assistance by ASEAN Member States’ Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of Other ASEAN Member States
