World Cup bid needs single ASEAN visa
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As ASEAN governments prepare a bid for the 2030 world cup, they must first establish a Shengen style visa system. If their application is to even be considered, the group will have to ratify a unified ASEAN travel visa as a prerequisite for jointly hosting the tournament.
This will enable non-ASEAN citizens to move easily from country to country during the competition. Though Word Cup 2030 is some way off, it has added impetus to the issue which has caused disagreement in the past.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry Director General for ASEAN cooperation Djauhari Oratmangun said there were numerous advantages to a single visa and tourism would only benefit as a result. However there are problem inherent to such a programme.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa earlier told the Jakarta Post that there are outlying challenges to the idea. The different laws and immigration policies of ten sovereign states must be considered and appeased, as must the potential security and political repercussions of such an open system.
Though most member states have been issuing free visas to ASEAN citizens since 2005, the prospect of a single visa has not been properly confronted. The World Cup bid will add weight to the proposal, and proponents of the scheme, such as the ASEAN Tourism Association, will welcome added support.
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