¡¡
The Governments of Brunei
Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao
People¡¯s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the
Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of
Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Member Countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), hereinafter referred
to individually as ¡°Member Country¡± and collectively as ¡°Member
Countries¡±;
DESIRING
to maintain, strengthen and further develop the friendship and
cooperation in ASEAN;
RECALLING
the provisions of Article 2 of the ASEAN Tourism Agreement signed on 4
November 2002, in Cambodia on facilitation of intra-ASEAN travel;
RECALLING
paragraph (b) of Article 11 of the ASEAN Framework Agreement for
Integration of Priority Sectors signed on 29 November 2004, which
commits ASEAN Member Countries to provide visa exemption for intra-ASEAN
travel by ASEAN nationals; and
INTENDING
to provide general principles and guidelines in establishing and/or
renewing bilateral agreements among Member Countries on visa exemption
for their respective citizens traveling within the ASEAN region;
Have agreed as
follows:
Article 1
1. Member Countries,
where applicable, shall exempt citizens of any other Member Countries
holding valid national passports from visa requirement for a period of
stay of up to 14 (fourteen) days from the date of entry, provided that
such stay shall not be used for purposes other than visit. Citizens of
Member Countries who enter another Member Countries for other purposes
or for a stay exceeding the days allowed under the laws and regulations
of the host countries are required to apply for appropriate visas or
passes.
2. Notwithstanding the above
paragraph, Member Countries shall reserve the right to provide visa-free
entry for citizens of other Member Countries for temporary visits for a
period more than fourteen (14) days in accordance with their respective
laws and regulations and/or bilateral protocols/arrangements.
Article 2
The duration of passport
validity of citizens of Member Countries shall be at least six (6)
months from the date of entry.
Article 3
1. The waiver of visa
requirements under the foregoing articles shall not exempt citizens of
Member Countries from the requirements of complying with the laws and
regulations in force in the host country.
2. Each Member Country
shall reserve the right to refuse admission or shorten the authorised
duration of stay in its territory of citizens of other Member Countries
who may be considered undesirable.
Article 4
Member Countries shall
exchange, through diplomatic channels, specimen of their current
passports, and specimen of any new passports not later than thirty (30)
days before their introduction.
Article 5
1. Member Countries shall
reserve the right to temporarily suspend the implementation of this
Agreement for reasons of national security, public order, and public
health by giving other Member Countries immediate notice, through
diplomatic channels.
2. The suspension shall be
lifted immediately after the situation which has given rise to the
suspension has ceased to exist.
3. Member Countries shall
reserve the right to terminate the implementation of the Agreement by
means of written notification, through diplomatic channels. The
termination of the implementation of the agreement shall take effect
ninety (90) days after the date of receipt of the notification.
4. Unless otherwise
provided, the termination of implementation of this Agreement shall have
effect only as regards the Member Country that has notified it. The
Agreement shall remain in force for other Member Countries.
Article 6
1. This Agreement shall not
affect the implementation of existing agreements on visa exemption
between Member Countries as well as the rights and obligations of Member
Countries under any existing agreements or international conventions of
which they are parties.
2. If the provisions of the
agreements on visa exemption stated in paragraph 1 of this Article are
less preferential to those of this Agreement, the Member Countries
concerned shall negotiate for amendments in compliance with the
provisions of this Agreement.
Article 7
Member Countries, where
applicable, shall negotiate and conclude separate bilateral protocols to
implement this Agreement as soon as possible. The implementation of such
bilateral protocols shall come into force on the date as mutually agreed
by the respective Member Countries.
Article 8
1. This Agreement is
subject to ratification or approval by all Member Countries in
accordance with their respective domestic laws and regulations
2. The instruments of
ratification or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary-General
of ASEAN who shall promptly inform other Member Countries of such
deposit.
3. This Agreement shall
enter into force when instruments of ratification or approval of all
Member Countries have been deposited.
Article 9
Member Countries may request
through a diplomatic channel to amend or modify all or any part of this
Agreement. The amendment or modification shall become effective upon
consent in writing by all Member Countries and shall form part of this
Agreement.
Article 10
Any differences or disputes
arising out of the interpretation and implementation of this Agreement
shall be settled amicably by consultation or negotiation among Member
Countries without reference to any third party or international
tribunal.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorised to sign by
their respective Governments, have signed the ASEAN Framework Agreement
on Visa Exemption.
DONE at Kuala Lumpur, this
Twenty-Fifth Day of July in the Year Two Thousand and Six, in a single
copy in the English Language.
For Brunei Darussalam:
LIM JOCK SENG
Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
For the Kingdom of Cambodia:
HOR NAMHONG
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
For the Republic of Indonesia:
DR. N. HASSAN WIRAJUDA
Minister for Foreign Affairs
For the Lao People¡¯s Democratic Republic:
DR. THONGLOUN SISOULITH
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
For Malaysia:
DATO¡¯ SERI SYED HAMID ALBAR
Minister of Foreign Affairs
For the Union of Myanmar:
NYAN WIN
Minister for Foreign Affairs
For the Republic of the
Philippines:
ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
For the Republic of
Singapore:
GEORGE YONG-BOON YEO
Minister for Foreign Affairs
For the Kingdom of
Thailand:
DR. KANTATHI SUPHAMONGKHON
Minister of Foreign Affairs
For the Socialist Republic
of Viet Nam:
PHAM GIA KHIEM
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Source:
http://www.aseansec.org/18570.htm