VISA application volumes from the Philippines rose by about eight percent year on year in 2025, reflecting the restoration of travelers’ confidence to explore overseas destinations, according to VFS Global.
VFS Global, which provides visa services on behalf of 33 foreign governments in the Philippines, said outbound travel demand strengthened across leisure, business and visiting-friends-and-relatives segments last year.
Among the most preferred destinations for Philippine travelers in 2025 were Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the company said.
“This healthy rise in visa applications from the Philippines last year indicates that travelers’ confidence has been restored and people are exploring their favorite global destinations again,” said Atul Lall, regional head for North Asia at VFS Global. “We are confident that this positive travel momentum will sustain in 2026 as well. We urge applicants planning to travel overseas from the Philippines to apply for their visas in advance to avoid the last-minute rush.”
Japan visa applications from PH soar
Japan, the second most in-demand destination among Filipinos last year after Hong Kong, is seeing a surge in visa applications, according to the Embassy of Japan.
“Visa applications from Filipinos to visit Japan have increased to unprecedented levels, excluding the period during the [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic,” the embassy said in a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency.
“In response to the increasing demand, the visa processing system underwent a fundamental overhaul starting April 2025 to maintain proper screening quality and streamline the process,” it added.
Embassy data showed that short-stay visas issued to Philippine passport holders surged more than sixfold over the past decade, rising from at least 73,143 in 2013 to more than 450,000 in 2023. The figure further increased to 490,907 last year.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism reported that 852,643 Filipinos visited Japan last year.
Shortage of appointment slots
In a separate news report, the Global Tourism Business Association Inc. (GTBA) recently sought assistance from the Japanese Embassy to address the ongoing shortage of appointment slots for Japan visa applications.
In a press release, GTBA said travel agents are encountering difficulties in helping clients secure the required documents to enter Japan.
GTBA founding chairman Michelle Taylan said accredited travel agencies were informed by VFS Global — the Japanese Embassy’s official partner responsible for appointment scheduling and acceptance of e-passport renewals — that the next available visa slots are scheduled for April.
Taylan added that the VFS website’s appointment system has shown no available slots, prompting some members to consider traveling to Cebu or Davao to secure appointments. / KOC