VFS Global, a visa outsourcing and technology firm, said on Tuesday that visa applications from the Philippines are expected to grow by 5% to 7% year-on-year in 2026, as travelers’ confidence continues to improve.

“Given the current geopolitical situation… we still see application numbers in line with what we had forecasted, which is still slightly marginally higher than 2025,” VFS Global Regional Head for North Asia Atul Lall told reporters in an interview.

“We are optimistic to see at least a 5% to 7% growth going forward,” he added.

Data from the firm showed that the volume of visa applications from Filipino travelers increased by 8% in 2025 compared to the previous year.

The firm also noted the rising demand for personalized services in visa applications in the country as its Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service showed a year-on-year improvement of 62%.

Through the doorstep visa service, applicants can complete their application process from the comfort of their homes or in their preferred locations.

The countries offered in the said service are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Malta, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

According to the UN Tourism, if the Asia-Pacific region recovers its 2019 tourist levels, global economic conditions remain favorable, and geopolitical conflicts do not escalate, international tourism could climb by 3% to 4% in 2026.

The Asia-Pacific region grew 6% last year but remains 9% below its 2019 level.

“When the world started to open up, I think there was a lot of revenge travel, so there was a significant increase between 2021 and 2023, but still, 2019 numbers were higher than 2023,” Mr. Lall said. “2024 was pretty much a slight increase, but not phenomenal.”

PHL travel trends

While popular destinations among Filipino travelers are Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the firm sees higher demand in short-distance travel.

“It’s more short-distance travel that we’re seeing the numbers increase, where there’s a lot of travel happening,” Mr. Lall said.

Like other travelers around the globe, Filipinos are exploring overseas destinations for leisure and quality time with loved ones.

“I think reasons for travel normally are either a vacation, family, or new destinations. So I think those will never change, those will continue to be the same,” the firm’s regional head said.

“The willingness to travel has been and always has been and will be there, and that’s why our business needs that kind of momentum that we are talking about,” he added.

VFS Global caters to 33 sovereign governments, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand, among others, through 61 visa application centers in eight cities nationwide. — Almira Louise S. Martinez