FILIPINOS LOOK BEYOND EU

Filipinos are applying for more visas to travel abroad, but Europe isn't seeing much of the increase.

Visa applications from the Philippines rose 20 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with destinations outside Europe's Schengen Area accounting for much of the growth.

Applications for non-Schengen destinations jumped 28 percent, while those for Schengen countries remained largely unchanged.

Australia, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom were among the leading non-Schengen destinations, according to figures released by visa processing company VFS Global.

In Europe, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland remained popular among Filipino applicants.

The figures cover visa applications, not actual departures or arrivals. They also do not distinguish between Filipinos traveling for holidays, employment, education or family visits.

Another shift is taking place in how people apply.

Demand for services that allow applicants to submit documents and provide biometric information without visiting a visa application center surged 58 percent from a year earlier.

The figures suggest that international travel demand among Filipinos remains strong, although the growth is uneven across destinations.

They do not, however, establish whether more Filipinos are traveling abroad or whether visa approval rates have improved.

Nor do they show how much applicants are spending on overseas trips.

For now, the clearest finding is that visa applications are increasing, and destinations outside the Schengen Area are seeing the stronger growth.