Trade in services
Export and import services with confidence. Find regulations, tariffs, and requirements by market.
ASEAN has long been a global leader in trade in goods — but trade in services is growing fast alongside it. Logistics and transport move goods across borders, often paired with legal, accountancy and tax advice. As countries move up the value chain, research, design and intellectual property are increasingly traded too — all made easier by electronic communications, payments and internet banking.
THE JOURNEY
Trading services, in four steps
From the agreement that governs services to getting your people across the border — here is the whole path, with the jargon explained along the way.
1
STEP 1 · KNOW THE AGREEMENT
ATISA now governs services trade across ASEAN.
Show More
Services trade in ASEAN is guided by the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement (ATISA), signed in April 2019 to replace the earlier ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) of 1995. ATISA builds on AFAS and keeps its targets, but switches to a “negative list” approach: every service is treated as liberalised unless a country specifically lists it as excluded.
See the agreements (ASEAN)ATISA Negative list
AFAS (1995) opened services gradually; ATISA (2019) replaced it. Under ATISA’s “negative list”, all services count as open unless a country chooses to exclude them.
2
STEP 2 · CHECK YOUR SECTOR
Eleven service sectors are progressively liberalised.
Show More
Member States have concluded 10 packages of commitments under AFAS — plus a further 7 packages covering financial services and 8 covering air transport. With each package the sector has opened further, and it now spans 11 broad service areas, from business and financial services to transport, tourism and telecommunications.
See all 11 sectorsPackages Of Commitments
Find your sector among the 11 covered. Each “package” of commitments has steadily opened services wider across the region.
3
STEP 3 · GET QUALIFICATIONS RECOGNISED
Have your professional qualifications recognised region-wide.
Show More
A Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) lets ASEAN members recognise each other’s professional qualifications, so qualified providers can work across borders. Seven MRAs are in place — plus a framework for surveying. Alongside them, the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF) provides a common way to compare qualifications across all education and training sectors.
See recognised professionsMRA · AQRF
An MRA means your professional qualification is recognised in other ASEAN countries. Seven professions are covered today; the AQRF helps compare qualifications across borders.
4
STEP 4 · MOVE YOUR PEOPLE
Move your specialists across borders, temporarily.
Show More
The ASEAN Agreement on Movement of Natural Persons (MNP), signed in 2012, provides a legal framework to remove nearly all restrictions on the temporary cross-border movement of people who deliver services. It covers Business Visitors, Intra-Corporate Transferees and Contractual Service Suppliers — but does not cover permanent immigration to seek work, nor unskilled labour.
Read the MNP Agreement (PDF)MNP
MNP lets you send people abroad temporarily to deliver a service — business visitors, staff transfers and contracted suppliers. It does not cover permanent migration or unskilled work.
WHAT'S COVERED
The 11 service sectors being opened up
With each package of commitments the region has liberalised further. These are the broad sectors now covered — find yours to understand where you fit.
Air transport
International air passenger and freight transport, aircraft maintenance and repair, and airport operation services.
Transport services
International passenger and freight transport, vehicle maintenance and repair, storage, warehousing and freight forwarding.
Environment
Water and wastewater, household and industrial waste, noise abatement, nature and landscape protection.
Business services
IT, accounting and auditing, legal, architecture, research and development, advertising and more.
Telecommunication
Telecom and mobile services, business networks, data and message transmission, e-mail.
Construction
Civil engineering, engineering, installation works and rental of construction equipment.
Tourism
Hotels, restaurants and catering, tour operators and travel agencies.
Healthcare
Medical and dental services, hospitals, ambulances and more.
Distribution
Commission agencies, wholesale and retail trade.
Education
From primary schooling through to adult education.
Financial services
Banking, insurance and capital markets.
Members have concluded 10 packages of commitments under AFAS, plus 7 packages on financial services and 8 on air transport.
RECOGNITION
Professions recognised across ASEAN
A Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) lets members recognise each other’s professional qualifications, so qualified providers can work across borders. Seven MRAs are in place, plus a framework for surveying.
ALONGSIDE IT · AQRF
The ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (endorsed 2016) is a common way to compare qualifications across all education and training sectors — supporting recognition, worker mobility and lifelong learning.
Engineering Services (2005)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Nursing Services (2006)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Architectural Services (2007)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Surveying Qualifications (2007)
Framework arrangement on mutual recognition
Dental Practitioners (2009)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Medical Practitioners (2009)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Tourism Professionals (2012)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Accountancy Services (2014)
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Regulations for services in ASEAN Member States
Detailed laws, procedures and rules live in each country’s own repository. Pick a market to open its National Trade Repository for services and its Movement of Natural Persons schedule — straight from official sources.
Brunei
Cambodia
Indonesia
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar
The Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Viet Nam
Brunei Darussalam
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Cambodia
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Indonesia
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Lao PDR
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Malaysia
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Myanmar
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
The Philippines
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Singapore
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Thailand
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Viet Nam
Official resources for services trade
National Trade Repository — Services
Laws, procedures, rules and regulations for trade in services in this market.
Movement of Natural Persons schedule
This country’s commitments on the temporary cross-border movement of service providers.
Who can move under MNP
The Movement of Natural Persons agreement covers three groups of people delivering services temporarily across borders.
Business Visitors
People visiting temporarily to negotiate or set up the supply of a service.
Intra-Corporate Transferees
Staff moved within the same company to a branch or office in another ASEAN country.
Contractual Service Suppliers
Independent professionals or employees of an overseas firm delivering a service under contract.
KEEP EXPLORING
Country Trade Guides for ASEAN Markets
Go beyond the regulations — explore the agreements, support organisations, and trade opportunities for every country.
HOW WE GOT HERE
From a framework to free flow.
ASEAN’s services market has opened step by step over nearly three decades — from the first framework agreement to today’s ATISA.
1995
AFAS signed
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services sets a framework to gradually open services trade, using the WTO GATS as a baseline with MFN and National Treatment.
2012
MNP Agreement
The Agreement on Movement of Natural Persons gives a legal framework to ease temporary cross-border movement of people who deliver services.
2015
AEC: free flow of services
The ASEAN Economic Community sets the goal of free flow of services as part of a single market and production base.
2016
AQRF endorsed
The ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework is endorsed to compare qualifications across education and training sectors.
2019
ATISA signed
The ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement replaces AFAS, introducing the “negative list” approach where all services are open unless excluded.
Plain Language Glossary
Services trade comes with its own set of acronyms. Here is what each one means and why it matters for your business — keep it open as a reference while you work through the steps above.
AFAS
ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services
The 1995 agreement that first set out to gradually open services trade across ASEAN, using the WTO GATS as a baseline. ATISA replaced it in 2019.
ATISA
ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement
The 2019 agreement now governing services trade. It uses a “negative list”: every service is treated as open unless a country specifically excludes it.
GATS
WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services
The World Trade Organization framework that ASEAN’s agreements build on — the global baseline for how services trade is liberalised.
MFN & NT
Most-Favoured-Nation & National Treatment
Two core principles: MFN means you treat all trading partners equally; National Treatment means foreign providers are treated no worse than domestic ones.
MRA
Mutual Recognition Arrangement
An arrangement that lets ASEAN members recognise each other’s professional qualifications, so qualified providers can work across borders. Seven are in place.
AQRF
ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework
A common reference (endorsed 2016) for comparing qualifications across all education and training sectors — supporting recognition and worker mobility.
MNP
Movement of Natural Persons
The 2012 agreement giving a legal framework for the temporary cross-border movement of people who deliver services.
BV · ICT · CSS
The three groups MNP covers
Business Visitors, Intra-Corporate Transferees and Contractual Service Suppliers — the categories of people MNP lets move temporarily to deliver a service.