The Vaccinated Travel Lane will also open to more cities in Malaysia, Indonesia and India.
Here’s more good news amidst the current Covid-19 situation. The government has recently announced the launch of more Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) with other regions such as Greece and Vietnam, plus more cities in Malaysia, Indonesia and India. This means we can add more destinations to our 2022 travel bucket list and start planning for that much-needed holiday! We give you the full lowdown on where, when and how you can travel without quarantine. Read on for the full deets and get excited.
What’s the Vaccinated Travel Lane?
The VTL policy allows fully vaccinated individuals to travel to Singapore without serving a stay-home notice (SHN). As of writing, Singapore is now open to a total of 30 countries under the scheme, including Hong Kong, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, the Philippines, Sydney, Germany, and South Korea. Two-way quarantine-free sea travel has also resumed between Singapore and Indonesia, with ferries to Bintan and Batam under VTL (Sea).
The new countries that have been added to the list are Greece and Vietnam, allowing you to depart from these countries and enter Singapore without serving quarantine from 16 March. Existing VTLs will also be extended to Penang in Malaysia, Denpasar in Bali, and all Indian cities in the weeks ahead.
Vaccinated travellers will still have to take a pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test within 48 hours of their scheduled departure for Singapore and another test upon arriving. However, unsupervised self-administered ARTs will no longer be required on days two to seven of arrival in Singapore.
What are the current VTL flights?
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and other airlines like Scoot and national carriers from the aforementioned countries operating VTL flights offer tickets to Singapore. All passengers on board must be fully vaccinated.
In the coming weeks, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will be adding Greece, Vietnam, Penang, Denpasar and all Indian cities to its flight schedules, expanding its VTL network to more cities within 25 countries.
For SIA’s full VTL flight schedules, check out the website.
How to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass
Before you embark on your VTL (flight or sea), you have to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) between 7 and 30 days before your intended date of entry into Singapore. However, returning Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders (excluding work permit holders) who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP). In other words, you’ll automatically qualify under the VTL. This also extends to unvaccinated children who are 12 and below. Yay to family vacations!
More easing of border restrictions
While the government previously classified countries and regions into four different categories, this has now been reduced to two. Each category has its own border restrictions, and the traveller’s 14-day travel history will be used to determine which category they fall into.
Category I allows travellers to enter Singapore without having to serve SHN. But, they’ll have to take a professionally supervised ART at a quick test centre or combined test centre within 24 hours of arrival. Countries and regions in this group include Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland China and Taiwan.
Travellers coming from countries in the new combined Category II/III/IV are required to undergo a 7-day SHN and an ART or PCR test administered by a trained professional at an internationally accredited or recognised lab, clinic or medical facility. They will also be allowed to serve their 7-day SHN at a place of residence, self-sourced hotel or serviced apartment. This category is extensive including all other countries and regions outside those mentioned in Category I.
Do check the SafeTravel portal for the latest updates.
Now, who’s ready for a long vacation via the Vaccinated Travel Lane?
