SINGAPORE - Travellers vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to fly to nine more countries and return without quarantine in the coming weeks, in the Republic's biggest move to reopen its borders so far.
From Oct 19, vaccinated travellers from Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States will be able to enter Singapore without quarantine under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme.
The scheme will be extended to South Korea from Nov 15, the Ministry of Transport had said on Friday (Oct 8).
The update to Singapore border measures was announced by Transport Minister S Iswaran on Saturday during a press conference by the multi-ministry task force handling the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nine countries are already open to travellers from Singapore, or will be open by the time the VTL starts.
This would allow Singapore residents to travel, including for leisure, and return without a stay-home notice requirement.
Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will need to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass to enter Singapore under the VTL.
But fully vaccinated Singapore citizens and permanent residents will automatically be able to tap the VTL without applying for the pass.
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All travellers entering Singapore under the VTL will have to comply with a series of requirements.
Travellers entering under the VTL will also have to take designated VTL flights into Singapore. More details about these flights set to be announced by airlines soon.
Short-term visitors who require a visa for travel to Singapore must separately obtain a visa. They are advised to do so after receiving approval to enter and before departing for Singapore.
They must also purchase travel insurance, with a minimum coverage of $30,000 for Covid-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs, prior to travel to Singapore.
More details on the VTL requirements into Singapore can be found at this website.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.