Australia will launch a travel bubble with Singapore soon. According to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a quarantine-free travel bubble between the two countries for fully vaccinated travelers is planned for November 23.
It would initially apply to international students and business travellers while tourists will be allowed entry from December. This link will also allow fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their family members to visit Singapore and back without quarantining.
“We are in the final stages of completing an arrangement with the Singapore government,” Mr. Morrison told reporters.
Australia aims to reopen international travel and this travel bubble with Singapore will help further that goal. However, for now, Australia will only allow vaccinated citizens, permanent residents, and their family members to enter without having to quarantine. Mr. Morrison also said that Australia will then prioritize visa holders and then tourists.
Sydney Morning Herald reported that in a Facebook post, Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, said he is delighted that Australia will allow entry to more visa class holders coming out of Singapore.
“Singapore and Australia have robust economic and investment links, and warm people-to-people ties. Look forward to resuming close connectivity between our countries as we move towards an endemic COVID future,” Mr. Lee Hsien Loong also said.
There is no set date for the start of the Singapore-Australia travel bubble. However, Mr. Morrison indicated that the schedule would align with that of Qantas, Australia’s national carrier.
On 22 Oct, Qantas announced that it will resume flights to Singapore from Sydney on 23 November. Its lower-cost airline, Jetstar, will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore on 16 December.
Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380 will resume flights to Sydney, with daily flights on December 1.
Singapore also expanded its quarantine-free travel lanes to more countries. Fully vaccinated travellers from Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain, and the United States can also enter Singapore without having to quarantine.
Setting a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) for travelers from Australia means Aussies can bypass quarantine. However, they need to test negative within 48 hours of getting on their flight and return another negative test when they land in Singapore.
Arrivals in Singapore are tested for coronavirus at Changi Airport and must then isolate themselves in their hotel or accommodation as they wait for their negative result.
Singaporeans planning to visit Australia have to be fully vaccinated and produce a negative COVID-19 test result 72 hours prior to departure. The New South Wales government may reach out to them for further testing.
Visiting Singapore
Travellers who wish to visit Singapore will do so via a Safe Travel Lane arrangement. The entry requirements and health controls of each Safe Travel lane will vary depending on your profile and travel history.
Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) applications for Short-Term Visitors as well as Long-Term Pass Holders will start on 22 November 2021. Returning fully vaccinated Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents will not need to apply.
Short-Term Visitors
Short-term travellers who wish to visit Singapore may use the following lanes:
| Travel Lanes | Countries/Regions |
| Vaccinated Travel Lane |
Fully vaccinated travellers and any accompanying unvaccinated children below 12 years old, and are departing from the following countries:
1Includes the Faroe Island and Greenland 2Includes all overseas departments and regions (DROM), overseas collectivities (COM), overseas territories (TOM), and New Caledonia 3Includes Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and all special municipalities 4Including the Canary Islands 5Includes the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey), and all British Overseas Territories 6Includes the US territories of American Samoa, Northern Marina Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands |
| Air Travel Pass
(No controlled itinerary within Singapore) |
|
| Reciprocal Green Lane
(Controlled itinerary within Singapore, business and official travel only) |
|
Note: Travellers with a prior travel history to the listed countries/regions before landing in Singapore may use the respective lanes.
Vaccinate Travel Lane (VTL): This lane allows quarantine-free travel arrangements to Singapore. To be eligible:
- Be fully vaccinated with WHO Emergency Use Listing Vaccines
- Hold an accepted proof of vaccination
- Travel history and designated VTL Flight Requirements
Air Travel Pass (ATP): Travellers must apply for an ATP for entry into Singapore between 7 and 30 calendar days prior to the date of entry into Singapore.
Reciprocal Green Lane: This lane facilitates short-term essential business and official travel between Singapore and the listed countries/regions.
Returning Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents
Singapore Citizens (SC) and Permanent Residents returning to Singapore from any overseas country may enter without approval. However, travel health measures may vary depending on the traveller’s travel history before arriving in Singapore.
Fully vaccinated returning SC/PRs, and any accompanying unvaccinated child(ren) below 12 years old may use the Vaccinated Travel Lane for quarantine-free measures. However, they must be from the countries/regions listed under VTL.
Long Term Pass Holders
Long Term Pass Holders must apply for entry approval to enter Singapore. The travel health measure will depend on the traveller’s travel history before arriving in Singapore.
For the full details regarding the travel lanes, you can click here.
Visiting Australia
There are green and red zones in Australia to separate passengers arriving on quarantine-free flights (green zone) from other passengers who are required to enter 14 days mandatory quarantine (red zone).
You are exempt from travel restrictions if you are transiting Australia for 72 hours or less.
From 21 November 2021 fully vaccinated Singaporean Citizens will be able to enter Australia without travel exemption and will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival.
To be eligible, travelers from Singapore must:
- Hold a valid Australian Visa
- Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved and recognized by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Depart from Singapore and arrive in a participating Australian state or territory
- Provide proof of vaccination status
- Present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 3 days of departure.
On top of that, eligible travellers will also need to complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure.
For a full list of requirements and other travel restrictions, you can visit here.
Closing
As Singapore moves towards an endemic Covid future, more restrictions will be lifted and more borders will start to open. Other countries/regions in the air bubble with Singapore include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Travellers from the list may enjoy quarantine-free travel. Know more about Singapore’s travel bubbles here.
In addition, short-term essential business and official travel between Singapore and Brunei Darussalam and Mainland China (only for travellers from Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang) are also possible.
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