SINGAPORE, 28 October 2021: Singapore will extend the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme to Australia and Switzerland for entry into Singapore starting 8 November 2021.
It is part of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s “step-by-step effort to revive air travel and reclaim and rebuild Singapore’s status as an international aviation hub with global connectivity.”
Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers from these countries may enter Singapore without quarantine and just need to undergo a Covid-19 PCR test. Children aged 12 years and below who are not vaccinated will be allowed to travel under the VTL into Singapore if they are accompanied by a VTL traveller who meets all VTL requirements.
The VTL is for entry into Singapore. For entry into Australia and Switzerland, travellers are advised to check the entry requirements of the respective countries. CAAS also urges all travellers to exercise caution, especially when travelling with young children.
The VTL was first launched on 8 September 2021 for Brunei Darussalam and Germany.
The VTL was extended to eight other countries, namely Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom (UK) and the USA, from 19 October 2021.
With regards to Australia and Switzerland, they are both Category II on the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Country/Region Classification for Border Measures.
They both have similar or lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Singapore and the other VTL countries. With the commencement of the VTLs for Australia and Switzerland, CAAS said the VTL quotas would be increased by 1,000, from up to 3,000 to up to 4,000 travellers daily.
Australia
Australia recently announced its air travel reopening roadmap, starting with allowing fully vaccinated Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and their immediate families to return to Australia without the need to serve quarantine. On 22 October 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia was in the final stages of concluding an arrangement that will see Australia opening up to more visa class holders from Singapore. Details for this arrangement will be announced by Australia later.
Singapore’s VTL for Australia will allow fully vaccinated travellers from Australia to enter Singapore without quarantine for all purposes of travel. Taken together with Australia’s border measures, the VTL will facilitate two-way quarantine-free travel between the two countries for fully vaccinated Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and their immediate families from 8 November 2021.
Switzerland
Switzerland is a major financial centre and ranks among Singapore’s top trading and investment partners. There is a strong business presence of over 1,000 Swiss companies operating in Singapore, amongst them large banks, insurance companies and industry corporates. There are also about 3,000 Swiss expatriates living in Singapore. As Switzerland is highly connected with the other European countries that we have established VTLs with, a VTL for Switzerland will provide travellers with more options for intra-European travel and facilitate greater people-to-people exchanges between Europe and Singapore for business, social visits of friends and relatives, and leisure.
For the full report and details of VTL rules, visit https://www.caas.gov.sg/who-we-are/newsroom/Detail/singapore-extends-vaccinated-travel-lanes-to-australia-and-switzerland
