With no testing and no quarantine required for all fully vaccinated visitors, travel to Singapore will be as close to normal as it has been in over two years. Will Malaysia follow suit?
Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to take any Covid-19 tests, either pre-departure or upon arrival, to enter Singapore from Tuesday, April 26. The new policy applies to all arrivals, whether by land, sea, or air.
This will doubtlessly help air and sea travellers save on Covid-related travel fees and eliminate the hassle and expense of having to book pre-departure tests before their trips to Singapore.
The testing requirement had already been removed for land travellers who were entering the country from Malaysia via the Causeway and the Second Link.
The latest relaxation of entry requirements means that, at least for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, travel to Singapore will be almost restored to what it was before the pandemic, regardless of the mode of travel.
Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran, made the announcement on Friday, April 22, via a post on his social media page:
On 1 April, we launched the Vaccinated Travel Framework and reopened to all fully vaccinated travellers from any country or region quarantine-free.
I am pleased to announce that we are taking the next step in the reopening process.
(i) From 26 April, we will be removing the requirement for fully vaccinated travellers arriving via air and sea to submit a negative pre-departure test. With this move, travel will be back to what it was like pre-Covid for fully vaccinated travellers, whether arriving by air, land or sea.
(ii) From 1 May, we will also resume operation of cross-border bus services between Singapore and Malaysia. Commuters can take services operated by bus operators – #SBS Transit; #SMRT Buses and Transtar Travel – to travel between Singapore and Malaysia. Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving is also working to resume cross-border taxi services from 1 May.
Our partners in air, land and sea transport are working hard to scale up their manpower and operations to manage higher traveller volumes, especially during the upcoming May Day-Hari Raya Puasa long weekend, and the June school holidays. This will take time and I seek the patience and understanding from all Singaporeans and travellers.
From Transport Minister S. Iswaran’s Facebook page
According to The Straits Times, the Ministry of Health also said that from May 1, fully vaccinated non-Malaysian work permit holders holding an in-principle approval in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors will no longer need to apply for entry approvals to come into Singapore.
Instead, they will need to book a slot to undergo onboarding upon arrival. The process, which can take up to four days, will include medical examinations, vaccination verification, and a settling-in programme.
The Ministry of Manpower, the Building and Construction Authority, and the Singapore Economic Development Board further said in a joint statement that employers must ensure their non-Malaysian work permit holders are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
While the new relaxation of entry requirements will apply to all fully vaccinated travellers, the requirements will not be eased for travellers who are are aged 13 and above and not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Let’s hope Malaysia takes a leaf from Singapore’s book and makes a similar move in the very near future!
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