Singapore allows quarantine-free travel for 6 more countries, including Sri Lanka

Singapore media

Singapore media reported that travelers from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, and Turkey will be able to enter Singapore quarantine-free from the middle of next month, with the launch of six new vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs)

This will take the total number of air VTLs announced so far to 27, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) was quoted by the Straits Times of Singapore. Pre-pandemic, these 27 countries contributed to about 60 % of the total daily arrivals at Singapore’s Changi Airport, CAAS said. The new travel lanes will further broaden Changi’s network and help reclaim and rebuild Singapore’s status as an international aviation hub with global connectivity, CAAS added.

With the launch of the six new VTLs, the daily quota of travellers allowed to enter Singapore under the VTL scheme will also be raised from 10,000 to 15,000. “This is a further calibrated expansion of the VTL scheme to reconnect Singapore with the world while managing the public health risk,” he said.

Under the VTL scheme, fully vaccinated travellers from VTL countries may enter Singapore without quarantine and just need to undergo Covid-19 testing. Children aged 12 years and below in the calendar year, 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.

Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Turkey are all in Category 2 of the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 risk classification for border measures, and have similar or lower Covid-19 infection rates than Singapore and the other VTL countries, the CAAS said.

Cambodia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand have already opened their borders to quarantine-free general travel for vaccinated travellers. (RL)