Media Release
Singapore Reaches Agreement with India to Resume Scheduled Commercial Passenger Flights between Two Countries
21 November 2021
Vaccinated Travel Lane for India to start with six daily designated flights from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.
Applications for Vaccinated Travel Pass for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from India to start from 22 November 2021, 1800 hours (Singapore time).
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India on the resumption of scheduled commercial passenger flights between Singapore and India. This will facilitate quarantine-free travel on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) from India to Singapore, which will start from 29 November 2021 with six designated VTL flights daily from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. Airlines can also operate non-VTL flights between India and Singapore; travellers travelling on non-VTL flights into Singapore will be subject to the prevailing public health requirements based on the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Country/Region Classification for Border Measures[1]. The airlines will announce the schedules for the VTL and non-VTL flights when ready.
2. Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will need to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) to enter Singapore under the VTL. Applications for the VTP for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders for travel from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Finland, and Sweden to Singapore will open on 22 November 2021. CAAS understands that travellers are looking forward to the launch of the VTL and would like to assure travellers that there is no need to rush to apply for the VTP:
a) Fully vaccinated Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, and children aged 12 and below do not need to apply for a VTP to enter Singapore under the VTL.
b) VTP applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from Malaysia and Indonesia will open on 22 November 2021 at 1000 hours (Singapore time).
c) VTP applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from India, Finland, and Sweden will open on the same day but later at 1800 hours (Singapore time). Travellers from these countries will not be able to apply for a VTP earlier than 1800 hours.
d) All short-term visitors and long-term pass holders who meet the requirements of the VTL, will receive a VTP.
e) VTP applications will open for intended dates of entry from 29 November 2021 to 21 January 2022 (7 to 60 calendar days ahead). Those who intend to enter Singapore after 1 December 2021 are strongly encouraged to apply after 24 November 2021.
f) To facilitate the application process, VTP applicants should have the following information on hand i) passport ii) digital proof of vaccination and iii) address in Singapore for self-isolation pending the results of their on-arrival COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.
g) Short-term visitors who require a visa for travel to Singapore must separately obtain a visa. They are advised to do so after receiving their VTP approval and before departing for Singapore. They must also purchase travel insurance, with a minimum coverage of S$30,000 for COVID-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs, prior to travel to Singapore. In Singapore, these visitors must also use the TraceTogether app to facilitate contact tracing.
VTL Requirements
3. Under the VTL, 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 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. Travellers are advised to check the entry requirements imposed by the respective VTL countries.
4. The conditions for entry into Singapore under the VTL are the same for all VTL countries. All travellers entering Singapore under the VTL must comply with the prevailing VTL requirements listed below.
(i) Travel History
VTL travellers must have remained only in one or more of the VTL countries, or a country/region in Category I of Singapore MOH’s Country/Region Classification for Border Measures[2] in the last 14 consecutive days prior to departure to Singapore. If the traveller has been in Singapore within those last 14 days, his/her stay in Singapore can be counted towards fulfilling this 14-day travel history requirement.
(ii) Testing
All VTL travellers must take two COVID-19 tests:
A pre-departure test, which must be a PCR test or a professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART)[3], within two days[4] before departing for Singapore and obtain a negative test result.
An on-arrival PCR test at Changi Airport and remain self-isolated until their test result is confirmed to be negative.
Children aged 2 years and below in the calendar year[5] are not required to undergo these tests.
(iii) Vaccination
Vaccination is a key safeguard of the VTL for safe travel without compromising public health.
All VTL travellers must have been fully vaccinated[6] and present a digital proof of vaccination that is recognised by the Singapore authorities[7], issued in any VTL country[8] or Singapore. This is necessary to guard against forgery and verify that the certificate is issued by a trusted issuer and belongs to the VTL traveller.
Children aged 12 years and below in the calendar year[9] are not required to present a proof of vaccination to enter Singapore under the VTL if they are accompanied by a VTL traveller who meets all VTL requirements for entry into Singapore.
To facilitate a smooth arrival process in Singapore, all VTL travellers are strongly encouraged to submit their health declaration via the SG Arrival Card e-service[10] prior to departure for Singapore. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are not vaccinated in Singapore are strongly encouraged to also submit their overseas vaccination certificate in their health declaration as part of the SG Arrival Card submission. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are vaccinated in Singapore are not required to submit their vaccination certificates as their vaccination records are already captured in the Singapore MOH database. Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders, who are required to apply for a VTP, are also not required to upload their vaccination certificates as part of the SG Arrival Card submission, as their vaccination certificates will be verified as part of the VTP application.
(iv) Designated VTL Flights
Travellers who are travelling to Singapore under the VTL must travel into Singapore on designated VTL flights. They may transit via another VTL country to take a designated VTL flight into Singapore, subject to the prevailing transfer/transit requirements of that VTL country.
5. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel under the VTL arrangement and no requirement for a controlled itinerary or sponsor.
6. More details on the VTL requirements into Singapore can be found in the Annex and at https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg. Applicants who need assistance with the VTP applications can write to the Safe Travel Office through its enquiry form at https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/contact-us or call the SafeTravel Enquiries helpline at +65 6812 5555 for assistance.
Annex: Summary of Vaccinated Travel Lane Requirements
[1] As of 21 November 2021, India is classified in Category II of Singapore MOH’s country/region classification for border measures. Travellers will be accorded the public health requirement that corresponds with the most stringent category out of all the countries/regions that the traveller has been in, in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival in Singapore. Please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/shn-and-swab-summary for the latest country/region classification.
[2] As of 21 November 2021, the countries/regions under Category 1 are Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland China and Taiwan. Please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/shn-and-swab-summary for the latest country/region classification. Please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process for the latest list of VTL countries/regions.
[3] The ART must be performed by trained professionals such as medical professionals and Government-recognised trained professionals.
[4] To illustrate, if the pre-departure test is taken on 27 November 2021, it will be valid for boarding up to 29 November 2021, 2359 hours.
[5] To illustrate, children born in or after 2019 entering Singapore under the VTL in 2021 are not required to undergo the pre-departure or on-arrival COVID-19 PCR tests.
[6] An individual is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after he or she has received the full regimen of any World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing vaccines. More details can be found at https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/health/vtsg.
[7] These must contain the necessary information about the travellers’ full vaccination regimen, as specified on the Safe Travel Office website. For the acceptable proofs of vaccination for travel under the VTL, please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process.
[8] Please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process for the latest list of VTL countries/regions.
[9] To illustrate, children born in or after 2009 entering Singapore under the VTL in 2021 are not required to present any proof of vaccination. The child must be accompanied by a VTL traveller who meets all VTL requirements for entry into Singapore.