Media Release
Vaccinated Travel Pass Applications for Travel Between Singapore and Malaysia to Start from 22 November 2021
18 November 2021
Vaccinated Travel Lane to start with six daily designated services between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport from 29 November 2021
Travellers from Malaysia may enter Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) from 29 November 2021. Applications for the Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) for travellers from Malaysia will open on 22 November 2021, 1000 hours (Singapore time). For a start, there will be six daily designated services between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Scoot and Singapore Airlines will operate these services.
2. Singapore and Malaysia enjoy strong economic links and warm people-to-people ties. The joint VTL is an important step in reopening the borders between two close neighbours, facilitate business and allow many families to reunite. Pre-COVID, Malaysia was amongst the top three markets for annual passenger arrivals at Changi Airport. The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur link was also the busiest international air route in the world, with about 40 flights daily and an average of 7,000 arrivals per day at Changi Airport.
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.
4. The conditions for entry into Singapore under the VTL for Malaysia are the same as those for existing VTLs. All travellers entering Singapore from Malaysia 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 Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Country/Region Classification for Border Measures[1] 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 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or a professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART)[2], within two days[3] 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.
VTL travellers who have taken an on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival at KLIA may use their negative on-arrival test result to fulfil the pre-departure test requirement before returning to Singapore if the on-arrival test in Malaysia was taken within two days from the time of departure for Singapore[4]. This will be particularly useful for VTL travellers who are intending to make day trips between Singapore and Malaysia.
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. Long-term pass holders and short-term visitors, 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.
Additional Requirements for Short-Term Visitors and Long-Term Pass Holders
5. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel under the VTL arrangement and no requirement for a controlled itinerary or sponsor. Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will need to apply for a VTP to enter Singapore under the VTL. 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. Applications for the VTP for travellers from Malaysia will open on 22 November 2021, 1000 hours (Singapore time).
6. 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. These visitors must also use the TraceTogether app in Singapore to facilitate contact tracing.
7. 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.
8. For conditions for entry into Malaysia, travellers can check https://www.imi.gov.my (opens in new tab).
Annex: Summary of Vaccinated Travel Lane Requirements (opens in new tab)
[1] As of 15 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.
[2] The ART must be performed by trained professionals such as medical professionals and Government-recognised trained professionals.
[3] 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.
[4] For more information on the pre-departure test requirements, please refer to https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/faq#PDT.
[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.
[10] https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard (opens in new tab)