Good news, everyone!
Previously, it was announced that the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) was established between Singapore, Brunei and Germany.
This VTL was in full effect from 8 September onwards, and allows fully vaccinated Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents to return to Singapore from Brunei and Germany without needing to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP).
All they had to do was to show proof of their vaccination, stay in Brunei, Germany, and/or Singapore for the last 14 consecutive days prior to their departure for Singapore, and take multiple COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Back then, there were talks of the VTL being expanded to other countries but we weren’t too sure yet, especially since it was during a point in time where our cases started to climb in numbers.
But Singapore has just announced that another country has been added to the VTL.
And that country is none other than South Korea!
S’pore & South Korea Start Vaccinated Travel Lane from 15 Nov Whereby Tourists Won’t Need to Serve Quarantine
The VTL will start operating from 15 November 2021 onwards, and similar to the regulations applied to the ones for Germany and Brunei, travellers must meet the eligibility criteria set out for these lanes. And of course, they must adhere to all the existing measures in place for border control, as well as public health requirements in order for them to travel between the countries.
Likewise, instead of serving quarantine or a stay-home notice, fully vaccinated travellers simply have to take multiple COVID-19 PCR tests. Furthermore, they will not be subjected to any restrictions on the purpose of travel. They also do not need to have a controlled itinerary or sponsorship.
This just means that you can travel between Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport not just for essential work, but for leisure as well!
More details of the VTL will be announced soon.
The news was announced during a video conference on Friday between Minister for Transport S Iswaran and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, Noh Hyong Ouk.
Mr Iswaran said, “Singapore and the Republic of Korea enjoy excellent bilateral relations, with strong people-to-people ties. I am pleased that both countries have agreed to jointly launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes that will re-open general travel between our two countries, which has been disrupted for the past 20 months.”
Mr Iswaran was also happy that both Singapore and South Korea have shown “excellent progress” in our vaccination rates, and the VTLs serve as a mutual agreement that both countries believe in each other’s ability to manage the COVID-19 situation.
This move will definitely serve as an economic boost especially since Singapore and the Republic of Korea were “among each other’s top travel destinations, with a total of 64 weekly passenger services connecting the two countries and carrying 1.6 million passengers annually”.
Looking to Expand Further
Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong also announced on Thursday that Singapore is looking to establish a VTL with the United States before the year ends.
While some people may express displeasure over borders reopening as our number of COVID-19 cases remain high, Mr Gan explained that it is necessary for Singapore to remain connected to the rest of the world in spite of the pandemic, especially since Singapore is a hub for business and travel.
Read Also:
- Singapore & US Working on a Vaccinated Travel Lane That Can Happen Before the End of the Year
- 36 F&B Outlets, Including a Kopitiam Outlet & a Toast Box Outlet, Ordered to Close For Breaking COVID-19 Rules
Featured Image: ean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
