The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has announced a further extension of its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) program. Starting November 8, fully vaccinated visitors from Australia and Switzerland may enter the republic without having to quarantine.
This latest extension takes the total number of countries on Singapore’s VTL list to 12, with arrivals from the U.K., U.S., Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Brunei already permitted to enter quarantine-free, reported Inside Asian Gaming.
In a statement, the CAAS said, “The successful implementation of the VTL scheme has given CAAS the experience and confidence to extend it to more countries. Both Australia and Switzerland … have similar or lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Singapore and the other VTL countries.”
It noted the significance of reopening to Australia, which is “amongst our Top 10 markets for annual passenger arrivals at Changi Airport, accounting for about 4 percent of total arrivals in 2019.
“Many Singaporeans traveled to Australia for business, leisure and education, and vice versa. More than 50,000 Singaporeans live in Australia and over 25,000 Australians live in Singapore. The VTL will enable them to reconnect with their loved ones back home, whom they have been physically separated from for more than a year. The reopening of borders with Australia will also be a significant step in rebuilding the Singapore air hub and people-to-people connectivity.”
All arrivals under Singapore’s VTL scheme are required to provide proof of vaccination and undergo Covid-19 testing on departure and arrival. Adding Australia and Switzerland could see daily arrivals grow from 3,000 per day to 4,000 per day. Authorities in Singapore have been pushing to reopen the economy since reaching its target vaccination rate of 80 percent in early September, reported IAG.
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the imminent travel bubble. According to Travel Weekly Asia, as of November New South Wales and Victoria ended their mandatory hotel quarantines.
And Deputy Premier James Merlino boasted that the state of Victoria is “on track to become one of the most highly vaccinated jurisdictions in the world.”
