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Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore - Generic FAQ on COVID and Travel Matters
The rapidly evolving COVID situation and travel restrictions around the world have been disorientating for many. You too, may have experienced difficulty getting all the up-to-date information you need. To help you simplify and demystify your journey, we have prepared a series of handy guides and services tailored for you.
Read on to learn more about the PDT and other important information related to your departure from Singapore. Recently, the government announced that vaccinated travellers will be able to take flights between Singapore and Malaysia without quarantine from Nov Beyond countries that are designated Vaccinated Travel Lanes, you can also travel to other countries for different reasons.
Residents of Singapore are strongly advised to defer all non-essential travel. Furthermore, the borders of most countries remain closed to leisure travel as travel bubbles and corridors with Singapore have yet to be established.
You may only be able to enter most countries if you are a citizen of that country or have familial and essential reasons. Note that the costs of additional COVID tests and quarantine requirements in your country of travel will have to be borne by yourself or your sponsor. In the unfortunate event that you are infected with COVID overseas and require medical treatment overseas or in Singapore, treatment costs will not be subsidised by the Singapore government.
Do check with your insurance provider or sponsors to ensure that you are financially protected against COVID before travelling, especially to high-risk countries. While Brunei is currently not open to leisure travel, Germany has been open to leisure travellers.
The Singapore government is looking to launch new travel lanes by year end. Singaporeans can expect to travel to Europe and also the United States. The VTL is only open to those who have been fully vaccinated.
However, if you are visiting Singapore, or are long-term pass holders here, you will need to apply for a VTP days before your date of entry into Singapore. If you are planning to travel, you should first confirm your eligibility to enter the country according to their updated border regulations. Information on country-specific travel regulations is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore website, International Air Transport Association IATA Travel Centre , as well as the official websites of related ministries in the country you are planning to travel to.
Subsequently, you can obtain information from these sites regarding required health and travel processes such as applying for a visa. This varies according to the different travel requirements for different countries. However, if you are returning to Singapore from Germany, you will have to book a designated VTL flight. As such, please check the travel guidelines based on the different countries.
You can check out the requirements of flying to a VTL country on this website. If you are not travelling via the Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangement, there are other ways that you are allowed to travel out of the country. Singapore has established agreements for short-term travel between a handful of countries for short-term work purposes. Unfortunately, there are no active travel bubbles nor corridors between Singapore and other countries for leisure travellers.
If you are not eligible for these short-term work arrangements, you will have to apply independently to the border control or immigration ministries of your travel destination and stopovers, if any. For those travelling for long-term academic or work purposes, your school or company may have provided a guide for your journey. For example, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has prepared guides to escort incoming international students through processes to fulfil visa, travel, and other requirements.
Others travelling for compelling reasons, such as medical and family emergencies, will still have to first submit an application to the respective ministry of their country of travel and ensure that they will not be turned away upon arrival. Almost all countries will require you to comply with COVIDrelated post-arrival procedures immediately after landing. Understanding these will help you plan your itinerary, things to pack, and be aware of any other pre-departure preparations such as pre-payment for a post-arrival COVID test.
Pre-departure procedures often include getting a recent negative COVID test result and an authorized PDT certificate before you are allowed to board your outbound flight. Other requirements may include filling up various forms, such as a FCS health control form for travellers to Spain, installing a mobile application, or presenting a vaccination certification for fully vaccinated individuals.
In preparation to check-in for your flight, you should minimally have a softcopy or printed copy of your negative COVID test result, a valid visa, a valid boarding pass, and proof of accommodation in the country you are travelling to. As you head back to Singapore, there are a few new admin procedures you have to take note of in light of the new VTL measures.
First, travellers are required to submit their health, travel history, and accommodation declarations electronically via the SG Arrival Care e-service. This has to be done no earlier than 3 days to their date of arrival to Singapore. You have to also arrange for self-isolation, until a negative PCR test result is received. Some accommodations to consider for self-isolation include:. There are several types of COVID tests , each with a different method, purpose, and degree of accuracy.
COVID tests recognised by governments around the world include:. In Singapore, there are three types of tests readily available in clinics and approved testing centres. However, the process takes a longer time and it is usually more expensive.
As its name suggests, the ART provides rapid results around 30 minutes after a less-intrusive nasopharyngeal swab or saliva test. COVID antigen tests directly detect the presence of viral proteins that are found on the surface of the virus, but are less accurate compared to the PCR tests. If these antibodies are present, it means that the person has either been infected some time ago or was previously infected with the virus and has since recovered. A negative result does not indicate that the person is not infected with COVID as it is possible that they may have been recently infected and their immune system has yet to develop antibodies against the virus.
The purpose of a serology test is to estimate when a person positive for COVID was first infected, so that linkages between cases can be established and possible contacts during the contagious period can be identified. The full cost has to be borne by the traveller or their sponsors and no subsidies are provided by the Singapore government, meaning that you are not allowed to use MediSave , MediShield Life, or Integrated Shield Plans for a PDT.
Moreover, government-sponsored tests are not allowed to be considered as pre-departure tests. Access the links below for comprehensive lists of approved pre-departure test PDT providers:.
Homage also provides professional swab-testing services in the comfort of your home, saving you the trouble of leaving your house and minimising any risk of exposure. Always call the service provider beforehand to book an appointment for your pre-departure swab test and inform them that you will require a Pre-Departure COVID PDT certificate or travel memo. Prepare these details beforehand to facilitate an efficient booking process:.
For COVID PCR tests, it is recommended to take the swab test at least 48 hours before your departure to ensure that you can be notified of your results before your flight. However, you should take your pre-departure test no longer than three days before entering a country as some countries may only recognize a short validity for the test results.
Check the official requirements of the country you are travelling to to determine the accepted time frame for a pre-departure test. A PCR test result will be available within 48 hours of your swab test, while an ART test result will be available in about 30 minutes.
You will be notified of your results by SMS notification and receive your travel memo or a digital PDT certificate compliant with the HealthCerts schema and standards through email. You are required to digitally authenticate and endorse the PDT certificate before travel and a QR code to access the endorsed certificate will be emailed to you within 15 minutes after submission. This QR code will also be available on your SingPass mobile app.
Ensure that your swab test result and PDT certificate is provided in English. If you have received your result and travel memos in other languages, you may have to obtain an official translation to the accepted language s of the country you are travelling to, which may cause delays.
The validity of a swab test result varies from country to country depending on their travel requirements. Refer to the updated official requirements of the country you are travelling to to determine the valid duration of a swab test result. After you have confirmed your appointment, bring the following documents along with you for your swab test:. If you are travelling outside of your home to an approved clinic or other test providers, do remember to wear a mask with better filtration capabilities , maintain social distancing, observe gathering limits, avoid coming in contact with common touchpoints, and wash or sanitize your hands often.
If you prefer to complete your PDT in the comfort of your own home, Homage provides approved home-testing services conducted by licenced nurses. Get started with a free consultation today, and learn why thousands of Singaporeans trust Homage to deliver the best care in their homes. Samantha is an avid environmentalist pursuing her Ph. She promotes better management of nature, agriculture, and diets to empower both human and environmental health.
To escape the fracas of deadlines and global issues, she explores the wondrous natural environments around the world and returns with newfound inspiration.
According to the Travel Advisory issued by the Ministry of Health MOH on 18 May , a resident of Singapore can travel out of Singapore: If they are pursuing academic studies or professional qualifications overseas and must be physically present in the foreign educational institution.
Students under 18 can be accompanied by an adult, while mature students can be accompanied by their dependents. If their employment or employment opportunities require them to be physically present overseas. Dependents, if any, are allowed to travel together. For compassionate reasons, such as attending to a critically ill or recently deceased family member overseas.
To seek essential medical treatment that cannot be reasonably received in Singapore in another country. To return to their country of citizenship. What is a Vaccinated Travel Lane? What Is the Current Pre-departure Protocol? Step 2: Submit applications for special travel arrangements or other travel channels If you are not travelling via the Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangement, there are other ways that you are allowed to travel out of the country.
Step 3: Familiarise yourself with post-arrival procedures Almost all countries will require you to comply with COVIDrelated post-arrival procedures immediately after landing. Step 4: Complete the required pre-departure procedures Pre-departure procedures often include getting a recent negative COVID test result and an authorized PDT certificate before you are allowed to board your outbound flight.
Step 5: Getting ready for your flight In preparation to check-in for your flight, you should minimally have a softcopy or printed copy of your negative COVID test result, a valid visa, a valid boarding pass, and proof of accommodation in the country you are travelling to. Step 6: Plan ahead for your travel back to Singapore As you head back to Singapore, there are a few new admin procedures you have to take note of in light of the new VTL measures. Some accommodations to consider for self-isolation include: residential accommodation hotel or other non-residential facilities Once your PCR tests are cleared, you are free to resume your normal activities in Singapore.
Outbound Pre-Departure Test. Travel Advisory. Pre-event testing PET. International Students — Pre-arrival information. Periodic Commuting Arrangement — Overview. Spain Travel Health. Related Articles. Get a Free Care Consult.
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