Singapore has announced the opening of a “Vaccinated Travel Lane” for UK travellers from 19 October, enabling them to swerve quarantine.
From this date, British travellers who have had both Covid jabs will be able to enter Singapore with a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP), which they must apply for at least a week in advance.
Applications for the pass will open on 12 October 2021 at 3am BST, according to a statement from the Singapore Tourism Board.
Applications for the pass must be made between seven and 30 calendar days prior to travellers’ intended date of entry into Singapore and must be applied for on the country’s SafeTravel website.
Singapore Airlines will operate a daily, designated VTL flight from London to Singapore from 19 October onwards.
As with most entry rules for fully vaccinated travellers, arrivals must have had their second injection of the vaccine 14 days or more before the day they travel.
They’ll also have to take a pre-departure PCR test in the UK within the 48 hours before the trip, as well as a PCR test on arrival at the airport. Travellers must quarantine until the results from this second test come through (usually 24 hours).
Previously, arrivals from the UK had to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival and take a total of four Covid tests in order to travel.
“We are delighted to welcome back visitors from the UK, a key European source market for inbound tourism to Singapore,” read a statement from Carrie Kwik, executive director of Singapore Tourism.
“Following months of resilience, preparation and innovation, we are ready for visitors to experience a reimagined Singapore with new hotels, sightseeing tours and attractions which we hope will inspire travel desire in repeat and first-time visitors to Singapore.
“With over 32,000 establishments in Singapore certified SG Clean, providing assurance of the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene, visitors can also experience Singapore safely and with peace of mind.
“The combination of our efforts along with the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lane means that visitors from the UK can look forward to experiencing a reimagined journey to discovery in Singapore.”
Unvaccinated children under 12 will be able to accompany adult relatives who have the Vaccinate Travel Pass, but they also need to take the two PCR tests either side of travel – children aged two and under are exempt.