Singapore Announces VTL Plans With India, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & UAE
Singapore is a renowned global travel hub and Singapore Airlines, as well as Changi Airport, are 2 things Singaporeans can be proud of.
Though the pandemic has drastically affected travel, we may soon be returning to a form of travel with Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL).
On Monday (15 Nov), the multi-ministry task force announced that Singapore has agreed to a VTL with 4 more countries.
They include Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, according to TODAY.
This comes as India now recognises Singapore-issued vaccination certificates, said Transport Minister S Iswaran.
Singapore to launch VTL with India, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE
On 15 Nov, Singapore said it’ll launch the VTL to the following countries.
Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will be able to apply to enter Singapore soon.
These are the important dates to note:
- Indonesia and India: applications open 22 Nov, flights begin 29 Nov
- Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE: applications open 29 Nov, flights begin 6 Dec
If you’re a returning Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident, you need not apply if travelling using the VTL.
India to have 6 VTL flights daily from 29 Nov
Mr Iswaran said that talks with India are progressing well, with the aim of resuming 2 daily VTL flights each to Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai by 29 Nov.
As of 12 Nov, India recognises Singapore-issued vaccination certificates.
CAAS will provide more details when finalised, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
Malaysia is set to become a VTL country from 29 Nov, with flights between Kuala Lumpur and Changi Airport allowed.
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VTL quota to hit 10,000 travellers daily
According to a press release from CAAS and reported by TODAY, it noted that all 5 countries are or will be in MOH’s category 2 for border measures.
India’s status will be updated to Category 2 from 19 Nov, Mr Israwan said.
This means that these countries have similar or lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Singapore and other VTL countries.
With the increase of VTL countries, the daily VTL quota will increase to 10,000 travellers.
Rebuilding Singapore as global travel hub
Daily Covid-19 cases hover between the 2,000s and 3,000s currently. However, as only fully vaccinated people are arriving in Singapore, the risk of overloading our healthcare system is lower.
Restarting our economy is definitely important, and having travellers in Singapore means that businesses will hopefully enjoy greater traffic.
It’s also good news for the aviation sector.
Similarly, Singapore residents will have more options for travel, especially if they have family or friends in these countries.
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Featured image by MS News.
