CAAS Assures Travellers Not To Rush To Apply For Vaccinated Travel Pass
Singapore has been slowly opening up our borders to more countries in a bid to get back our global travel hub status.
Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) are thus a way for us to welcome foreign arrivals and restore Changi Airport to its former glory.
The latest country to get its turn is India, which will start operating 6 VTL flights a day to Singapore from 29 Nov.
They will come from 3 major Indian cities.
Quarantine-free travel from India to Singapore
In a press release on Sunday (21 Nov), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it has reached an agreement with India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Scheduled commercial passenger flights will resume between both countries, which will help passengers from India travel to Singapore without quarantine via the VTL.
From 29 Nov, 6 designated VTL flights will fly to Singapore everyday from 3 cities:
- Chennai
- Mumbai
- Delhi
India Gate in Delhi
Source
Arrivals must take test & produce vaccination proof
Passengers arriving in Singapore under the VTL will not need to have any particular purpose for travel.
They will also not need to have a controlled itinerary or sponsor.
However, as with all VTL arrivals, they’ll need to undergo a Covid-19 test 2 days before their arrival, and take a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test when they arrive at Changi.
Of course, they must also be fully vaccinated and present digital proof that’s recognised by Singapore – to prevent forgery, CAAS said.
Children below 13 won’t need proof of vaccination if accompanied by a traveller who meets the requirements.
Vaccinated Travel Pass needed
Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders who intend to enter Singapore via the VTL must also apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP).
CAAS said that they understand travellers are “looking forward” to the VTL’s launch.
They thus assured them that there’s “no need to rush” to apply for the VTP, as all travellers who meet the VTL requirements will receive a VTP.
VTP applications will open on Monday (22 Nov), along with that for those travelling from Malaysia, Indonesia, Finland and Sweden.
Singaporeans can make use of VTL
Of course, Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) also can make use of the VTL when they’re travelling back home from India.
If they’re fully vaccinated, including children below 13, they won’t need to apply for a VTP to use the VTL to enter Singapore.
However, if they were vaccinated overseas, they’re strongly encouraged to submit their overseas vaccination certificate when they submit their SG Arrival Card.
Additional non-VTL flights also available
Besides the 6 VTL flights a day, there’ll also be additional non-VTL flights available from India to Singapore.
However, travellers on these flights will have to follow prevailing border measures for non-VTL arrivals.
The Gateway of India in Mumbai
Source
Currently, India is in Category II of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) country/region classification – meaning non-VTL passengers will have to serve a 7-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN), among other things.
The flight schedules for both VTL and non-VTL flights will be released when ready.
VTL was announced on 15 Nov
The VTL with India was announced by the Government on 15 Nov, along with the VTL with Indonesia and 3 Middle Eastern countries.
India’s status was subsequently upgraded to Category 2 on 19 Nov.
This means that these countries have similar or lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Singapore and other VTL countries.
The VTL quota for all VTL countries has also been increased, from 6,000 to 10,000 travellers daily.
Boost for local businesses
Now that we’re opening VTLs with many countries, we can expect to see more tourists on our streets soon.
Hopefully, that will provide a boost for our local businesses, as well as our beleaguered aviation sector.
If that happens, the numerous VTLs will surely be worth it.
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Featured image adapted from @shawnanggg on Unsplash and Mohd Aram on Unsplash.
