No More Testing & Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated & Recently COVID-19 Infected Travellers to Singapore

From 24 January 2022, travellers to Singapore who are fully vaccinated and recently recovered within 90 days of their last infection will be exempted from all testing and Stay Home Notice (SHN) (quarantine) requirements if they are able to provide appropriate documentary proof.

Non-fully vaccinated recently-recovered travellers will be exempted from pre-departure testing requirements, but will still be subjected to all other prevailing border measures including testing and Stay Home Notice (SHN) (quarantine) in Singapore.

Documents required for fully vaccinated and recently-recovered travellers within 90 days of their last infection to be exempted from all testing and SHN requirements:

• Vaccination Certificate, AND
• Positive COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result between 7 – 90 days before the date of departure for Singapore, OR
• Discharge memo that states
  • your name
  • date of birth or passport number
  • states your date of infection or the discharge date, which must be within 7 – 90 days before the date of departure for Singapore
  • is issued by a relevant state authority or licensed medical professional.

Documents required for not vaccinated and recently-recovered travellers to be exempted from Pre Departure Testing requirements:

• Positive COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result between 14 – 90 days before the date of departure for Singapore, OR
• Discharge memo that states
  • your name
  • date of birth or passport number
  • states your date of infection or the discharge date, which must be within 14 – 90 days before the date of departure for Singapore
  • is issued by a relevant state authority or licensed medical professional.

Not vaccinated and recently-recovered travellers will still be subjected to all other prevailing border measures.

Another new development from 24 January 2022, fully-vaccinated travellers who are diagnosed or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 within 7 days of their departure for Singapore, or non-fully vaccinated travellers who are diagnosed or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 within 14 days of their departure for Singapore, may be permitted to depart for Singapore if they test negative for COVID-19 on a COVID-19 PCR test or professionally administered ART at least 72 hours after their initial diagnosis. They will continue to be subjected to all prevailing border measures if they are unable to fulfil the criteria.

See also: Singapore Removes Post-Arrival Day 3 & Day 7 Supervised Antigen Test (ART) for VTL Travellers from 24 January 2022

Very Strange and Unfair Situation

The world is Singapore’s oyster for fully vaccinated and recently recovered Singaporean travellers as VTL is no longer needed. Plenty of countries in the world are already open to Singaporeans without quarantine. Fully vaccinated and recently recovered Singaporean travellers can now return from any country by any mode of transport, all without any testing and any quarantine.

This announcement also comes after Malaysia announced their procedures for quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated and recently recovered travellers from 13 January 2022. With such a move by neighbouring countries, fully vaccinated and recently recovered Singaporean travellers can now cross the borders almost freely, with only 2 Antigen tests required by Malaysia – 1 done 2 days before departure, and 1 done on arrival. JB lunch trips by bus or foot are back again.

While VTL offers a breath of fresh air for vaccinated travellers who have not been infected with COVID-19 before, the true freedom of travel is awarded to recently recovered travellers.

I can foresee that this strange policy will encourage those desperate to cross borders frequently, especially low income earners, to be infected with COVID, in order to enjoy the benefits of both time and money with a freedom to travel with almost near pre-COVID procedures, sans actual transport frequency.

Perhaps this is the next race after booking VTL bus tickets which fails day after day – to find COVID instead for a sure-pass passage.