COVID-19 Flight Requirements to and from Singapore

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Before you Travel

Pre-departure COVID Test Requirements:
Depending on your travel history in the 14 days prior to arriving in Singapore, travellers entering or transiting through Singapore, including Singapore citizens and permanent residents, may be required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or professionally administered (e.g. by medical professionals or Government-recognised trained professionals) Antigen Rapid Test (ART).

  1. Travellers with travel history to Category I countries/regions: No pre-departure Covid-19 test is required.
  2. Travellers with travel history to Category II or III countries/regions: Take a PCR test at an internationally accredited or recognised lab/clinic/medical facility or an ART by a trained professional (self-swabs not allowed).
  3. Travellers with travel history to Category IV countries: Take a PCR test at aninternationally accredited or recognised lab/clinic/medical facility.

The test must be conducted within two days before the scheduled departure date of their flight (e.g. if the pre-departure test is taken on 1 November 2021, it will be valid for departures up to 3 November 2021, 2359 hours). The requirement for a pre-departure Covid-19 test does not apply to children aged 2 years and below (i.e. born in or after 2019).

For those taking a connecting flight to Singapore, the test must be taken within two days before the scheduled departure date of their first flight. The total scheduled ground time in transit (i.e. time spent in the connecting airport or airports) must not exceed 24 hours. If the total scheduled ground time in transit is more than 24 hours, a pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test must be taken within two days from the last direct flight to Singapore.

For passengers entering Singapore via the Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements, the pre-departure test can be taken within 72 hours before the scheduled departure date of their flight.

The pre-departure test requirement will apply in addition to other existing requirements such as having to take post-arrival Covid-19 tests or serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN) if applicable.

Covid-19 Test Result Memo

The Covid-19 PCR test or ART must be taken at a recognised or accredited clinic, laboratory or medical facility. Self-administered tests will not be accepted. For a smoother check-in process, you should check if the clinic is able to provide a test certificate with a corresponding QR code. This QR code should link to your digital pre-departure test certificate. The test certificate must also be in English, and state the following:

  1. Name of the testing institution conducting the Covid-19 test
  2. Type of test
  3. A negative test result
  4. Test date
  5. The name of the traveller as indicated in his/her passport, and
  6. At least one other detail of the traveller such as:
    • date of birth
    • nationality/citizenship
    • passport number
    • national identity number
  • If the details are not stated in the passport, you should have the relevant identification document on hand for verification.

If your request to enter Singapore is granted, you will receive an approval letter of entry. This letter must be produced upon check-in during departure and at immigration upon arrival in Singapore.

For Singapore Permanent Residents, please ensure that you have a valid Re-entry Permit (REP). Check your re-entry permit here.

For Long-Term Pass / In-Principle Approval Holders, please check that you have the following:

  • Valid Long-Term Pass
  • Approval Letter of Entry
  • Negative Pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test or ART result (depending on travel history)
  • Work pass holders, Student’s Pass holders, their dependents, and holders of IPA letters will need to produce proof-of-vaccination documents

For short-term visitors, please check that you have the following:

  • Valid SafeTravel Pass, Air Travel Pass, Vaccinated Travel Pass (if you are taking designated Vaccinated Travel Lane flights) or valid Approval Letter for Entry
  • Valid visa (if required)
  • Negative Pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test or ART result
  • A return air ticket
  • TraceTogether Mobile App

Regardless of your nationality, you must submit an electronic health declaration within three days before your arrival in Singapore.

Travellers are strongly encouraged to register and pre-pay for your post-arrival Covid-19 PCR and ART tests (if applicable) prior to departing for Singapore here.

 

Arrival in Singapore

Entry Restrictions
All travellers entering Singapore must comply with Singapore’s public health and immigration requirements as specified by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on its website at safetravel.ica.gov.sg.

Residents of Singapore
Citizens and permanent residents of Singapore are eligible to enter Singapore. Permanent residents must present a valid re-entry permit during check-in to enter Singapore.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents who wish to enter Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane must ensure that they meet all necessary requirements.

Long-Term Pass / In-Principle Approval Holders
Long-Term Pass and In-Principle Approval (IPA) holders must obtain permission for entry from the relevant agencies before they travel to Singapore, unless they are holding a Vaccinated Travel Pass and travelling under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangement.

  • Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders, including those with in-principle approval (IPA), must seek approval from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
  • Student’s Pass (STP) and IPA for STP (issued by ICA): Ministry of Education’s permission must be obtained by submitting the application to the respective educational institutions.
  • Work Pass holders, including dependents and those with in-principle approval (IPA), must seek approval from the Ministry of Manpower.

All work pass holders, Student’s Pass holders, their dependants, and holders of IPA letters must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Singapore. This does not apply to travellers aged 17 years old and below (born in or after 2004).

The proof of vaccination will only be valid at least 14 days after taking the last required dose. For more details on vaccination requirements and criteria for exemption, please click here (for Work Pass Holders) and here (for Student Pass Holders).

Long-Term Pass holders who wish to enter Singapore under the VTL arrangement do not need to obtain permission for entry. However, they must ensure that they meet all necessary requirements and apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass between seven and 60 days prior to their intended date of entry into Singapore.

Short-term visitors
Short-term visitors are not allowed to enter Singapore unless they hold a valid approval entry pass (SafeTravel Pass or Air Travel Pass) or a valid approval letter of entry from ICA.

Short-term visitors from countries under Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) arrangement may also enter Singapore via designated VTL flights if they meet all VTL eligibility requirements, which includes holding a Vaccinated Travel Pass.

These passes are not entry visas. Travellers holding a travel document issued by certain countries or regions will still require a valid visa to enter Singapore. Find out here if you require an entry visa.

Safe Travel Lanes
Singapore has safe travel arrangements with selected countries/regions. Eligible short-term visitors can apply to enter Singapore under the following scheme:

Air Travel Pass for any purpose of travel:
Applications for an Air Travel Pass must be made between seven to 30 days prior to the visitor’s intended date of entry into Singapore.

  • Hong Kong SAR, China
  • Macao SAR, China
  • Mainland China
  • Taiwan, China

Vaccinated Travel Lane for quarantine-free entry into Singapore:
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services to Singapore from the following countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia (from 29 November 2021), Italy, Malaysia (from 29 November 2021), the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates (from 6 December 2021), the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The VTL arrangement allows for quarantine-free travel from these countries to Singapore for eligible vaccinated travellers.

For more information on the VTL flights and their requirements, please click here.

Travellers are allowed to transit through Singapore on these VTL flights as long as they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and hold a vaccination certificate in English. They must also take either a pre-departure PCR test or professionally administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) within two days prior to their flight departure date and obtain a negative result, as well as meet all entry requirements of their destination country.

All short-term visitors entering Singapore under the Reciprocal Green Lane, Air Travel Pass and VTL arrangement will require travel insurance with a minimum coverage of S$30,000 for their Covid-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs. The travel insurance may be purchased from Singapore-based or overseas insurers. Please click here for a list of available inbound travel insurance products.

Familial Ties Lane

Travellers can apply for a SafeTravel Pass under the Familial Ties Lane if they are an ICA-issued Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holder or a short-term visitor who is:

  • An immediate family member or relative of a Singapore citizen or a Singapore permanent resident;
  • A spouse-to-be of a Singapore citizen or a Singapore permanent resident;
  • A permanent resident or a LTVP In-Principle Approval holder seeking to complete formalities for long-term immigration facilities; or
  • A non-resident who has exceptional reasons for seeking entry into Singapore (e.g. death of a family member in Singapore).

Applications must be made at least four days prior to the traveller’s intended date of entry into Singapore.

COVID Test and Quarantine requirements upon arrival:
All travellers are required to comply with the prevailing public health regulations and requirements in Singapore. These may include taking a Covid-19 PCR test upon arrival in Singapore, serving Stay-Home Notice (SHN) and taking another Covid-19 PCR test before the end of the SHN period.

On-arrival Covid-19 tests:
Travellers, including Singapore citizens and permanent residents, who are not required to serve SHN will need to take a Covid-19 PCR test upon arrival in Singapore. This does not apply to passengers aged 2 years and below (i.e. born in or after 2019).

  •  Click here to register and pay for the on-arrival test.

Stay-Home Notice (SHN):
Travellers who are not entering Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane and Reciprocal Green Lane arrangements may be subject to a Stay-Home Notice (SHN) depending on their travel history in the last 14 days before arrival. Find out more here.

Post-Stay Home Notice (SHN) COVID-19 test:
Travellers above the age of 2 and who need to serve SHN must pay for and take a Covid-19 test at the end of their SHN. They will be notified of their scheduled appointment slot via SMS. Travellers aged 2 years and under are exempted from taking the test unless the test results of their close contacts are found to be positive. All travellers are responsible for the cost of the Covid-19 swab test and dedicated SHN facilities.

For more information on SHN requirements and Covid-19 swab test, please refer here.

Travellers are also required to undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival at Singapore Changi Airport if they are arriving from Category I countries or on VTL flights. Click here to register and pay for the on-arrival test.

Compulsory health declaration for all travellers:
Regardless of your nationality, you must submit an electronic health declaration within three days before your arrival in Singapore.

If your request to enter Singapore is granted, you will receive an approval letter of entry. This letter must be produced upon check-in during departure and at immigration upon arrival in Singapore.

Departure from Singapore

Travellers to Australia should complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure. The ATD contains a declaration regarding your vaccination status that is considered to be critical health information. You must be able to provide evidence that you made this declaration before boarding the aircraft.

Travellers who should complete an Australia Travel Declaration:

Pre-departure COVID Test Requirements:
Passengers entering or transiting through Australia must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 3 days before departure from the first embarkation point. More details can be found here. This does not apply to:

    1. passengers younger than 5 years;
    2. passengers arriving from Kiribati, Myanmar, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Isl., Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu;
    3. passengers arriving from Belize, Cook Isl., Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Isl., Micronesia (Federated States), Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste or Wallis and Futuna Isl.
  • Passengers entering or transiting through Australia from Belize, Cook Isl., Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Isl., Micronesia (Federated States), Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste or Wallis and Futuna Isl. must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 96 hours before departure from the first embarkation point. More details can be found here.
  • This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years.

Before you fly:
Nationals of Australia, permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members traveling above the passenger caps, must have a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure. Passengers could be subject to presenting a “Travel Declaration" form and present it at time of check-in. The form can be found here.

Arriving back in Australia

Entry Restrictions:
Passengers are not allowed to enter.

  • This does not apply to:
    1. nationals of Australia and their immediate family members;
    2. permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members;
    3. nationals of New Zealand residing in Australia and their immediate family members;
    4. nationals of Singapore arriving directly from Singapore with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure.
    5. children of nationals of Singapore traveling directly from Singapore between 12 and 17 years traveling with their vaccinated parents/guardians;
    6. passengers who have a visa and have been granted an exemption before departure; details can be found here.
  • Passengers are not allowed to transit through Australia to New Zealand for more than 72 hours. This does not apply to passengers with an exemption applied here.

Test & quarantine requirements upon arrival:
Passengers could be subject to quarantine for 14 days at the first point of entry. Details can be found here.  Passengers transiting through Australia for 8 to 72 hours to a third country are subject to quarantine until their next flight.

INFORMATION CURRENT AS AT 23 NOVEMBER 2021

 

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