Earlier this week, Singapore announced plans to open a vaccinated travel lane with India to resume flights between Singapore and India on an ongoing basis. However, at that time, there was no agreement between India and Singapore on the resumption of flights between the two countries.

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore agrees with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, India, to resume scheduled flights from November 29, 2021

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has now declared that they have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India on resuming scheduled commercial passenger flights between Singapore and India. This will facilitate quarantine-free travel on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) from India to Singapore, which will start from 29 November 2021 with six designated VTL flights daily from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

Airlines can also operate non-VTL flights between India and Singapore; travellers travelling on non-VTL flights into Singapore will be subject to the prevailing public health requirements based on the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Country/Region Classification for Border Measures. The airlines will announce the schedules for the VTL and non-VTL flights when ready.

Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will need to apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) to enter Singapore under the VTL. Applications for the VTP for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders for travel from India to Singapore will open on November 22, 2021.

Fully vaccinated Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents and children aged 12 and below do not need to apply for a VTP to enter Singapore under the VTL. VTP applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from India will open on November 22, 2021, at 6 pm Singapore time / 3:30 pm India time. Travellers from India will not be able to apply for a VTP earlier than 1800 hours. All short-term visitors and long-term pass holders who meet the requirements of the VTL will receive a VTP.

VTP applications will open for intended dates of entry from November 29, 2021, to January 21, 2022 (7 to 60 calendar days ahead). Those who intend to enter Singapore after December 1, 2021, are encouraged to apply after November 24, 2021, by the CAAS.

To facilitate the application process, VTP applicants should have the following information on hand i) passport, ii) digital proof of vaccination and iii) address in Singapore for self-isolation pending the results of their on-arrival COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

Short-term visitors who require a visa for travel to Singapore must separately obtain a visa. They are advised to do so after receiving their VTP approval and before departing for Singapore. Before travelling to Singapore, they must also purchase travel insurance with a minimum of S$30,000 coverage for COVID-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs. In Singapore, these visitors must also use the TraceTogether app to facilitate contact tracing.

VTL Requirements

Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers from VTL countries may enter Singapore without quarantine and need to undergo COVID-19 testing. Children aged 12 years and below who are not vaccinated will be allowed to travel under the VTL into Singapore if accompanied by a VTL traveller who meets all VTL requirements. The VTL is for entry into Singapore. Travellers are advised to check the entry requirements imposed by the respective VTL countries.

The conditions for entry into Singapore under the VTL are the same for all VTL countries.  All travellers entering Singapore under the VTL must comply with the prevailing VTL requirements listed below.

VTL travellers must have remained only in one or more of the VTL countries or a country/region in Category I of Singapore MOH’s Country/Region Classification for Border Measures in the last 14 consecutive days before departure to Singapore. If the traveller has been in Singapore within those last 14 days, their stay in Singapore can be counted towards fulfilling this 14-day travel history requirement.

Testing

All VTL travellers must take two COVID-19 tests:

• A pre-departure test must be a PCR test or a professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) within two days before departing for Singapore and obtaining a negative test result.
• An on-arrival PCR test at Changi Airport and remain self-isolated until their test result is negative.

Children aged two years and below in the calendar year are not required to undergo these tests.

Vaccination

Vaccination is a vital safeguard of the VTL for safe travel without compromising public health. All VTL travellers must have been fully vaccinated and present a digital proof of vaccination recognised by the Singapore authorities, issued in any VTL country or Singapore. This is necessary to guard against forgery and verify that the certificate is issued by a trusted issuer and belongs to the VTL traveller.

Children aged 12 years and below in the calendar year are not required to present proof of vaccination to enter Singapore under the VTL if they are accompanied by a VTL traveller who meets all VTL requirements for entry into Singapore.

Designated VTL Flights

Travellers who are travelling to Singapore under the VTL must travel into Singapore on designated VTL flights. They may transit via another VTL country to take a selected VTL flight into Singapore, subject to the prevailing transfer/transit requirements of that VTL country. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel under the VTL arrangement and no need for a controlled itinerary or sponsor.

I have it on good authority that while Singapore Airlines will operate the flights from Singapore to Delhi/Mumbai/Chennai, from India, a different carrier will be given the rights to operate these VTL flights from each of the centres.

Singapore Airlines has put out a tweet advising that they are working out the details of the flights soon.

[Travel Advisory] SIA is working closely with the authorities to secure approval to resume scheduled passenger flights between Singapore and India. We will share more information on our flight schedules when ready. We thank our customers for their patience and understanding.

— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) November 21, 2021

Bottomline

Expect an announcement soon for the resumption of flights between Singapore and India in the coming day or two. However, only fully-vaccinated people will be able to fly on these flights to Singapore for the time being. The VTP applications will open up tomorrow (November 22, 2021) at 3:30 PM IST for those interested.

Anybody planning to fly over to Singapore anytime soon?

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