Singapore Plans Quarantine Free Travel By September

Singapore, once again, seems to have a plan. While many other nations appear lost without a rudder in terms of travel reopening plans, Singapore’s ministers have come together to issue clear guidance on making the pandemic, endemic.

The country plans to open quarantine free travel by September, thanks to fantastic vaccine uptake and a decoupling of case counts and hospitalizations. The only major restriction: you’ll need to be fully vaccinated, to be considered.

Singapore Plans Quarantine Free Travel

Singapore is determined to become “covid resilient” and reestablish its place as an international hub for banking, travel, medicine and technology. And for travelers, yes, for its UNESCO World Heritage recognized ‘Hawker Stalls’ and fantastic cocktails, too.

Singapore expects to have 80% of the population fully vaccinated by September and is readying its population to manage life with the virus, rather than pursuing complicated strategies of complete eradication.

Singapore’s Finance Minister, Lawrence Wong, told Parliament on Monday that the country will push forward with reopening plans, including opening borders and adding travel corridors with nations where bilateral recognition of vaccination status can be achieved.

Laying out the latest plans to ease restrictions for vaccination travelers and residents, including allowing large gatherings once again, Wong touched upon the need to get borders open, to help the city regain its identity.

“At the same time, there is no need to wait for everyone to be vaccinated before we begin to open up. That would mean holding back the entire reopening timeline until much later in the year, which is not tenable.”

Lawrence Wong, Finance Minister, Singapore

According to Bloomberg, if Singapore can successfully achieve over 80% vaccination by September, it will become the most inoculated financial capital in the world, putting the country in prime position to capitalize on vital commerce and investment as the world opens up.

Likely early travel corridors would involve the Canada, Israel, UK , USA and EU nations where high levels of vaccination with widely approved vaccines would factor into any mutually recognized arrangements, as well as regional partners.

For people like you, or me, it should also mean being able to escape to the city for a great break, enjoying Chili Crab, Hainanese Chicken, Laksa, Satay, Roti and all the other delights of life in this utterly charming place.

Singapore Sticking To The Plan

In a collaborative piece published just over a month ago, Singapore’s key economic, health and transport ministers laid out a road map for reopening Singapore, including eventually no longer reporting daily case counts – a move in line with other endemic seasonal illnesses. Instead, greater focus will be put onto hospitalizations and death.

Officials noted that fully vaccinated travelers should be able to visit without quarantine by September, but that testing will still play a large part. Despite temporary setbacks, it appears Singapore is not deviating from the plan.

If you’re dreaming of visiting this Southeast Asian travel gem, expect to prove your fully vaccinated status, and take a bunch of tests too. Chin up though, Singapore is working on the world’s first breathalyzer style covid-19 test, which should mean at least some of the testing will quite literally be painless, and actually just as easy as breathing!

Here’s how to make the most of your time in the city, when you get there.