Updates on Border Measures for Travellers from India, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and South Africa

          The Multi-Ministry Taskforce regularly reviews Singapore’s border measures to manage the risk of importation from travellers and onward local transmission, taking into account the current situation in their source countries/ regions.

2.       Given the worsening situation in India, and emergence of new virus variants, we will tighten border measures for travellers from India by reducing entry approvals for non-Singapore Citizens/ Permanent Residents, and subjecting all travellers arriving from India to an additional 7-day Stay Home Notice (SHN) at their place of residence, following their 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours.

3.       As the situation in Hong Kong has improved, we will reduce the SHN period from 14 days to 7 days which can be served at their place of residence if suitable. This will apply to travellers who have remained in Hong Kong in the last 14 consecutive days and who enter Singapore from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours.

4.       From 22 April 2021, 2359 hours, we will allow entry and transit for all Long-Term Pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to the UK and South Africa.

5.       To facilitate critical and essential official travel in a safe and calibrated manner, fully-vaccinated individuals on such official overseas travel to higher risk countries/ regions will be required to adhere to a controlled itinerary while overseas, and undergo a stringent testing regime and a 7-day self-isolation period upon their return.

Further Precautions for Travellers from India

6.       Given the worsening situation in India, and emergence of new virus variants, we will tighten border measures for travellers with recent travel history to India by reducing entry approvals for non-Singapore Citizens/ Permanent Residents with immediate effect.

7.       As a further precaution, from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours, all travellers with recent travel history to India will be subjected to an additional 7-day SHN at their place of residence [1], following their 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities. They will be tested at the end of their SHN (as per the current requirement), and again after they have completed their 7-day SHN period. Travellers who have yet to complete their 14-day SHN by 22 April 2021, 2359 hours, will also be subjected to the additional 7-day SHN period. Migrant workers arriving from India in the Construction, Marine and Process sectors will continue to be subjected to a 21-day SHN. These measures will minimise importation risks and protect public health.

Travellers from Hong Kong to Serve a 7-Day SHN

8.       We had earlier announced that travellers from Hong Kong are required to serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities.

9.       Given the improved local situation in Hong Kong, travellers arriving from Hong Kong from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours will undergo a reduced 7-day SHN, which can be served at their place of residence if suitable [2]. They will be subjected to an on-arrival COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test [3] and another PCR test before the end of their 7-day SHN.

Lifting of Entry Restrictions for Travellers from the United Kingdom and South Africa

10.       We had earlier restricted entry and transit for all Long-Term Pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to the UK and South Africa. This arose from concerns of a more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus circulating in these countries/ regions. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who were in these countries/ regions in the last 14 days prior to their entry have also been subjected to an additional 7-day SHN period at their place of residence, following their 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities.

11.       Our existing border control and domestic measures have been able to contain the risks of community spread from imported cases with such variants, which is now present in many countries beyond UK and South Africa. As such, from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours:

a. Long-Term Pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to the UK and South Africa within the last 14 days will now be allowed entry into Singapore, after obtaining the relevant entry approvals.

b. Arriving travellers will continue to serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities, with an additional 7-day SHN at their place of residence.

c. Travellers with recent travel history to the UK and South Africa will now be allowed to transit through Singapore on airlines approved to operate such transfers.

12.       The Ministry of Health will continue to evaluate the data on the various strains of the COVID-19 virus as these emerge and review our border measures accordingly.

Border Measures for Critical and Essential Official Travel [4]

13.       In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, essential business and official travels still need to continue. While many meetings have been conducted over digital media, certain critical discussions need to be done face-to-face.

14.       Official interactions are also crucial to safeguarding and advancing Singapore’s national interests. To facilitate critical and essential official travel in a safe manner, we will allow fully-vaccinated individuals who travel to higher-risk countries/ regions as part of an official delegation [5] to be subjected to a stringent testing and self-isolation regime from 22 April 2021, 2359 hours.

15.       They must adhere to a strict event-by-event controlled itinerary while overseas, and undergo COVID-19 PCR tests on-arrival, and on Day 3, Day 7 and Day 14 of their return [6]. As an added precaution, these travellers will also be required to undergo a 7-day self-isolation period at home (or in a hotel) upon return. They may only leave their place of accommodation to commute to the PCR test site or to the workplace for essential work that cannot be done remotely.

16.       Travellers who are not fully-vaccinated will continue to be subjected to prevailing border measures upon their return.

Looking Ahead to Further Reopening

17.       As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures to manage the risk of importation and transmission to the community with changes updated on the SafeTravel website. The Ministry of Health will also continue to review the data and evidence on any new viral strains and update the measures accordingly.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
20 APRIL 2021

[1] Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long-Term Pass holders may serve their additional 7-day SHN at their place of residence, that they or their family members own or are sole tenants of, or in suitable accommodations such as a hotel.
[2] Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long-Term Pass holders may serve their 7-day SHN at their place of residence, that they or their family members own or are sole tenants of, or in suitable accommodations such as a hotel.
[3] To expedite the COVID-19 PCR test at the airport, travellers are strongly encouraged to register and pre-pay for their on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test prior to departing for Singapore at https://safetravel.changiairport.com/.
[4] “Critical and Essential Official travel” refers to travel at the request of the Singapore Government, that is important to safeguarding or advancing Singapore’s national interests, for the purposes of representing Singapore in an official capacity in important meetings, functions or international forums overseas.
[5] Travellers in official delegations will be informed by Government agencies of their eligibility for such travel arrangements prior to their departure from Singapore.
[6] This is similar to the testing requirements imposed for the Business Travel Pass scheme available for business travellers.