Singapore: Authorities to impose 21-day quarantines on most international arrivals, further restrict gatherings starting May 7 /update 40

Event

Officials in Singapore plan to impose longer quarantines on most arrivals from abroad and tighten domestic gathering restrictions in response to increased COVID-19 activity. Effective 23:59 May 7, most people arriving in Singapore will be subject to mandatory 21-day stay-home notices (SHN) at dedicated facilities. Prior to the move, most incoming travelers have been subject to 14-day SHN notices. Arrivals who have been in Australia, Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, or New Zealand for 21 continuous days prior to entering Singapore can quarantine for seven days in their residences.

Also starting 23:59 May 7, individuals arriving from Fiji and Vietnam must undergo 14-day quarantines at dedicated facilities, followed by seven day self-quarantine periods. Arrivals from most locations who have not completed their SHN by that time and date will see their mandatory quarantine periods extended. Moreover, from 23:59 May 7 until at least May 30, social gatherings will be capped at no more than five people, and attendance at large events will be limited to no more than 250. Additionally, the number of employees allowed to be present at most workplaces at a given time will be reduced from 75 to 50 percent of normal staffing. Authorities may introduce new gathering or travel restrictions in the coming days.

Outdoor barbeque pits and campsites remain closed through at least May 14. Officials have also tightened occupancy limits at retail shopping venues. Other curbs, such as spacing work stations 1 meter (3 feet) apart from each other, remain in place. Essential services can operate on-site with full staffing.

The government maintains its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) at Orange, the second-highest level, indicating some human-to-human transmission in the country. Authorities continue to require people to practice health protocols, including wearing facemasks in public. Foreign workers staying in dormitories must download the TraceTogether application and FWMOMCare health monitoring application.

The Johor Causeway, which links Singapore to Malaysia, is open 07:00-19:00 daily. State carrier Singapore Airlines (SQ) and its subsidiaries, Scoot (TR) and SilkAir (MI), continue to suspend most flights but plan to resume operations to several locations gradually. Singapore-based airline JetStar Asia Airways (3K) has resumed some routes. Foreigners flying from select cities with several airlines, including SQ, TR, and MI, can transit via Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

Travel Restrictions
Most short-term visa holders, including work pass holders who do not provide essential services, remain banned from entering Singapore. Long-term visit pass and student pass holders must apply for official approval before traveling. Passengers must submit online health declarations up to three days before arrival. Foreign nationals traveling from most locations must test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure for Singapore. All passengers must undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests upon arrival in Singapore. People applying to enter Singapore under the Air Travel Pass (ATP) and Reciprocal Green Lanes (RGL) schemes must have a minimum of SGD 30,000 (USD 22,441) travel insurance for medical treatment costs should they test positive for COVID-19 in Singapore.

Long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been to South Africa or the UK within the last 14 days can enter Singapore, provided they obtain official approval prior to travel. All arrivals from the two countries must complete a 14-day isolation at dedicated facilities, followed by an additional one-week isolation at their residence.

Officials continue to suspend RGL schemes with Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea as of May 4. The schemes allow people to travel to and from Singapore for business and official reasons. People who have obtained approval to travel to Singapore under the programs can continue to do so. Similar schemes are currently in place with Brunei, and Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces and Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin municipalities in mainland China. Travelers entering Singapore under the programs must have a sponsoring Singaporean entity, seek prior approval from Singaporean authorities, and test negative for COVID-19 between 48 and 72 hours before departure. Travelers must test for COVID-19 upon arrival, remain at their accommodations until the test returns negative, and adhere to controlled itineraries for the first 14 days of their visit.

Individuals with recent travel history to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, or Sri Lanka are subject to additional entry restrictions. Long-term pass holders and short-term visitors are barred from entering Singapore if they have been in any of the specified countries within the previous 14 days. As of May 5, officials require all arrivals from these countries to comply with a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) at dedicated facilities, followed by a seven-day SHN at their place of residence; passengers must also undergo COVID-19 tests at the end of each of the two SHN periods.

Authorities currently allow entry for travelers from Australia, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Passengers must have remained in the mentioned locations for the last 21 days, apply for an ATP before entry, and self-isolate until on-arrival test results are ready. Travelers who test negative are exempt from quarantine requirements.

Travelers under the Business Travel Pass (BTP) scheme must undergo PCR tests on the third, seventh, and fourteenth days following their return to Singapore, as well as a serology test on the third day. The program allows Singapore-based senior business executives to travel overseas regularly for work purposes and be exempt from isolation requirements upon return.

Authorities are accepting applications for business travel from all locations to Singapore for up to two weeks. Travelers must test negative for COVID-19 before and upon arriving in Singapore, remain in designated facilities during their entire trips, and undergo further COVID-19 tests on days three, five, seven, and 11 of their stay in Singapore.

Advice

Consider postponing travel if affected by travel restrictions. Confirm flight status before checking out of accommodation and departing for the airport. Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Ministry of Health Singapore
TraceTogether Mobile Application
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
Safe Travel Portal