Singapore: Authorities ease COVID-19 gathering and capacity restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals from Aug. 10 /update 47

Event

Authorities have eased gathering and capacity restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals from Aug. 10. Under the updated Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures, gatherings are capped at five vaccinated people; unvaccinated individuals should remain in groups of two. Officials allow five distinct visitors per household daily. Authorities continue to require people to practice health protocols, including wearing facemasks in public.

Officials allow dine-in at hawker centers and coffee shops in groups of two regardless of vaccination status. All other food establishments may offer dine-in services to groups of five if all diners are vaccinated, as well as recovered COVID-19 patients or people with a valid negative COVID-19 test result. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below from the same household may be included in the group of five diners.

Workers must continue to telecommute as much as possible. Staff who are on-site must adhere to protocols, like staggering their working hours; essential services can continue to operate on-site with full staffing. Essential services can continue to operate on-site with full staffing. Indoor mask-off high-intensity sports activities are capped at 30 people; indoor mask-off classes in gyms and fitness studios may resume in groups of five for vaccinated individuals. Indoor mask-on and all outdoor sports activities are capped at 50 people; participants can gather in groups of five regardless of vaccination status. Shopping malls must adhere to an occupancy limit of 16 square meters (172 square feet) per person. Live performance, sporting, and religious events may involve up to 500 attendees if all are vaccinated and up to 50 participants if unvaccinated; exemptions are in place for children aged 12 and below.

The government also intends to further ease measures from Aug. 19 if COVID-19 activity remains under control. Up to 50 percent of employees may work on-site and can participate in workplace social gatherings. Shopping malls may operate with an occupancy limit of 10 square meters (108 square feet) per person. Live events may accommodate up to 1000 vaccinated attendees and up to 50 participants if unvaccinated.

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 are resuming operations to several locations gradually. 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 remain banned from entry, with exceptions for some humanitarian reasons. Citizens, permanent residents (PR), foreigners that work in Singapore, and their dependents can enter the country. Work pass holders and their dependents with travel history to higher risk locations may apply for entry approval if fully vaccinated; the entry condition is not applicable for migrant domestic workers and S pass or work permit holders from the Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process sectors. Foreign nationals without PR who have visited or transited India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka within the previous 21 days are barred. Officials also ban short-term travel for people who visited Australia within 21 days of arrival.

Travelers from Brunei, China, New Zealand, and Taiwan can apply for an Air Travel Pass (ATP) for all purposes. Reciprocal Green Lanes (RGL), which allow official and business travel, are in effect with Brunei and Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces in China. Visitors under the program must have a local sponsor, undergo testing 48-72 hours before departure and upon arrival, self-quarantine until receiving a negative test result, and adhere to controlled itineraries for the first 14 days. ATP and RGL applicants must have a minimum of SGD 30,000 travel insurance.

Citizens, PRs, and authorized entrants must submit health declarations online and obtain a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure. Singaporean citizens arriving from Malaysia by land can get tested upon arrival. Officials require travelers from Indonesia to undergo testing within 48 hours of departure and undergo on-arrival PCR and rapid antigen testing. Officials may deny entry for returning PRs who land without a negative PCR test result. Travelers from lower-risk locations for 21 days before arrival do not have to undergo pre-departure testing but must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival.

Most inbound passengers must quarantine at designated facilities for 14 days and undergo testing on the last day of quarantine. Authorities allow arrivals from Israel to self-quarantine 14 days, provided they occupy the facility alone or with other arrivals with the same travel history and quarantine duration. Passengers from mainland China's Jiangsu Province, Hong Kong, and Macau must self-quarantine at a residence or pre-arranged hotel for seven days and take another COVID-19 test before exiting. Authorities require travelers from Brunei, New Zealand, and all regions in mainland China except Jiangsu Province to quarantine only until receiving a negative COVID-19 test result. Travelers from Taiwan will not need to quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 upon arrival. From Aug. 20, fully vaccinated travelers from Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Korea, and Switzerland may quarantine at a residence or pre-arranged hotel for 14 days and take a COVID-19 test before exiting.

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.

Resources

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