Singapore: Authorities marginally tighten domestic business and gathering controls May 1-14; further travel restrictions planned from 23:59 May 2 /update 39

Event

Authorities are marginally tightening domestic business and gathering controls through at least May 14 while also imposing new international travel restrictions from 23:59 May 2 in response to increased COVID-19 activity. From May 1-14, outdoor barbeque pits and campsites will be closed, and officials will tighten occupancy limits at retail shopping venues. Authorities are urging residents to limit social gatherings, while businesses are encouraged to allow employees to work from home. Officials may introduce new domestic restrictions in the coming days.

Additionally, authorities are imposing entry restrictions on individuals with recent travel history to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka from 23:59 May 2. Long-term pass holders and short-term visitors will be barred from entering Singapore if they have been within any of the specified countries within the previous 14 days. Officials require all arrivals from the 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. The entry bans and enhanced quarantine measures apply to individuals who have recently transited through airports in the specified countries. Such restrictions also continue to apply to individuals with recent travel history in India. Furthermore, from 23:59 May 2 onward all arrivals with recent travel history in Thailand must undergo 14-day SHN periods at designated government-run facilities.

Singaporean authorities are maintaining many existing business and gathering restrictions. Officials allow up to 75 percent of staff to be present at most workplaces at a given time. Other curbs, such as spacing work stations 1 meter (3 feet) apart from each other, remain in place. Essential services, including medical and food retailers, can operate on-site with full staff capacity. Most social gatherings remain limited to eight people.

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 22,583) travel insurance for medical treatment costs should they test positive for COVID-19 in Singapore.

Arrivals from most locations must comply with a 14-day SHN (quarantine order) at designated facilities. Travelers who spent the previous two weeks in mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Taiwan can quarantine for seven days in their residences. Individuals arriving from Fiji and Vietnam can quarantine for two weeks at their residences provided they satisfy certain prerequisites. Arrivals from Australia's New South Wales (NSW) are exempt from the quarantine orders if their on-arrival PCR test returns negative.

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 April 30. 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.

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 14 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