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What’s not to love about exploring unique places and immersing yourself in new cultures? Travelling allows us to step out of our comfort zone and broaden our horizons. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a pause on many of our travel plans due to the restrictions imposed by countries globally.
With the gradual easing of travel restrictions globally, travellers can finally fly again.
Presently, Singapore has Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) agreements with 32 countries. It means that fully-vaccinated travellers can enjoy quarantine-free travel to Singapore, and fully-vaccinated Singaporeans can enjoy quarantine-free travel to most of these approved countries as well.
Greece and Vietnam will be added to Singapore’s VTL scheme from 16 March 2022. The addition of these countries to the VTL scheme is part of Singapore’s strategy to safely reopen its border for international travellers and reclaim its position as a global business hub.
If you are thinking of taking a well-deserved vacation out of Singapore soon, here’s all you need to know before booking your next getaway.
Currently, Singapore has VTL agreements with 32 countries. They are:
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way people travel. Unlike in the past, travelling is not as simple as before. Post-pandemic travel can be stressful due to extra things for consideration before flying. To help alleviate the stress of post-pandemic travel, we have curated a checklist of five things to do before you leave town.
Before travelling abroad, you need to do a pre-departure test for most countries under the VTL scheme.
There are two different types of pre-departure tests — Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and Antigen Rapid Test (ART). The type of test required for you to take differs from country to country.
Do note that you have to bear the cost of these tests should you want to travel abroad. In Singapore, you can easily book a pre-departure test at any clinic offering pre-departure ART or PCR tests. A supervised ART will cost anywhere between $25 to $50. A PCR test will cost between $90 to $220.
Your test result certificate in English should state the following:
Do take note of the requirements by different countries:
You must ensure that you are fully vaccinated at least two weeks before travel. The vaccines granted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are:
However, do note that not all countries will accept approved vaccines. Some countries do not recognise Sinopharm and Sinovac as approved vaccines. You should check the latest requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website for the country you’re travelling to.
You need to set up your digital vaccination certificate in English as well. Additionally, you need to ensure that your vaccination certificate is valid for travel. For outbound travellers, you can get your (PDT) or Vaccination HealthCerts digitally authenticated with Notarise.
One thing to note is that travellers under the age of 12 need not be vaccinated. However, they need to be accompanied by a fully-vaccinated VTL traveller.
Did you know that a country can turn you away if you do not have a proper entry visa? Countries can bar you from entry if an entry visa is required, but you do not have one. Not applying for a visa will ruin your trip as you will need to leave the country immediately. Worst of all, you might incur additional costs that can add up to thousands of dollars. For example, the booking of a last-minute flight is expensive. If you need to leave the country, you will have to spend money on the next available flight out, regardless of cost.
Singapore has one of the most powerful passports in the world, allowing us to travel the world easily. However, some countries still require a visa for leisure travel.
One example is Australia. If you intend totravel to Australia, you will need a valid entry visa to travel. For Singaporeans, you can use the Australian Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) app to apply for an ETA from your mobile device.
Want to save money on travel? With credit cards, you can earn rebates on your overseas spend, getting a portion of your money back. Typically, banks give you between 1% to 8% on your foreign transactions.
Apart from cashback, using a credit card also adds convenience to your travels. You do not need to exchange currencies at a money changer and carry cash around. Lastly, you also have protection against fraud.
Before you go on your trip, you must remember to activate your credit card for overseas use. If you do not do so, you cannot use your credit card overseas. You can either activate your credit card online or via SMS. Do not know which credit card to use for your next trip? Here are three cards that offer some of the best perks and rewards on overseas spend.
Citi PMV Card does have an annual fee of S$192.6, waived 1 year only. However, this is lower than most alternatives, and is offset by 10,000 annual renewal miles (worth S$100). New cardholders also receive up to 45,000 welcome miles (worth S$450), and no-fee cards rarely come with so many bonuses. Ultimately, Citi PMV Card offers great rewards rates, perks, and bonus miles, without sky-high fees–perfect for the average consumer.
Citi PMV Card does have an annual fee of S$192.6, waived 1 year only. However, this is lower than most alternatives, and is offset by 10,000 annual renewal miles (worth S$100). New cardholders also receive up to 45,000 welcome miles (worth S$450), and no-fee cards rarely come with so many bonuses. Ultimately, Citi PMV Card offers great rewards rates, perks, and bonus miles, without sky-high fees–perfect for the average consumer.
These rates make it fairly easy to earn miles in day-to-day life, which is then complemented by great benefits when cardholders decide to travel. Perks include 4 free lounge visits/year, 1 free annual hotel stay, and free travel insurance. As a more unique feature, cardholders have access to exclusive membership upgrades to Hilton Honors Silver, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and Hertz Gold Plus. The benefits allow consumers to enjoy a fuller luxury experience, moving beyond perks that are typically just limited to airport travel. Ultimately, Amex SIA KF Ascend Card is a great option for people who want competitive rates balanced with top-notch luxury benefits.
These rates make it fairly easy to earn miles in day-to-day life, which is then complemented by great benefits when cardholders decide to travel. Perks include 4 free lounge visits/year, 1 free annual hotel stay, and free travel insurance. As a more unique feature, cardholders have access to exclusive membership upgrades to Hilton Honors Silver, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and Hertz Gold Plus. The benefits allow consumers to enjoy a fuller luxury experience, moving beyond perks that are typically just limited to airport travel. Ultimately, Amex SIA KF Ascend Card is a great option for people who want competitive rates balanced with top-notch luxury benefits.
SC Visa Infinite is already a fantastic card, but what makes it unique is that it also rewards banking activity. All cardholders can earn rewards by paying their income tax through the card, and SC Banking customers can also earn on their savings accounts, mortgage loans, fixed deposits, investments and more. Few cards offer such a rewards structure, and while the S$588.5 fee is high, it’s easily made up for in total value-to-consumer. Ultimately, if you’re a frequent business traveller, SC Visa Infinite Card may well be your best option.
SC Visa Infinite is already a fantastic card, but what makes it unique is that it also rewards banking activity. All cardholders can earn rewards by paying their income tax through the card, and SC Banking customers can also earn on their savings accounts, mortgage loans, fixed deposits, investments and more. Few cards offer such a rewards structure, and while the S$588.5 fee is high, it’s easily made up for in total value-to-consumer. Ultimately, if you’re a frequent business traveller, SC Visa Infinite Card may well be your best option.
Before you fly, some countries like South Korea require you to purchase travel insurance in Singapore for your trip. The travel insurance policies need to cover Covid-19 related medical/treatment expenses. Even if it is not mandatory, you should still purchase travel insurance for yourself. Travel insurance protects you against accidents or unexpected medical expenses you might incur during your trip. It also covers travel delays that might happen. You definitely do not want to be left stranded overseas.
You might think that travel insurance is only necessary for air travel. However, did you know that travel insurance is equally crucial for land and sea travel? If you plan to go on a cruise to nowhere from Singapore, you can purchase cruise insurance. Travel insurance gives travellers added peace of mind for their trip.
Don’t know what travel insurance to get in Singapore? We have compared some of the best travel insurance in Singapore for you.
Do remember to get a pre-departure test, ensure that your vaccination documents are in order, check necessary entry visa requirements, activate your credit card for overseas use and purchase the best travel insurance in Singapore before taking off.
Best of all, under the VTL scheme, you no longer need to take a PCR test on arrival in Singapore. Instead, all VTL travellers returning to Singapore have up to 24 hours to take a supervised ART at a testing centre. How convenient is that? Take a well-deserved vacation and plan for your next big adventure today!
Boon Hun spent over five years in the content marketing space as the managing editor of Goody Feed creating interesting and relevant content for the social media generation. In 2022, he moved to the FinTech space while remaining true to his roots, intending to bring financial literacy to more people in Singapore. When not doing his work, he can be found watching people build homes on YouTube.
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