The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced on March 4 it will launch vaccinated travel lane (VTL) – the quarantine-free travel scheme – for tourists from Vietnam and Greece, starting on March 16.
The decision comes after Vietnam announced it will reopen all borders to international tourism on March 15, the VOV reported.
Related: Vietnam resumes visa exemption for foreigners from March 15
“With the launch of the VTL from Vietnam, we will restore two-way quarantine-free travel with Vietnam, which was a popular destination for many Singaporeans pre-COVID,” the CAAS said in its statement.
It said those coming from Vietnam can apply for vaccinated travel pass (VTP) online starting at 10.00am on March 13, and this is only required for eligible short-term visitors and work permit holders.
According to VTL regulations, short-term visitors from Vietnam will have to receive full vaccine doses (at least 2 doses), have a vaccine passport, have negative PCR or ART test results 48 hours before entry, and purchase travel insurance with a minimum coverage of SGD30,000 (US$22,000) for COVID-19 treatment in case they get infected.
The VTL scheme has enabled Singapore to safely reopen its borders and at the same time manage public health risks. Since September 8, 2021, Singapore has established VTLs with 30 countries and territories. The CAAS said it will take further steps to expand VTLs to rebuild Singapore as a leading aviation hub, according to VOV.
Vietnam now stands 30th among 225 countries and territories worldwide in the number of infections with 4,059,262 cases.
Vietnam on March 3 administered 645,805 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, raising the total number of doses given to local people to over 196.32 million.