Singapore and The Republic of Korea to Jointly Launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes

 Singapore: Singapore and the Republic of Korea have agreed to jointly launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs), which will start from 15 November 2021. 

Singapore and the Republic of Korea enjoy strong and multi-faceted ties, especially in the sectors of trade and investment, infrastructure, and tourism. The two countries commemorated 45 years of diplomatic relations in 2020. The jointly launched VTLs will be the first of its kind between two major aviation hubs in Asia and build on these longstanding relations to safely revive cross-border air travel and people-to-people flows. Before COVID-19, Singapore and the Republic of Korea were among each other’s top travel destinations, with a total of 64 weekly passenger services connecting the two countries and carrying 1.6 million passengers annually.

The agreement was marked by a video conference on 8 October 2021 between the Minister for Transport of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S Iswaran, and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Mr Noh Hyeong Ouk.

Under the VTLs, fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel between Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport and be subjected to COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, in lieu of serving quarantine or Stay-Home Notice. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel or requirements for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship. 

To support the VTLs, Singapore and the Republic of Korea have also reached an agreement on the mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, which will take effect from 15 November 2021. This will allow fully vaccinated travellers with proof of vaccination issued in either Singapore or the Republic of Korea to enjoy vaccination-differentiated safe management measures in both countries. 

“Singapore and the Republic of Korea enjoy excellent bilateral relations, with strong people-to-people ties. I am pleased that both countries have agreed to jointly launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes that will re-open general travel between our two countries, which has been disrupted for the past 20 months. Both Singapore and the Republic of Korea have made excellent progress in vaccinating our populations and the VTLs reflect the trust both countries have in each other’s ability to manage the COVID-19 situation. This is another milestone as we re-open Singapore’s borders, and resume air travel in a careful and calibrated manner,” Mr Iswaran said.

Under the VTLs, travellers must meet the eligibility criteria and adhere to the prevailing border control measures and public health requirements for travel into the respective countries. More details of the VTLs will be announced in due course.