Business, official travellers must be sponsored by government agency or company under Singapore-China fast lane agreement

BUSINESS or official travellers seeking to travel between Singapore and China will have to be sponsored by either a government agency or a company under the Singapore-China "fast lane" agreement.

Singapore and China are enabling essential business and official travel between the city-state and six Chinese provinces and municipalities for a start - Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin and Zhejiang. The arrangement will gradually be widened to include other Chinese provinces and municipalities.

Travellers from both countries will not need to serve a two-week quarantine period, but must take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, at their own cost.

A Singapore resident who needs to travel to China must be sponsored by a company or government agency in China, which will file an application on his behalf with the authorities. If the application is approved, the applicant will receive an invitation and can go on to apply for a visa from the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, in addition to having to submit a health declaration to the Chinese authorities.

For inbound travel to Singapore from June 8, business or official travellers who are sponsored by government agencies can submit an application via their sponsor, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in a statement on Wednesday. Applications for company-sponsored travellers will be in a later phase, they added.

Approved applicants from either country will need to take a swab test at their own cost within 48 hours before departure and test negative for Covid-19. They will also have to undergo another swab test upon arrival in the host country. If they test positive for Covid-19, they will have to undergo medical treatment at their own cost.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 8.30 am

SGSME

Get updates on Singapore's SME community, along with profiles, news and tips.

Sign Up

During their trip, travellers will be expected to stick to a controlled itinerary, supervised by the government agency or the company, as well as use contact-tracing apps.

MFA and MTI said: "This is part of Singapore's gradual re-opening of our borders for Singaporeans and residents to conduct essential activities overseas and to allow safe travel for foreigners entering Singapore in limited numbers, with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure public health considerations are addressed."

Singapore is also working on establishing such green-lane arrangements with countries such as Malaysia and New Zealand.