Singapore, Japan to launch green lane on Sept 18

SINGAPORE will launch a green lane for essential business and official travel with Japan on Sept 18, the foreign affairs ministers of both countries said in a joint press statement on Friday.

Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu said the green lane will help restore connectivity and support economic recovery for Singapore and Japan.

It is the first such framework that Japan is implementing with another country, they added.

The green lane will allow the safe resumption of cross-border travel and business exchanges with the necessary public health safeguards in place. These safeguards include pre-departure and post-arrival testing, as well as the need to adhere to a controlled itinerary for the first 14 days in the receiving country, the ministers said.

Operational details, including the requirements, health protocols and application process, will be published on Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and Singapore's SafeTravel website by Sept 18.