VTLs launched with Thailand, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Turkey

SINGAPORE is launching Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with Thailand from Dec 14 and with Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Turkey from Dec 16, said the Ministry of Health on Friday (Nov 26).

Applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will commence on Dec 7 for travellers from Thailand and Dec 9 for the other countries for which the VTL starts from Dec 16.

This brings the total number of countries with which Singapore has VTL arrangements to 27.

Returning Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated will not need to apply for the travel pass in order to make use of the VTLs for travel.

Separately, Argentina, Kuwait, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Romania and Thailand are being placed in Category 2 as of Dec 1, 2359 hours.

Belize, Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Panama, Peru and Uruguay, meanwhile, are being placed in Category 3 from Dec 1, 2359 hours. In the light of the worsening Covid-19 situation in the following countries, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein and Slovakia are being placed in Category 3.

Visitors from Category 2 countries must serve a 7-day stay-home notice (SHN), while those from Category 3 countries serve a 10-day SHN. Both must also have a pre-departure antigen rapid test (ART) or pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 2 days, and a SHN exit PCR test.