Singapore to welcome Taiwan visitors; travel to Taiwan allowed from Dec 18

Singapore

SINGAPORE will unilaterally lift its border restrictions for visitors from Taiwan from Dec 18 onwards, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced on Friday.

Additionally, travel to Taiwan will also be allowed, though this is subject to the necessary precautionary measures and the entry requirements imposed by Taiwan, the authority said.

With immediate effect, visitors travelling from Taiwan can apply for an Air Travel Pass (ATP) for entry into Singapore on, or after Dec 18. Applicants must have remained in Taiwan in the last 14 consecutive days prior to their entry.

They will undergo a Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction test upon arrival at the airport. If the result is negative, they will be allowed to go about their activities in Singapore, without a need to serve a Stay-Home Notice, CAAS said. The same applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Taiwan.

To facilitate the contact tracing process, travellers from Taiwan must download and register for the TraceTogether app on their mobile devices prior to departing for Singapore. They must also keep the app activated during their stay, and not delete it for 14 consecutive days after leaving Singapore, CAAS noted.

While in Singapore, visitors will be responsible for their own medical bills related to Covid-19.

In a press statement on Friday, CAAS noted that Taiwan has a "comprehensive public health surveillance system and has displayed successful control over the spread of the Covid-19 virus". Over the past 28 days, Taiwan had zero local Covid-19 cases and the risk of importation from Taiwan is low, the authority said.

Separately, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Friday that the latest move is another step in opening Singapore's borders. He added that Taiwan recently classified Singapore as a low risk country, and has reduced the quarantine for essential and business travellers from the Republic to five days.