Don’t let anyone tell you that Asia isn’t reopening. It is, just incredibly slowly, and mostly to countries which cannot visit anyway. Singapore is the latest example of a country with expanding border entry allowances, yet hardly anyone taking up the invite.
Singapore Opens Doors To Australia And Vietnam
Good news, Australians, you can now visit Singapore. The bad news, you’re not allowed to leave Australia unless you receive an official proclamation and agree to two weeks of enforced quarantine at the expense of circa $3000 Australian Dollars. International borders effectively remain closed, and are said to until sometime in 2021.
Australia is now the fourth country to receive reciprocal entry with Singapore as part of the Air Travel Pass Program, a program which allows travelers to register their trip, and receive a short term visitor visa 7 days later.
Prospective visitors are required to carry their air travel pass letter, monitor health for the 14 days prior to flight, and then take a covid-19 PCR test on arrival in Singapore, where they must wait in approved accommodation until a negative result is received between 1-2 days later, at which point they’re free to enjoy the city state.
Brunei, New Zealand and Vietnam round out the rest of the short term ATP program, and Singapore also has more country specific arrangements for business travel with China, Malaysia, Korea and Japan.
There’s just one thing.
New Zealander’s cant go anywhere, the vast majority of Vietnamese travelers aren’t able to go anywhere with international flights suspended, and the same is true for the most part in Brunei. Nearly a month into the launch of the ‘Air Travel Pass’ program with initial members New Zealand and Brunei, Singapore has welcomed less than a plane full of people, with 136 total visitors.
Crucially, none of the visitors to arrive in Singapore via this new ‘Air Travel Pass’ program have tested positive for covid-19 according to the Straits Times, which is a strong indication Singapore is picking travel partners wisely.
As the program expands, much of the Western world must wait on, as cases rise across the USA and Europe. Pent up demand from Australian travelers is beginning to cause turmoil, as many in the country look for government to overturn the closure of all foreign borders in favor of sensible easing.
Singapore is more open by the day, the question is if anyone eligible can actually go.
Its ironic we are happily letting people into Singapore from countries that are clearly unsure about their own safety and remain border closed themselves. Yet no one in Singapore outside of winkwink business travellers can go abroad. If you manage to escape you run the risk of not being let back in.
Why not Singapore reopening to indonesia..like batam and bintan Island. Just this 2 Island…so many people have family in batam and bintan Island..since Mar till now,how long Singapore and indonesia going to reopening this 2 Island..
If I want visit my friends 5 days in Vietnam does I need any documents