travel restrictions in singapore 2022

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Quarantine-free Travel requirements to Singapore

We’ve been eagerly anticipating your arrival to our sunny shores! Singapore is open to all travellers without quarantine or testing requirements, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

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Advisory on COVID-19 for Travellers and Tourism Businesses

13 February 2023

General Advisory for Travellers

1. Singapore is open to all travellers without quarantine. This includes non-fully vaccinated travellers. Covid-19 pre-departure tests are not required. More details are available  here. 2. Depending on the destination you are travelling from, mask-wearing aboard flights and ferries to Singapore may be required. Travellers are advised to check with the respective transport operator on the mask-wearing requirement prior to their trip.

3. Singapore has stepped down all COVID-19 measures and mask wearing is not required except in healthcare settings. However, do practise good personal hygiene and wear a mask if you are unwell.

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What industry does your organization fall within, what best describes the key intent of the project that your organisation is seeking funding for, is your organisation a singapore-registered legal entity, is your organisation an association, is the project able to achieve one or more of the following outcome.

• Increase no. of sailings to/from Singapore
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• Improve visitor satisfaction (especially foreign visitors)
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Is the project able to attract foreign visitors and contribute to foreign visitors' spend?

Who will be the main target audience of your project, is your project innovative and/or a new event in singapore with tourism potential, what best describes your project, does the event have proven track records in singapore or overseas, and/or growth in tourism value such as growing foreign visitorship, and/or enhancement of precinct vibrancy etc, does the project have a clear tourism focus (e.g. tourism-related trainings, tourism companies taking on capability development initiatives or technology companies creating technology products and services for the tourism businesses), what best describes your market feasibility study project.

Based on your selection, the following STB grant/s may be applicable for your project:

Please note that projects that have commenced prior to Singapore Tourism Board's offer may not be eligible for grant support. Examples where projects are deemed as having commenced include:

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Singapore to ease border restrictions, travel to be 'almost like before Covid-19': PM Lee

SINGAPORE - Cross-border travel restrictions will be eased substantially from next week as the Covid-19 situation comes under control, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In a national address broadcast live on Thursday (March 24), Mr Lee said testing and quarantine requirements for travellers will be streamlined under a simplified Vaccinated Travel Framework.

Most restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors entering Singapore will also be lifted.

PM Lee said these changes will allow Singaporeans to travel freely abroad more easily, almost like they did before Covid-19, and reconnect Singapore with the world.

"It will give a much-needed boost to businesses, particularly the tourism sector, and help Singapore reclaim its position as a business and aviation hub," he added.

Under the current Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, only travellers who remain in VTL-designated countries for the previous seven days before entering Singapore can be exempted from quarantine and isolation requirements.

They must be fully vaccinated, enter Singapore on designated flights, buses or ferries, and obtain a negative result on a pre-departure Covid-19 test or proof of recent recovery.

PM Lee said Singapore had been cautious earlier because of uncertainty over the impact of the Omicron variant.

"Now, the Omicron situation is well under control. Nearly all our cases are domestic, originating within the community," he said.

"Arrivals from abroad constitute only a very small proportion of cases. We can therefore safely open up our borders."

More details on the new framework will be announced at a press conference held by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 later on Thursday.

Read next: What you need to know about Singapore's latest Covid-19 rules

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Can I travel to Singapore from the United States?

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Singapore.

Can I travel to Singapore if I am vaccinated?

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Singapore without restrictions.

Can I travel to Singapore without being vaccinated?

Unvaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Singapore without restrictions.

Do I need a COVID test to enter Singapore?

Visitors from the United States are not required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test or antigen result upon entering Singapore.

Can I travel to Singapore without quarantine?

Travelers from the United States are not required to quarantine.

Do I need to wear a mask in Singapore?

Mask usage in Singapore is not required in public spaces.

Are the restaurants and bars open in Singapore?

Restaurants in Singapore are open. Bars in Singapore are .

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Follow our news, recent searches, singapore to maintain 'measured approach' to reopening, says pm lee, advertisement.

Chew Hui Min

SINGAPORE: Singapore will significantly relax COVID-19 safety measures , but will also continue to take a “measured approach” to opening up, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Mar 24).

This approach has "served us well over the past two years”, said Mr Lee in a national address.

“After this major step, we will wait a while to let the situation stabilise. If all goes well, we will ease up further.”

Earlier, he said that Singapore will allow gatherings in groups of up to 10 people, and that the wearing of masks outdoors will be optional, from Mar 29.

Singapore will also increase the capacity limit for workplaces and events.

But the country should also be “psychologically prepared for more twists and turns ahead”, he cautioned. 

“With more interactions, we too may see another wave of cases, and Omicron will not be the last variant we encounter. The virus will continue to evolve,” said Mr Lee.   “Hopefully, new variants will become progressively milder and more flu-like. But it is also possible that more aggressive and dangerous mutants will turn up, just like Delta did.”

If that happens, Singapore may have to backtrack and tighten up restrictions again, he said.

“We cannot rule this out, even though we hope it will not be necessary. But whatever happens, we now have the knowledge and the means to keep everyone safe.”

This could mean giving everyone another booster jab, or administering an updated vaccine, Mr Lee said.

Group sizes doubled to 10 people, optional to wear masks outdoors as Singapore takes 'decisive step' in living with COVID-19

Dining-in allowed for groups of 10 from Mar 29 as Singapore eases COVID-19 measures

Singapore to reopen borders to all fully vaccinated travellers on Apr 1; existing VTLs will be retired

Border measures to ease.

The Prime Minister also announced that Singapore will ease travel restrictions substantially with a new vaccinated travel framework.

Mr Lee said that Singapore was cautious earlier because of uncertainty over the Omicron variant’s impact, but imported cases now constitute only a very small proportion of cases.

"We can therefore safely open up our borders,” he said.

He added that Singapore will “drastically streamline” testing and quarantine requirements for travellers, and that the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force will provide details.

This simplified vaccinated travel framework will let Singaporeans travel abroad more easily – “almost like before COVID-19”, Mr Lee said. It will also lift most restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors entering Singapore, he said.

“This will reconnect Singapore with the world. It will give a much-needed boost to businesses, particularly the tourism sector, and it will help Singapore reclaim its position as a business and aviation hub,” said Mr Lee.

COVID-19 rostered routine testing scrapped for all workers from Mar 29

Second COVID-19 booster recommended for those 80 and above, aged care facility residents, 'medically vulnerable' people

"do not throw all caution to the wind".

Mr Lee said that the domestic and cross-border changes represent a “major step towards living with COVID-19”, but stop short of a complete opening up.

“We remain watchful because COVID-19 may yet bring further surprises,” he said.

“Some countries have taken a ‘Freedom Day’ approach. They have declared the pandemic over, relaxed all restrictions at once.

“Now they are anxiously watching their infection and mortality numbers rising rapidly again.”

Mr Lee urged Singapore residents to take the announcements on Thursday “in the right spirit”.

“Resume more normal lives, enjoy larger gatherings of family and friends, go outdoors without masks, or reunite with loved ones abroad. But do not throw all caution to the wind,” he said.

He asked everyone to comply with the revised safe management measures, and to test themselves if they feel ill, and to isolate if they test positive.

“If you test negative, and decide to go out, please wear a mask to protect others, even outdoors, just in case,” he said.

“Let us all continue to exercise personal and social responsibility: To keep ourselves well, to keep others safe, to avoid adding to the burden on our healthcare workers.”

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Ministry of Health (MOH) Public Health Advisory

Please refer to the  MOH COVID-19 website for updates on the latest COVID-19 Measures. 

Travel Advisories and Entry Restrictions Imposed by Foreign Countries

While planning your travel routes, you may wish to refer to the  International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Centre website  or the  MFA Travel Information pages   for more travel information related to the destinations. 

Information for Incoming and Outgoing Travellers

 All COVID-19 related border measures have been lifted from 13 February 2023.

Please visit the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority website for current requirements for entry to and departure from Singapore.  Information on the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration can be found  here . 

Other COVID-19 resources

Overseas Singaporeans can also visit  the Singapore Global Network (SGN) website  f or more COVID-19 related resources and links. 

Refer to Singapore Tourism Board’s latest  guide  for Visitors.

Disclaimer The information on this page is presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for the purpose of providing information for the benefit and convenience of the public. Every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete information. However, the MFA cannot guarantee that there will be no errors. The MFA recommends that you exercise your own skill and care with respect to your use of this information, and that you carefully evaluate the accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance of the material on the page or on any linked site. The Government of the Republic of Singapore does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this page or any linked site. Please refer to our Terms of Use .

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Pope Francis to travel to Indonesia, Singapore, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea

By Courtney Mares

Vatican City, Apr 12, 2024 / 06:45 am

Pope Francis will travel to the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore later this year, the Vatican announced Friday.

The 11-day multi-country voyage from Sept. 2–13 will be the longest international trip of Francis’ papacy.

The trip announcement comes after the 87-year-old pope has slowed down his travel schedule in recent months as health issues have forced him to cancel some public appearances. Francis, who often uses a wheelchair, has not traveled internationally since September 2023.

Pope Francis’ first stop will be Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world. The country’s 229 million Muslims make up more than 12% of the global Muslim population. Nearly all of Indonesia’s Muslims are Sunni.

Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta welcomed the news that the pope will visit Indonesia from Sept. 3–6.

“Catholics throughout Indonesia want to shake hands with the pope one by one, but we all know that is impossible,” Suharyo said in a video message announcing the visit.

More than 29 million Christians live in Indonesia, 7 million of whom are Catholic. Pope Paul VI visited the country in 1970 and Pope John Paul II traveled there in 1989.

“Hopefully, with this visit, Indonesian Catholics will become more courageous in voicing the truth and become an example for people of other religions in terms of truly religious life, namely love above all, as the pope always emphasizes,” the Indonesian cardinal told UCA News.

Papua New Guinea

Pope Francis will be the second pope to visit Singapore, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea after John Paul II.

The pope will visit the cities of Port Moresby and Vanimo in Papua New Guinea from Sept. 6–9.

Papua New Guinea is a country of nearly 9 million people on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. The other side of the island consists of two Indonesian provinces. Papua New Guinea is a nation of considerable cultural diversity, comprised of hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to the island with 851 Indigenous languages spoken in the country.

Nearly all Papua New Guinea citizens are Christians, and 26% of the population is Catholic.

The pope’s next stop on his Southeast Asia tour will be Dili, the capital city of East Timor, from Sept. 9–11.

East Timor is a small country on the island of Timor. It gained independence from Indonesia in 1999, following decades of bloody conflict as the region vied for national sovereignty.

More in Vatican

Pope Francis decries how ‘the unborn with disabilities are aborted’ in throwaway culture

More than 97% of East Timor’s population of 1 million people is Catholic. It is one of only a few Catholic-majority countries in Southeast Asia.

A Catholic bishop from East Timor, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, received the Nobel Peace Prize together with the country’s second president, Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, in 1996 for their efforts to reach a peaceful and just end to fighting in the country.

The Vatican confirmed in 2022 that Belo has been under disciplinary restrictions since September 2020 due to accusations of sexual abuse of minors.

Pope Francis will conclude his trip with a visit to the island country of Singapore from Sept. 11–13.

Singapore has the highest GDP per capita in Asia and the second-highest population density of any country in the world. The Archdiocese of Singapore has a diverse population of 395,000 Catholics, offering Masses predominantly in English, Chinese, Tamil, as well as other languages from Southeast Asia.

Nearly 75% of Singapore’s population is ethnic Chinese, according to the 2020 census, which also lists 13% of the population as ethnic Malay and 9% ethnic Indian.

(Story continues below)

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The U.S. Report on International Religious Freedom states that among ethnic Indians in Singapore, 57.3% are Hindu, 23.4% Muslim, and 12.6% Christian. The ethnic Chinese population includes Buddhists (40.4%), Christians (21.6%), Taoists (11.6%), and 25.7% with no religion.

Pope Francis has long expressed interest in visiting Indonesia and other neighboring island nations in Southeast Asia. A papal trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that the pope’s full schedule for this apostolic journey will be published at a later date.

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The pope warned “the throwaway culture” turns into “a culture of death” when people “presume to be able to establish ... when a life has value and is worth being lived.”

• Faculty & Staff

Global Visionaries: Dr. Wei Zuo

The Office of Global Affairs is excited to celebrate Dr. Wei Zuo for our April 2024 edition of the Global Visionaries series. The Global Visionaries series highlights the UW’s global impact by featuring innovative, globally-engaged faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Zuo obtained a M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), a M.A. in Education Leadership & Policy Studies (EDLPS), a M.A. in Economics, and a Ph.D. in English: Language & Rhetoric from the University of Washington. She has held the role of Instructional Consultant at the Center for Teaching and Learning, UW Seattle for the past 8.5 years. Dr. Zuo’s prior experience includes working as a Graduate Student Advisor for the UW McNair/Earl Identification Program, serving as a Chinese Instructor at Seattle Pacific University, working as a Graduate Student Assistant at the UW Language Learning Center, teaching English at the New Oriental School in Shanghai, China, and serving as a part-time Chinese instructor at Fudan University in China.

Dr. Zuo obtained a M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), a M.A. in Education Leadership & Policy Studies (EDLPS), a M.A. in Economics, and a Ph.D. in English: Language & Rhetoric from the University of Washington. She has held the role of Instructional Consultant at the Center for Teaching and Learning, UW Seattle for the past 9 years. Dr. Zuo’s prior experience includes working as a Graduate Student Advisor for the UW McNair/Earl Identification Program, serving as a Chinese Instructor at Seattle Pacific University, working as a Graduate Student Assistant at the UW Language Learning Center, teaching English at the New Oriental School in Shanghai, China, and serving as a part-time Chinese instructor at Fudan University.

I am originally from Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in China, known for its spicy food and located along the Xiang River, which goes into the Yangtze River. In 2008, I earned a B.A. in Journalism and a second B.A. in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) from Fudan University in China. After graduation, I joined the New Oriental School in Shanghai — one of the biggest English educational institutions in China — and worked as an English teacher for two years to help Chinese students who planned to study abroad.

In 2010, I entered the University of Washington as an international student. I love learning so much and taking on challenges. I was also eager to get a well-rounded education. Within five years, I was able to earn three master’s degrees — a M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), a M.A. in Education Leadership & Policy Studies (EDLPS); and a M.A. in Economics — as well as a Ph.D. in English: Language & Rhetoric. Even though I came to Seattle with a relatively good grasp of English and cross-cultural understanding as a previous educator, I found it much harder to adjust than I expected. I felt isolated, partly because my classmates were much older than me and they had family and jobs, and it was very hard to find scholarships as an international student. It took me a few quarters to find my way. I found mentors such as Dr. Min Li from the UW College of Education and Dr. Dan Zhu who was a year ahead of me in the program. They validated my concerns, shared information, boosted my confidence, and provided me with a lot of support and encouragement. I also found community in the International Educators at College of Education (IECE), a student organization in the UW College of Education for international educators, and served as President in my second year at the UW as a way to give back.

After graduating from the UW in the spring of 2015, I joined CTL as an Instructional Consultant in order to hone my skills in teaching and learning and to further increase UW’s capacity in inclusion and equity by supporting all instructors, including international educators, and those who teach international students.

My experience made me aware of the stereotype that Chinese students are quiet and often sit in the back and don’t participate. However, in my experience as an international student, Chinese students had many different approaches to their education. Some were more talkative and willing to lead group discussions. Some preferred to not say much and focus on their studies. Some loved to go to office hours frequently to ask questions, while some would not go until they had no other options. It impressed upon me how much nuance there is to consider —their personality, their parents’ occupation and education background, their prior experience abroad, and many more.

My experience also taught me how important it is to ask for help when you are struggling. It’s easy to be shy and to worry about others judging you. However, something as simple as going to office hours can make a huge difference. There can be a perception among some international students from China that if they attend office hours and ask a lot of questions, their professor would think they did not understand the coursework. However, I found if one attended office hours, and was prepared and respectful of the professor or TA’s time, he or she could get the needed answers and walk away with more confidence.

After struggling to navigate my first few quarters at the UW, I started connecting with other international students, particularly other international students from China, to learn about their experiences navigating the university academically, socially, and culturally. I conducted a pilot study during one of my M.A. degrees and Professor Priti Sandhu at the UW English Department saw potential in me and encouraged me to consider pursuing a Ph.D. degree. I never thought of that as even an option before. I thought it would be too advanced and too complicated. I took the smaller pilot study and turned it into a larger Ph.D. dissertation, still focusing on the experiences of international students from China at the University of Washington, but with a more systematic and scientific approach to my research, including data collection, and data analysis. I was lucky that my dissertation has been supported strongly by my advisor Professor Sandra Silberstein throughout the process. As I was wrapping up my Ph.D. dissertation, I felt a strong desire to share my research findings in a more tangible, friendly, and approachable way that would make it digestible for the entire UW community — such as faculty, advisers, and students.

Dr. Zuo’s Ph.D. Dissertation

Exploring Academic Socialization and Identity of Chinese Undergraduate Students in the U.S.

I reached out to the UW Chinese Students & Scholars Association (CSSA) and suggested that I host an event where I could share the highlights of my research findings in Chinese and give tips and advice to international students from China. About 100 people showed up to the event hosted in Chinese at Savery Hall. I wanted to further expand the dissertation’s influence and share with a wider audience. With the support of Undergraduate Academic and Affairs (UAA) and Undergraduate Advising , I hosted a sharing event in English for advisers and staff who support international students at the UW. One of the attendees was Katie Malcolm from CTL. She encouraged me to take things a step further and to adapt my research findings to more of a pedagogical focus on teaching and learning. We ended up working together to host a workshop at the HUB on how international students experience learning at the University of Washington. About 80 faculty, TAs and staff educators participated and had a great discussion. This event helped connect me closer to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

After I connected with the UW Chinese Students & Scholars Association, I was asked to host their annual Chinese New Year Gala. I was very outgoing and I wasn’t afraid to emcee on a stage bilingually. After the gala, the owner of Chinese Radio Seattle approached me and asked if I would be open to serving as a volunteer. At that time, they rented a radio station in Bellevue but they needed more Chinese and English speakers for their programming. I started out by interviewing people about Chinese arts — such as a group of students from Nanjing University about their traditional Chinese instruments or someone who has spent 50 years of their life dedicated to calligraphy— to help spread a deeper understanding of Chinese culture in the United States.

My experience volunteering as a DJ for Chinese Radio Seattle from 2012-2018 was very enriching. It was really fun to meet all kinds of people and to make new friends. I really enjoyed helping to create cross-cultural connections in the Seattle metropolitan area. For example, I hosted bilingual events for Microsoft Asian Spring Festival, Seattle Chinese Radio, and Seattle Songs and Dances Ensemble. I often felt like a bridge, connecting the cultures of the United States and China. People who listened to our station came with all kinds of backgrounds and levels of experience with China. It involved a lot of code switching and thinking on my feet to make sure I was catering to our diverse audience of listeners who tuned into the radio or listened through the internet.

I often felt like a bridge, connecting the cultures of the United States and China.

I also co-led a study abroad program to China for three years with Dr. Kristi Straus from the UW College of the Environment. The program was a “ Global Flip ” in collaboration with Dr. Xi Lu at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Undergraduate students from Tsinghua and the UW watched the same lecture videos and then interacted at their respective universities before collaborating together in person in China over the course of ten days. The program focused on sustainability, understanding the ways that the U.S. and China contribute to unsustainability, and exploring the unique American and Chinese approaches to solutions. My primary role was to help design the learning components of the program, especially cultural awareness and to serve as a cultural ambassador for the UW students — some were international students from China, some were Chinese heritage students who wanted to learn more about their culture, and some were American students who wanted to learn more about China.

In my work with CTL, I worked with my previous colleague Karen Freisem (who retired a few years ago) to take the lead on hosting an online learning community called “Evidence-based teaching: Flipping the Classroom”. We organized monthly Zoom discussions with participants from seven Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) institutions, including Tsinghua University, Waseda University, University of Malaya, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, National University of Singapore, University of Southern California, and the University of Washington. Ultimately, we explored more about how flipped classrooms provide flexibility in the learning environment, foster problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and facilitate peer learning and group work. We were able to present our findings from this initiative in Singapore at the APRU Annual Technology Forum and also in Norway at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) conferences.

Some simple yet effective practices include:

• Learning to correctly pronounce the names of your students. You can learn from your students how to pronounce their names and have them help you to make sure you say their names correctly.
• Creating opportunities for students to introduce themselves and to meet their peers to establish relationships from the very beginning.
• Setting clear and explicit expectations. For example, explaining what office hours are for and who can/should go there (given that different cultures have various understandings of office hours) or clarifying what is considered acceptable for teamwork and collaboration in your class.

It makes a huge difference when instructors create a welcoming and inclusive space for all students, whether it’s sharing their own cultural identity, experience working or studying abroad, learning a new language, or navigating a different environment. All of the practices I suggested above are not only helpful in supporting international students, but in supporting all students. I believe it can help all learners when instructors incorporate continuous reflection and an inclusive mindset into their pedagogy.

It makes a huge difference when instructors create a welcoming and inclusive space for all students.

I am very proud of many things! I am delighted that I can help UW instructors and students, bring evidence-based teaching methods and best teaching practices to instructors, offer support and understanding for educators who care deeply about their students’ learning, share cultural awareness and respect to diversity with people I work with, and make the UW a more inclusive learning space for all learners, no matter where they come from and what languages they speak. Whenever there are gaps between instructors and students, I see myself as a bridge between different cultures. I want to fill those gaps using my skills and knowledge, personal background and experience, as well as my positive attitude.