Australia and Singapore will further ease COVID entry requirements, decreasing costs for travellers and streamlining the travel experience.
Australia
From 17th April, Australia will drop the requirements for pre-departure testing. Passengers will no longer be required to present PCR or RAT test results, removing a significant cost burden for tourists headed down under.
International travelers into and out of Australia will still be required to provide proof of double vaccination against COVID-19. Travelers will also still be required to wear a mask while on international flights based on medical advice.
Australia’s Health Minister, Greg Hunt, welcomed the changes as a practical step towards rebuilding the tourism industry.
“Given that the vaccination requirements remain and the masking requirements, the medical advice is that [the test] would no longer be required”.
Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt
Singapore
Singapore will scrap its Vaccinated Travel Lanes and Passes from 1st April, replacing the program with a ‘Vaccinated Travel Framework,’ as the country moves closer to pre-pandemic tourism levels. Fully-vaccinated travelers will no longer need travel passes to enter, and all flights will be treated the same.
Despite the removal of past-arrival testing, travelers will still be required to take a PCR test before traveling to Singapore. Additionally, incoming visitors must have insurance of SG$30,000 or higher that also covers COVID treatment expenses, as well as fill out the streamlined electronic SG Arrival Card. There will be no test upon arriving in Singapore.
You can access Singapore’s information for visitors here.
In another sign of the return of normality, Singapore airport will no longer separate transit passengers from arriving passengers, removing the strict systems that saw transit passengers held under tight security away from the broader terminal.
