VTL: Vaccinated Travel Pass to enter Singapore now valid for 14 days

One of the complexities of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) when heading to Singapore for returning long-term pass holders, or tourists with no residency rights in the city, is the Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) application.

This confirmation of your personal (passport) details and vaccination records allows you to enter quarantine-free via the VTL for any purpose, from one of 24 countries.

If you and your travelling companions are all Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents, don’t worry – there’s no change to the current policy and you still don’t need a VTP to enter Singapore.

A VTP is only required for tourists / business visitors (short-term visitors) and Singapore Long Term Pass (LTP) holders, like those with a:

• Long-Term Visit Pass
• Student’s Pass
• Work Pass
• Dependant’s Pass

At the time of writing, S Pass and Work Permit holders in the Construction, Marine shipyard or Process (CMP) sectors, or who will be staying in dormitories, are not allowed to apply for a VTP (Air). This does not apply to Malaysians and female work pass holders. More information is available here.

VTP validity increased

Although you can apply for as many VTPs as you like, and it doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t actually use them, one slightly annoying limitation of the entry approval is that until now it has been valid for a seven-day period, comprising your intended entry date and six calendar days later.

The good news is that ICA has doubled the VTP validity window, with each approval now good for entry on the intended date and up to 13 days later (total two-week window).

A VTP (Air) is valid for single entry into Singapore anytime from the traveller’s intended date of entry and up to 13 calendar days after.

For example, travellers who hold a valid VTP (Air) to enter Singapore on 1 March 2022, have up to 14 March 2022 to do so should they need to make changes to their flight departure date.

Singapore ICA

With a recent extension to the VTP the application window, temporarily cut to 7 – 13 days in advance but happily extended to 3 – 60 days in mid-December 2021, here’s how the application and validity timing now looks from earliest application through to the latest entry date.

Application Window		Intended Entry		Validity Window
20 Feb
18 Apr
		21 Apr		21 Apr
				4 May

Do note that a VTP is valid only for single entry into Singapore, even during the new 14-day-long window illustrated in green above.

For example, you can’t arrive in Singapore on the first day of the VTP window then pop back to a VTL country again for a few days and return to Singapore a second time using the same VTP at the end of the window – you would need to apply for a new one!

Luckily, there is no limit to the number of times travellers can apply for a VTP, nor is there a cap on the number of VTPs that can be issued. If you meet the criteria and your vaccination records can be verified, your application is automatically approved.

Daily capacity limits on VTL flights into Changi apply to all travellers (including Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, who don’t require a VTP), and are managed by the airlines through booking caps, not by the ICA.

Note: At the time of writing, the application window and validity for VTP (Land) passes for those arriving via the Woodlands Checkpoint from Malaysia are harmonised with the VTL (Air).

Amending your entry date

If you need to enter before or after the validity period specified on your approved VTP, you can write to the Safe Travel Office using this online enquiry form, or call the SafeTravel helpline at 6812 5555.

All appeals are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For entry after the validity window, we would personally recommend just making a new application and then discarding the original VTP you won’t use, though this does mean uploading all your details again!

Cancelling your VTP

If you no longer wish to travel to Singapore under the VTL, you do not need to cancel your VTP.

There is no limit on the number of VTPs that can be issued from any country, so you are not holding up capacity for others by having multiple VTPs that you will not necessarily use.

How to apply

Thanks to reader Chris who applied for his VTP in September 2021 and took some screenshots along the way for us to share.

  Apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP)

Each person requiring a VTP will need to apply individually (there is no ‘family VTP’ option). Your travel agent cannot apply for a VTP on your behalf, you must apply yourself.

To apply for the VTP you’ll need to provide:

* Only for those vaccinated outside Singapore

If you were vaccinated in the UK, for example, you’ll need to upload the vaccination QR codes for each dose from your NHS COVID Pass (two codes in total).

Further details regarding the format and upload requirements of the QR code(s) specific to your country of vaccination are available in the ICA’s FAQs here.

If you are a pass holder vaccinated in Singapore, and your status in the TraceTogether / HealthHub app reflects this, you won’t need to upload any QR codes.

The requirement to upload both QR codes for your first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses if you were vaccinated in some VTL countries is so that Singapore authorities can ensure the minimum number of days between doses was observed for your vaccine combination, in accordance with the following table:

Manufacturer / Vaccine	Doses	Minimum interval between doses
Pfizer/BioNTech Comirnaty	2 doses	17 days
Moderna	2 doses	24 days
AstraZeneca	2 doses	24 days
Covaxin	2 doses	24 days
Serum Institute of India (Covishield)	2 doses	24 days
Janssen / J&J	1 dose	N/A
Sinopharm	2 doses	17 days
Sinovac	2 doses	13 days
Two doses of different vaccine types, both from the list above	2 doses	17 days

For example if you received the Moderna vaccine in France and the doses were 21 days apart (for some reason) you will not be considered fully vaccinated for the purposes of the VTL. An interval of 24 days+ is required for Singapore to recognise the validity of this vaccine.

In all cases fully vaccinated status is effective 14 days after the final dose is administered, this will also be checked from the QR code details for the second dose (or only dose of Janssen / J&J), compared to your intended date of entry into Singapore.

Pro Tip: You may have to take a screenshot of your vaccination certificate and crop each of the required QR codes (one for each dose in some cases), then save them individually as JPEG files to upload, for the VTP system to recognise them properly.

Vaccination QR code(s) may be deemed invalid for reasons including:

At the time of writing, there is no requirement for a booster dose for any VTL travellers when arriving in Singapore.

Otherwise the VTP application form is self-explanatory.

You will also be asked to provide the type of accommodation and postal code of your residence or details of the hotel where you will self-isolate on arrival in Singapore, while awaiting your on-arrival PCR test result.

If you don’t have a suitable residence in Singapore, you can book any of the hotels on this list to self-isolate, though it is not exhaustive and the pre-populated list drop-down menu on the VTP application form allows you to select from a longer list of properties.

Actual flight details are not required. You do not require a confirmed flight booking to apply for a VTP.

An approved VTP does not guarantee you an available seat on a VTL flight, nor does having a booking on a VTL flight guarantee you a VTP approval. These are two things you need to arrange separately.

Payment

The VTP itself is free of charge.

Remember you will still have to pay for your on-arrival test at Changi Airport (S$125). It’s best to register with the Changi concierge and pre-pay for this before departure from your VTL country, as it will save you time when you reach Singapore.

In-Principle Approval pass holders

If you have been approved for a Work Pass in Singapore and hold an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter, you can use the VTL to avoid quarantine on arrival, but you should apply for your VTP as a short-term visitor.

You’ll still need to comply with the VTL requirements (i.e. specified self-isolation location awaiting on-arrival test result, plus the post-arrival tests).

VTP status

All travellers who successfully submit their application will be issued with a VTP immediately. Not only does ICA state this, it has been confirmed by all our readers so far who have applied (let us know if you had a different experience).

Once your VTP has been approved, you’ll receive an email confirmation.

We recommend having a printed copy of your VTP when you travel to Singapore, since you will be required to show it as part of the check-in process for a VTL flight.

You can also check your application status via the VTP application portal (click ‘Check VTP Application Status’), though any changes would be notified by email anyway.

VTL guide

For details of the VTL eligibility requirements, testing regime and full process, see our guide.

Most of our readers still don’t need to worry about the Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) application when using the VTLs, since it isn’t required for Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.

However, for Singapore Long Term Pass holders and tourists visiting the Lion City it remains a requirement.

The recent extension to the application window has been very useful for those making advance plans and for residents seeking return reassurance, and it’s great to see that the validity of the approval itself has now been extended from seven days to 14 days.

That’s much more flexible for those who haven’t booked their VTL flights yet, or may need to change their plans.

From reports we’ve received so far, the VTP application process is generally straightforward with instant approval. The uploading of vaccination QR codes for those not vaccinated in Singapore seems to be the most fiddly aspect, which might require some patience and a few attempts.

What are your experiences applying for the Vaccinated Traveller Pass? Let us know in the comments section below.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)