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Australia opening to vaccinated travellers from Singapore on 21 November

Singapore residents will be able to make quarantine-free trips to New South Wales and Victoria in Australia from 21st November, putting two-way Sydney and Melbourne trips back on the cards.

Great news for Singapore-based travellers itching to visit Australia again after nearly 20 months, with an announcement from the G20 summit in Italy that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have finalised a deal allowing two-way travel on the recently announced Vaccinated Travel Lane between the two nations.

From 21st November 2021 Singapore residents will join the list of eligible travellers to enter Australia quarantine-free, initially limited to the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

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That means many of us can look forward to trips to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia’s summer season, not to mention in time for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“The new arrangements are for Singaporeans, not those from other countries who pass through the city state.”

“The visitors from Singapore must depart from the city state to be eligible but do not have to have spent the previous 14 days there.”

Sydney Morning Herald

Once the full details are firmed up, this will allow Singapore residents to travel quarantine-free between the Lion City and these two Aussie states in both directions, for the first time since March 2020.

The new Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between the two countries will launch on 8th November 2021, but only permits Australian citizens and permanent residents to travel to Australia in the first two weeks, while Singapore will open its border quarantine-free to all Australian residents as soon as the scheme goes into effect.

Singapore
Vaccinated Travel Lanes

Key Features

  • Must have stayed in a VTL country/region and/or Singapore for 14 days
  • Travel to Singapore on designated ‘VTL flights’
  • No restrictions on travel purpose or itineraries
  • Must be fully vaccinated in Singapore or any VTL country, with an accepted digital proof of vaccination
  • Unvaccinated children aged 12 or under can accompany their parents
  • Visitors and Singapore pass holders must apply for a VTP 7-60 days in advance
  • Two COVID-19 PCR tests replace quarantine / Stay-Home Notice in Singapore

  VTL: All you need to know

Australia will join two-way Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangements Singapore has launched with 11 other countries by late November.

Singapore Vaccinated Travel Lanes

Already Running 🇧🇳 Brunei (one-way)
🇩🇪 Germany
🇨🇦 Canada
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇫🇷 France
🇮🇹 Italy
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇪🇸 Spain
🇬🇧 UK
🇺🇸 USA
From 8 Nov 🇦🇺 Australia (one-way)
🇨🇭 Switzerland
From 15 Nov 🇰🇷 South Korea
From 21 Nov 🇦🇺 Australia (two-way)

Australia’s vaccination requirements

The following requirements will apply in terms of your vaccination status when travelling from Singapore to Australia:

  • Being fully vaccinated with a TGA approved or recognised vaccine, such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen-Cilag, Moderna, Coronavac, or Covishield, at least 7 days prior to arrival in Australia.
  • Children under the age of 12 and those who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical condition are exempted from this requirement.
  • Note that unvaccinated 12 year olds are not eligible to enter Australia quarantine-free.
  • The vaccination certificate must be in English, i.e. either the Australian Government issued International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (ICVC), or a paper or digital vaccination certification issued by a national or state/provincial level authority or accredited vaccination provider (e.g. via Singapore’s HealthHub / Notarise).

Passengers also currently must complete the Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before their flight departure, which is likely to remain a requirement for the foreseeable future.

All travellers flying to Melbourne will also need to download the Service Victoria app.

COVID-19 testing

Singapore residents travelling to Sydney or Melbourne will require a pre-departure PCR test, taken within 72 hours of departure from Singapore, in addition to the ‘standard’ two VTL tests on the journey back to Singapore.

VTL
Singapore Australia
COVID-19 Testing 

Test Cost
Singapore pre-departure* S$125 – S$200
Australia pre-departure* ~S$150
Singapore arrival S$125^
Total ~S$400 – S$475

* Prices vary between providers and locations.
^ Reduced from S$160, effective for arrivals from 18th November 2021

As you can see that means an approximate S$400 – S$475 per head testing cost, for a round-trip.

Additional arrival testing in Australia may also be required, however we are awaiting full confirmation on the final arrangements.



 


 

Designated VTL flights

Singapore residents are likely to be able to take any direct flight from Singapore to Sydney or Melbourne as part of this arrangement and be eligible for a quarantine-free arrival, in the same way travel to other VTL countries works.

In order for Singapore residents to fly back home from Sydney or Melbourne quarantine-free, however, they will also have to depart on one of Scoot or SIA’s designated VTL flights.

These include selected services operated by the airline’s Airbus A380s from December.

A Singapore Airlines A380 departing from Sydney. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

Melbourne – Singapore
VTL Flights

8th November 2021 – 26th March 2022

  Days
M T W T F S S
 bgcolor= SQ218
A350 Regional
MEL
00:35
SIN

05:15
 bgcolor= SQ228
A350 Regional
MEL
16:40
SIN

21:20
TR19
787-9
MEL
19:40
SIN

00:45*

* Next day

Sydney – Singapore
VTL Flights

8th November 2021 – 30th November 2021

  Days
M T W T F S S
 bgcolor= SQ212
A350 Regional
SYD
09:05
SIN

14:15
 bgcolor= SQ222
777-300ER
SYD
16:10
SIN

21:20
TR13
787-9
SYD
21:45
SIN

03:10*

* Next day

1st December 2021 – 26th March 2022

  Days
M T W T F S S
 bgcolor= SQ212
777-300ER^
SYD
09:05
SIN

14:15
 bgcolor= SQ222
A380
SYD
16:10
SIN

21:20
TR13
787-9
SYD
21:45
SIN

03:10*

^ A350 Regional on 1 December
* Next day

Earlier this week Singapore Airlines confirmed it was reopening its Sydney and Melbourne SilverKris lounges from 1st November 2021. That makes them only the second and third overseas SKLs to pull down the shutters, after the London lounge reopened on 1st September.

We expect Qantas to announce designated VTL flights on these route in due course. The Australian carrier is restarting its Melbourne – Singapore and Sydney – Singapore flights on 22nd November and 23rd November respectively, while low-cost arm Jetstar will fly from Melbourne to Singapore from 16th December.

Qantas should also be participating in Australia – Singapore VTL flights. (Photo: Qantas)

KrisFlyer redemptions

These are the one-way KrisFlyer miles redemption rates for flights between Singapore and either Sydney or Melbourne on SIA flights.

KrisFlyer Saver Redemption Rates
🇦🇺
(to/from Singapore)
  Melbourne
Sydney
(one-way)
Economy 28,000
Premium Economy 47,000
Business 62,000
First 85,000

Summary

It’s fantastic to see two-way quarantine-free leisure travel opening up between Singapore and Australia, just a few days after a one-way arrangement was announced.

It means that from 21st November 2021 fully vaccinated Singapore residents will be free to take discretionary trips to and from these two popular Australian states, then return on one of Scoot or SIA’s Vaccinated Travel Lane flights for a quarantine-free experience in both directions.

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Testing is not cheap and applies both ways on these journeys, including a pre-departure PCR test before leaving Singapore, plus the exact testing regime has yet to be announced, but nonetheless we’re certainly excited about this new travel prospect.

For one thing it will help Singapore residents make the most of the Australian summer, while the country’s existing quarantine-free arrangements are with regions fast heading into colder weather over the coming months!

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)

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