Since pre-departure PCR testing became a requirement for overseas travel to a wide range of countries last year, one happy piece of news is that costs have dropped significantly. While it was common a year ago to be looking at S$200 for a test, a wide range of clinics now offers the service for less than S$140.
On top of that, many countries like Italy and the USA now accept a cheaper pre-departure (clinic) ART test, available in Singapore for around S$30, plus there’s no testing required when travelling to some countries if you’re fully vaccinated, like Germany and France.
Which countries?
There are still a number of countries not accepting Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) for those entering from overseas, including nine out of Singapore’s 21 Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) countries due to be part of the scheme by early December.
For these, you’ll need a PCR test instead, as shown in the following table.
VTL countries requiring pre-departure PCR test
| VTL country | Test type | Test timing | Exemption |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 4 or below |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | PCR | 72h before arrival | — |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 4 or below |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | PCR | 3 days before departure | Age 12 or below |
| 🇮🇳 India | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 4 or below |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | PCR | 72h before departure | — |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | PCR | 2 days before departure | — |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | PCR | 96h before departure | Age below 1 |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | PCR | 72h before arrival | — |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 7 or below |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 5 or below |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 1 or below |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | PCR | 72h before departure | — |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | PCR | 72h before departure | Age 11 or below |
As you can see there are countries many of us are planning to travel to and from quarantine-free under the VTL programme, which still require a pre-departure PCR test before leaving Singapore, including Australia, Malaysia and India.
Home PCR testing
A new industry of sorts has now cropped up within in the PCR testing sphere – home testing – where instead of you trekking to the clinic… the clinic comes to you!
This isn’t like the self-test ART kits you can use at home, which obviously can’t be used for travel purposes, but rather the qualified nurse will come to your place of residence or hotel to conduct a PCR swab, which is then sent to the lab for analysis as normal.
There was previously only a single provider (Homage) charging a steep rate for this option, but now at least seven providers across the city will travel and collect the swab sample for analysis, allowing you to get on with your day almost interruption-free, especially useful if you’re working from home.
Home PCR options
All the providers we checked below will swab up to four people at the same address if required, and the per-person cost usually starts to drop the more tests you require, for example if you’re travelling as a couple or a family.
Home PCR testing costs
| Provider: | Cost (per pax) for: | |||
| 1 pax | 2 pax | 3 pax | 4 pax | |
| pdtswab.sg | S$138 | S$138 | S$138 | S$138 |
| Minmed | S$178 | S$153 | S$145 | S$141 |
| DA Clinic | S$190 | S$190 | S$190 | S$190 |
| BCH-ART | S$188 | S$158 | S$148 | S$143 |
| Speedoc | S$198 | S$163 | S$151 | S$146 |
| Jaga-Me | S$209 | S$155 | S$137 | S$128 |
| Homage | S$250 | S$198 | S$180 | S$171 |
The cheapest option we found was with pdtswab.sg, providing a PCR test at your home for S$138 per person.
However, once you have three or four people in your household needing a test at the same time it becomes cheaper to use Jaga-Me, whose initial high cost for a home visit soon starts to fall due to their excellent S$95+GST rate (S$101.65) for each additional test.
That means if four of you require a pre-departure PCR test, the total cost of S$513.60 means you’re getting each test for S$128.40. That’s comparable to some of the cheaper in-clinic costs, and you haven’t even had to leave home!
Clinic costs
If you can secure a home appointment with some of these providers, you’re actually no longer spending significantly more than you would heading out to a clinic for a pre-departure PCR test, with all the inconvenience that entails.
Here’s our latest analysis of the cheapest ‘top picks’ across the city, at sub-S$130 rates.
Cost of COVID-19 pre-departure PCR tests
| Clinic | Locations | Price (inc. GST) | |
| PCR Only | PCR + Serology (for China) |
||
| SATA CommHealth | 6 | S$107.00 | S$157.00 |
| pdtswab.sg | 5 | S$107.00 | n/a |
| Fusion Medical | 1 | S$117.70 | S$160.50 |
| OneCare Clinic | 20 | S$123.05 | S$171.20 |
| Intemedical | 2 | S$125.00 | S$180.00 |
| DA Clinic | 6 | S$128.00 | S$180.00 |
| Kingsway Medical | 1 | S$128.00 | S$158.00 |
| Minmed Clinic | 9 | S$128.00 | S$178.00 |
| Parkway Shenton Shenton Medical Shenton Wellness |
26 | S$128.00 | S$166.00 |
| Swab Station SG | 3 | S$128.00 | S$158.00 |
You can find further details and a full up-to-date analysis at our dedicated article on clinic pre-departure PCR and ART tests for travellers.
Summary
Getting a pre-departure PCR test in the comfort of your own home in Singapore was a luxury few could afford when the option was first offered by a single provider at an eye-watering S$250, but thankfully costs have reduced substantially since then.
At least seven providers across the city now offer this service, from as little as S$128-S$138 per person, depending on your group size.
While some S$107 clinic-based PCR tests exist, once you start to look at more readily available options close to your home or place of work it’s soon apparent you’ll pay about the S$128-S$138 range anyway – so why not go for the convenience of a home visit next time?
This is certainly what we’ll be doing prior to our next trip to a country requiring a pre-departure PCR test!
(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)
I am still perplexed and angry with the testing requirements.
Land VTL (SG – MY – SG) only requires 2 ARTs (SG – MY) and 1 ART (MY – SG). Total cost is less than S$60.
Air VTL for the same route requires 2 PCRs (SG – MY) and 1 ART + 1 PCR (MY – SG). Total cost is S$300 – S$400.
This pandemic has already caused a huge strain to our lives and away from our families but testing cost for air travel is so high. Covid-19 can transmit through air travel but not land travel? As ART is less reliable than PCR test, what is the scientific explanation for this? If there is not any, appreciate if the authorities can streamline the requirements.
Please help me.
The govt will tell you same same but different.
Could you kindly share an official link where I can confirm whether my 3 year old daughter need to do a pre departure PCR test to goto Dubai from SG? I see a different guideline on Emirates website that the PCR test is not required for kids below 12 only if they have some disabilities like Down syndrome and other.. we have an upcoming flight to DXB on Dec 12th with SQ.
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/covid-19/?countrycode=AE#TravelInfo$destination
Under 12yrs do not need any test. If you do need one for future travel Osler-health.com is great with kids, very gentle, efficent and knowledgeable with their service.
Many thanks and appreciate it.
Emirates site is correct:
“Children under the age of 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability are exempt from taking a COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test.”
Two separate groups I think you are confusing them together.
there is a mistake, intemedical has 2 locations – one at Kovan another at Potong Pasir. the doctor there doing the swab. is good. and not uncomfortable.. will recommend for kids.
Made a booking with pdtswab.sg for a home test – no confirmation received after 12 hrs. Is this a legit business?
Have you tried to contact them via Facebook? That worked for me 👍🏼
Thanks Andrew. I’ve tried their Whatsapp but no response. Trying their Facebook chat now. Will keep everyone posted. Good to know they’re not ghosting others too.
Strange, i booked for home swab too and they turned up and swab me and the family, process was less than 30 mins.. they came swab and left and got my results today.. maybe because they are cheap and high volume from kiasu Singaporeans of bookings they cant confirm immediately..
I booked my appointment on Nov 25th. Received the Paypal receipt immediately after booking and within 2 hours I got the confirmation email from Acumen Diagnostics Pte Ltd.
Hey all,
Thanks for the response. Finally heard from them. All good!
I checked their clinic location and it shows that it is Q&M Medical Clinic, so are they the same provider?
Yeah, I Actually have the same question as the Nurfatin. On the certificate, I wonder does the result isseud by Q&M medical clinic or pdtswab.sg? because to be honest i don’t see pdtswab.sg on the MOH accepted clinic, but I can find Q&M. Please enlighten me.
Hi can anyone who booked home swab PDT PCR with pdtswab.sg share what is the lead time to get the test result, thank you
Hi, Is it legit ? Approved by MOH and Airlines ?
It is run by Acumen Diagnostics which is the approved lab. Acumen Diagnotics is partially owned by Q&M. I booked for tests on 6 Dec too. Those that have done their swabs, any feedback on results turnaround?
From Singapore UAE (Dubai) asks for an RT-PCR test. Not full PCR. also children below 12 exempt.
Does pdtswab.sg do pcr for kids (6yrs old). Thinking of booking home test but no mention on kids on their site.
Thanks
I did my PCR yesterday morning and received my test results in about 12 hours. Email and sms sent out to alert me. My husband did his early afternoon around 2pm and the results were already updated to his health hub when he checked at 6am today although he has not received the sms alert. Reasonably priced at $107 in-clinic tests and really fast turnaround as promised.
Useful post! I really need this type of article.. this is very useful for me.