Singapore, South Korea to launch vaccinated travel lanes on Nov 15
Singapore and South Korea have agreed to launch vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) starting from Nov 15, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced on Friday (Oct 8).Under the VTLs, fully vaccinated travelers will be able to travel between Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport, and be subjected to COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, in lieu of serving quarantine or a stay-home notice. There will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel or requirements for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship, said the ministry.
To support the VTLs, Singapore and South Korea have also reached an agreement on the mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, which will take effect from Nov 15. This will allow fully vaccinated travelers with proof of vaccination issued in either Singapore or South Korea to enjoy vaccination-differentiated safe management measures in both countries.
Under the VTLs, travelers must meet the eligibility criteria and adhere to the prevailing border control measures and public health requirements for travel into the respective countries. More details of the VTLs will be announced in due course. The agreement was marked by a video conference on Friday between Minister for Transport S Iswaran and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, Noh Hyeong Ouk. "Singapore and the Republic of Korea enjoy excellent bilateral relations, with strong people-to-people ties.
I am pleased that both countries have agreed to jointly launch Vaccinated Travel Lanes that will re-open general travel between our two countries, which has been disrupted for the past 20 months," said Mr Iswaran. He added that both countries have made "excellent progress" in vaccinating their populations, with the VTLs reflecting the trust in each other's ability to manage the COVID-19 situation.
