Singapore to reopen to most at end of March

Some domestic restrictions will also be eased next week

Opening soon: Singapore has previously had some of the toughest coronavirus rules (Getty)

One minute before the end of March, Singapore will relax many of its travel restrictions for travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The city state has previously had some of the toughest coronavirus rules, but now hopes to boost its much-depleted tourism industry.

At 11.59pm on 31 March, the city state will abolish the complex Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) system, which involves dedicated flights for double-jabbed passengers and multiple tests.

The only remaining requirement will be a pre-departure test (PDT) taken within two days of flying to Singapore, but that too may be lifted soon.

The health ministry said: “We will continue to monitor the local and global Covid-19 situations and consider removing the PDT requirement in the coming weeks.”

In a statement, the Singapore authorities said the measures had been eased because of “many countries/regions having passed the peak of their Omicron wave and our local Covid-19 situation stabilising”.

“All fully vaccinated travellers and non-fully vaccinated children aged 12 and below are permitted to enter Singapore,” the statement read. “They will not need to apply for entry approvals or take designated VTL transport.”

The existing requirement for incoming travellers to test after arrival, and self-isolate until the result is returned, will also be dropped.

For tourists hoping to explore more widely in southeast Asia, the government says: “We are also working towards the full resumption of land travel with Malaysia for fully vaccinated persons.

“Details on the exact border measures for fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore via the land borders will be announced jointly with Malaysia.”

Domestic restrictions will be eased two days earlier, from 29 March, with the 10.30pm curfew on alcohol being served in bars and restaurants lifted.

Random spot-checks will be made on restaurants “to ensure that only vaccinated persons are dining-in at these places”, the authorities say.

Rules on masks and social distancing will still be significant. The health ministry says: “Mask-wearing will continue to be required for indoor settings when people leave their homes, but will be optional in outdoor settings.

“However, we encourage individuals to wear their masks even when outdoors for personal protection and to protect others, especially in crowded areas.

“A safe distance of one metre will continue to be required for mask-off settings.”

With Australia fully open to tourists since earlier this month, and New Zealand set to lift its travel ban in May, Singapore hopes it can resume its role as a key stopover location between Europe and Australasia.