Singapore has announced Australians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to travel to the country without needing to quarantine, from November 8.
Travellers will be required to do a PCR test 48 hours before departing and another upon arriving in Changi Airport and then self-isolate until receiving a negative test result.
Tourism minister Dan Tehan said the announcement was welcome news for the two countries’ visitor economies.
“It will mean that we are going to see more flights available from Singapore to Australia, and that is welcome news for the Singapore tourism industry, and for the Australian tourism industry, and for Australians seeking to return home,” Tehan told the ABC.
Australia is due to remove its caps for fully vaccinated Australians and their families to arrive from overseas at NSW and Victorian airports from November 1.
Singapore has recently resumed travel with the US, the UK, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It is also recommencing travel with Switzerland on November 8.
Prime minister Scott Morrison said Australia was getting close to signing a reciprocal arrangement with Singapore.
“I flagged last week that we are working to a timetable of around [November 22] which will see other visa holders in addition to Australians returning or going to Singapore … who are double vaccinated being able to come to Australia,” he told Sunrise.
Travel last week recommenced between Victoria and NSW and New Zealand’s south island but is not due to open to the north island until next Monday.
Health minister Greg Hunt said on Wednesday morning he had signed off on allowance for fully vaccinated Australians to depart the country from November 1.
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