With more countries being added under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangement, vaccinated Singapore residents can now fly quarantine-free between Singapore and several European countries as well as South Korea, Australia, Malaysia and more. So, you can finally wipe the dust off your passport and cross borders again. Before you take to the skies, here are some tips for a pandemic-safe vacation.
Planning and pre-departure
- You must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel and produce a vaccination certificate that’s normally issued 14 days after you’ve completed the full regimen. Accompanying kids aged 12 and below are exempted from this requirement for VTL flights.
- Check the requirements of your destination country, which could include pre-departure tests, fulfilling the travel history requirement and a producing a digital vaccination certificate.. Entry restrictions may change at short notice too, so get the latest and most accurate information from your travel agent or the embassy.
- Get travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage. In most cases, you need to be fully vaccinated to be covered and you mustn’t be travelling against travel advisories issued by the Singapore government. You can get the latest COVID-19 advisories from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health.
Some of the unexpected COVID-19 situations that Singlife's travel insurance covers
Aside from the usual protection when you go overseas, Singlife's travel insurance plans have COVID-19 benefits that’ll give vaccinated travellers peace of mind as you travel.
| Scenario | You or family members travelling with you are diagnosed with COVID-19 just before your trip. | You must be quarantined overseas due to COVID-19 infection. | You or family members travelling with you need urgent COVID-19 treatment and there are limited medical facilities. | You decide to cut short your trip and return to Singapore or change travel plans because you or family members travelling with you are diagnosed with COVID-19. |
| Potential costs | You may face cancellation or postponement costs for travel arrangements, including any unused travel and accommodation you’ve either paid for or will have to pay for e.g. flights, hotels and tours. | You’ll have to pay for expenses during quarantine such as food, accommodation and other essentials, which can add up depending on the quarantine duration. You may also need to cover hospitalisation and treatment expenses. |
You may need to be transferred to the nearest registered medical facility or return to Singapore for treatment after consultation with an appointed medical emergency assistance provider, especially in life-threatening situations. Emergency medical evacuation costs can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
There may be costs for trip cancellation or postponement for travel arrangements, including any unused travel and accommodation you’ve either paid for or will have to pay for e.g. flights, hotels and tours. |
| How Singlife Travel Insurance covers this | Trip Cancellation/ Postponement coverage of up to S$2,000 | - Overseas Quarantine allowance coverage of up to S$2,000 (S$100 for every 24 hours) - Overseas Medical Expenses coverage of up to S$20,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation coverage starts from S$250,000 (Lite plan) to unlimited (Prestige plan) | Trip Interruption coverage up to S$2,000 |
During your trip
- Be mindful of prevailing restrictions and requirements in the country you’re visiting. For instance, you may need a special pass or have to do an antigen rapid test to visit tourist attractions, so factor these costs in your budget. (Pregnant and travelling? Here are some travel tips for mums-to-be.)
- Follow rules. Be it temperature taking at your hotel check in, keeping to the safe distance requirement or wearing a mask indoors, stick to the local public health rules for safe fun.
Returning to Singapore
- Prepare proof of your Covid-19 vaccination. This includes the required booster shots.
- Note that the requirements and steps to follow for your return trip to Singapore may change. For the latest updates, click here.
Looking for travel insurance that gives COVID-19 coverage? Get a quote now.
The above information is accurate as at 27 June 2022.
