Did you know that as of Singapore's National Day, 70% of Singaporeans have been vaccinated? And with authorities continuing to ramp up on Covid-19 vaccinations, Singaporeans may soon get to travel overseas again! With so much talk and news of Singapore's possible travel bubble plans with countries like Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and New Zealand, we can't help but dream about our future vacations once the borders open ?
So if you're wondering when Singaporeans may be able to travel again, and where to, here are 6 countries that Singaporeans may be able to travel to in the next year!
When Can Singaporeans Travel Again?
1. South Korea
The possibility of a travel bubble between Singapore and Korea has been ongoing since March 2021. The aim is to allow quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated people!
The travel bubble programme may include selected package tours and those who sign up must stick to the itinerary. And of course to ensure safety, travellers will have to test for Covid-19. A negative test result must also be submitted three days before departure, before testing again upon arrival at their destination.
As of right now, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has suspended visa-free entry and visa-waiver programmes for 90 countries, including Singapore. However if things start to look up for both countries, Singaporeans may be able to travel to Korea in the coming year!
2. Australia
The Singapore-Australia travel bubble is the next thing another destination Singaporean can look out for! Both countries' prime ministers announced on the 10th of June that the countries will be working towards a travel bubble.
If the travel bubble is successful, the countries are hoping to arrange a two-way travel between Singapore and Australia. It may allow fully-vaccinated people from both countries to travel freely to either destination without the need for quarantine!
3. Taiwan
4. Hong Kong
Singapore and Hong Kong came the closest to establishing a travel bubble in November 2020 and May 2021 but the plan was stalled when Covid-19 cases spiked. Both Singapore and Hong Kong will be reviewing their air travel bubble agreement soon before they decide on a launch date.
According to a spokesman from the HKSAR Government on July 20th, Hong Kong and Singapore have decided not to launch the air travel bubble for the time being given the recent surge in cases in Singapore. Both sides agreed that a review may be conducted in late August. The review will take into account the effectiveness of the enhanced infection control measures implemented by Singapore and the global situation at that time.
Both destinations have also been ramping up their vaccination efforts. Although the Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble has not been successful, a framework is already in place and when the time is right, the bubble will take off!
5. Bintan & Batam, Riau Islands
Bintan and Batam in the Riau Islands previously announced that they had planned to welcome tourists in April 2021. But due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the province, the travel bubble has been pushed back and rumour has it, the bubble may be in the works very soon. While nothing official has been said yet, it seems that Riau Islands may be accessible to us real soon!
If the plan is successful, travellers will only be able to stay in the area within Bintan Resorts and the Nongsa area of Batam. They will also need to test negative for a PCR test when they arrive. Indonesians who have been vaccinated will also be allowed to enter the same areas as travellers in Singapore.
6. New Zealand
Singapore has expressed its openness to a travel bubble with New Zealand! It's old news that New Zealand has managed to keep its number of Covid-19 cases low, and that the country has maintained a travel bubble with Australia since April 2021. This good news means that Singapore and New Zealand may consider an official travel bubble some time soon!
As of recent, travellers from New Zealand have also been able to travel to Singapore with the ATP without quarantine as long as they take a PCR test at the airport and are negative. However, New Zealand currently hasn't announced any plans to open its borders to travellers from Singapore.
Singaporeans might very well be able to fulfill their wanderlust with travel bubbles to these countries some time in late 2021 or even 2022! Are you excited? We know we are ?