Singapore is adding Switzerland to a scheme that enables travelers easier access to the city-state. The move aids long-standing business ties between the two financial centers.
Vaccinated travelers from Switzerland and Australia will be able to enter Singapore without serving stay-home notices from November 8, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a statement on Tuesday evening. This means travelers will only need to take a Covid-19 swab test after arrival and before departure in the city-state.
All Singapore Airlines flights from Switzerland to Singapore will be offered under the so-called Vaccinated Travel Lane, or VTL, program from November 8, with flight SQ345 operating daily between Singapore and Zurich.
Cementing Trade Ties
The alpine nation is among Singapore's top investment and trading partners, and there are around 1,000 Swiss companies and around 3,000 Swiss expatriates in the city-state. UBS is a notable example, with several thousand employees in Singapore and frequent travel between Zurich and Southeast Asia.
Switzerland's borders are open to all travelers from Singapore. Australia plans to open its borders to skilled workers and international students by year’s end, authorities said on Wednesday.
Expanded Quota
«We are in discussions with other partners, including our regional neighbors, to reopen safely to each other, and restore our close connectivity,» Singapore's transport minister S. Iswaran said.
The VTL scheme currently includes Germany, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S., with South Korea to be added on November 15.
With the announcement of the new VTLs, Singapore will also be expanding its daily quota of VTL arrivals from 3,000 to 4,000 people.
