Hong Kong and Singapore Travel Bubble Delayed
Following the news and updates around the COVID-19 pandemic, many airlines were forced to suspend or reduce their daily operations, and countries were forced to introduce travel restrictions. Singapore and Hong Kong announced that they will form an Air Travel Bubble that would allow tourists to travel between the two freely. However, because of a spike in cases of COVID-19, the plan was delayed.
Hong Kong and Singapore Travel Bubble Delayed
A travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong was set to start on November 22, 2020. The travel bubble would allow passengers to cross freely between the two without the need to quarantine. The only requirement was a negative PCR test before departure and on arrival. The best part of the travel bubble plan was that it was open to people who had spent 14 days in either Hong Kong or Singapore, regardless of their nationality. However, the government of Singapore announced that the plan will be delayed for 2 weeks because of the COVID-19 spikes. Passengers were still allowed entry, but they had to quarantine for 7 days.
From the official announcement:
Given the evolving COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong, Singapore Minister for Transport, Ong Ye Kung, has announced that the launch of the Singapore – Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble (ATB) flights will be deferred by two weeks. This decision was reached following a discussion between Minister Ong and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Edward Yau, earlier today. This is to safeguard public health in both cities as well as travellers’ own health.
Unfortunately, on December 1, 2020, the government of Singapore announced that after further reviewing the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong, and given that local unlinked cases were still high, both parties have decided to delay the plan of introducing the travel bubble indefinitely.
What else is in this post?
- Hong Kong and Singapore Travel Bubble Delayed
- Singapore Entry Requirements
- Hong Kong Entry Requirements
Singapore Entry Requirements
Singapore still has very strict entry requirements. Short term visitors from anywhere in the world are not able to enter Singapore. However, the country has agreements with several countries under different travel plans:
The Reciprocal Green Lane or RGL allows for short-term essential business and official travel between the following countries and Singapore:
-Brunei
-Germany
-Indonesia
-Japan
-Mainland China
-Malaysia
-Republic of Korea
The Air Travel Pass or ATP allows foreigners who are short-term visitors to seek entry into Singapore. This applies to the following countries:
-Australia
-Brunei
-Mainland China
-New Zealand
-Vietnam
All travelers who are not Singaporean citizens or permanent residents must receive entry approval before arriving.
Hong Kong Entry Requirements
Similar to Singapore, Hong Kong also has very strict entry requirements. Only passengers from mainland China, Taiwan, and Macao are permitted to enter Hong Kong if they haven’t been to another country in the last 14 days. Before arrival passengers are required to fill out and submit a health declaration form that is valid for 48h only. Also, a negative PCR test taken no more than 72h before departure is mandatory.
