Singapore will drop almost all restrictions on fully vaccinated international arrivals from 1 April onwards as the sovereign state prepares to move into the next phase of its roadmap out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined the latest easing of Singapore’s COVID-19 rules during a speech on Thursday, with fully vaccinated travellers only requiring a negative COVID-19 test result prior to departure as of 11.59pm on 31 March.
No longer will another negative test result be required within 24 hours of arrival, nor will travellers need approval before travelling. All quotas on the number of daily arrivals will also be dropped.
The Ministry of Health has also touted dropping the pre-departure test requirement in the near future, stating, “We will continue to monitor the local and global COVID-19 situation and consider removing the pre-departure test requirement in the coming weeks.”
Prime Minister Lee said the eased restrictions just about returned Singapore’s borders to pre-COVID conditions, making entry much easier for tourists and business travellers.
Other restrictions to be eased by the end of this month are a mandatory mask requirement outdoors and capacity restrictions in restaurants and other social settings. Live performances and singers will also be allowed while up to three-quarters of workers are permitted to return to the office.
Singapore reported 8,478 new cases on Thursday, down from its peak of 26,032 on 22 February 2022.