COVID-19: Singapore requires visitors under ATP, RGL to have travel insurance from Jan 31

SINGAPORE: Visitors applying to enter Singapore under the Air Travel Pass (ATP) and Reciprocal Green Lanes (RGLs) will need to have travel insurance for their COVID-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs here, with a minimum coverage of S$30,000.

The new requirement would take effect from Jan 31, 2021 at 11.59 pm said the republic’s Ministry of Health (MOH), in its latest revision on border measures to manage the risk of importation and onward local transmission from travellers.

“The travel insurance will help them pay for the costs of their medical treatment in Singapore. The visitors can purchase the travel insurance from Singapore-based or overseas insurers,” it said in a statement today.

A list of available insurance products can be found at SafeTravel website https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/health.

Singapore has an RGL arrangement with five countries including Malaysia and six areas in China.

It said, given the emergence of new virus variants and the worsening COVID-19 situation around the world, the republic would also enforce additional border control measures for all travellers.

In particular, the ministry said from Jan 24, 2021, at 11.59 pm, all travellers, including Singapore Citizens (SCs) or Permanent Residents (PRs), would need to take a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test upon arrival in Singapore.

The prevailing Stay-Home Notice (SHN) requirements, including the PCR test at the end of the SHN, would continue, it said.

MOH said to expedite the COVID-19 PCR test at the airport, travellers were strongly encouraged to register and pre-pay for their on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test prior to departing for Singapore at https://safetravel.changiairport.com.

Meanwhile, as a further precaution starting from Jan 18, 2021, at 11.59 pm, all returning SCs and PRs from the United Kingdom and South Africa would be subject to an additional seven-day self-isolation at their residence, following their 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities, said the ministry.

The ministry noted that it would continue to review the data and evidence on any new viral strains and update the measures accordingly.

As at noon today, Singapore has confirmed five new cases of locally transmitted COVID-19 infection and 19 imported cases.

The republic's infection tally stands at 59,083.

-- BERNAMA