VTL Singapore – Latest Bus Tickets & Flights Updates (May 2022)
The COVID-19 lockdown nightmare is almost all over. It’s a new dawn! It’s a new day! With no more restrictive Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) in place from 1 April, the world is truly your oyster again.
Time to bring out your passport, your credit cards, your kids (if you have them) and start packing! Of course, don’t forget to also book your travel insurance.
In place of the tedious VTLs, the Singapore government has a new streamlined travel framework in place where countries and regions will be classified into 2 broad categories – general travel or restricted.
What are the new travel restrictions?
Breathe a sigh of relief. Under the new travel framework, most of the travel restrictions have been lifted. With no more VTLs, as long as you’re fully vaccinated, you no longer have to scour the Singapore Airlines website for a VTL flight or wait it out for a VTL ferry to enter Singapore quarantine-free.
It gets even better – currently all countries fall under the general travel category. Unless the COVID-19 situation worsens to a worrying extent in a particular part of the world, you can expect the regulations to stay this way. So, what exactly do you have to prepare before you leave?
1. Trip prep(arations)
Here’s your easy-to-digest checklist of what you need to do before you fly:
Have your COVID-19 vaccine certificate with the following particulars:
Your personal details
Dates & number of vaccinations
Name of vaccine used
Seal of authentication (not an issue with HealthHub app or PDF from National Immunisation Registry)
A pre-departure COVID-19 test as per requirement by foreign authorities. Find related information here.
2. Buy COVID-19 travel insurance (yes, it exists!)
The above mentioned video covers what you need to know about COVID-19 travel insurance coverage. Skip to 3:20 for the relevant bit, but if it’s TL;DW, here are three phases that you need to consider for your travel insurance coverage:
Coverage before your trip
Check if your insurer requires you to get a negative PCR test before purchasing your policy
If you get COVID-19 before your trip, you can cancel it and get reimbursed
Coverage during your trip
Whether your medical expenses would be covered should you get COVID-19
Whether quarantine allowance is included
Coverage after your trip
What is the coverage for getting COVID-19 in Singapore
COVID-19 coverage is not always a default within travel insurance policies. While most travel insurance providers have tailored their plans to include COVID-19 coverage, it’s still an add-on for some. It can cost an extra $20 to $40, exclusive of the mandatory PCR tests that you have to take before flying back to Singapore!
3. Whip out your credit card to book your flight
Did I say whip out your credit card? If you don’t have one already, find the best credit cards here. With no more VTL flights, you can fully focus your attention on finding the cheapest flights.
MoneySmart Exclusive
Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard®
MoneySmart Exclusive:
Apply and spend S$500 to get S$300 Cash OR an Apple iPad 10.2" Wi-Fi (worth S$499) OR an Apple AirPods Pro + S$100 Cash (worth S$479) OR an Everdesk+ Lite, Lily White (worth S$599). T&Cs apply.
Valid until 16 May 2022
More Details
Cash Back Features
Flat 1.6% cashback on all your purchases, no minimum spend
No caps on the cashback you can earn, and cashback earned does not expire
Cashback earned will be stored and specified in the monthly statement
Redeem your cashback with the Citi Pay with Points feature via Citibank Online or the Citi Mobile App or SMS. Redemption requires 7 working days before it’s reflected on your statement
Cash rebates redemption: Send “RWDS last 4 digits of the card number ” to 72484 via SMS
Redemption values and codes: CSHBK10 for S$10, CSHBK20 for S$20, and CSHBK50 for S$50
For example, to redeem $10 cash rebate, the SMS should be: “RWDS XXXX CSHBK10”
General exclusions apply, for e.g. annual fees, instalments, bills, payments to educational, governmental, and financial institutions, insurance premiums, and more
With Citi PayAll, you can earn and accumulate Citi Miles, Citi ThankYou PointsSM or Cash Back quickly when you pay your big-ticket bills such as rent, insurance premiums, education expenses, taxes, utilities and more
Online Promo
Unlimited Cashback
American Express True Cashback Card
Online Promo:
Receive S$80 CapitaVouchers on S$250 spend within the first month of Card approval. T&Cs Apply.
Valid until 31 May 2022
More Details
Cash Back Features
3% Cashback for the first 6 months up to S$5,000 spend, 1.5% Cashback on any purchase you make thereafter
Unlimited Cashback - No min spend & no cap
First year fee waiver
MoneySmart Exclusive
With 3-month Disney+ Subscription
Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Credit Card
MoneySmart Exclusive:
Apply and spend S$250 to get an Nintendo Switch Lite (worth S$279) or Apple AirPods Gen 3 (worth S$269) or S$250 Cash via PayNow. T&Cs apply.
Valid until 16 May 2022
More Details
Cash Back Features
1.5% cashback awarded for all eligible purchases, such as dining, online shopping, local and overseas spend
Cashback terms and conditions: General exclusions such as bills, payments to educational, financial, and governmental institutions, and GrabPay top up apply
4. Check-in procedures before flying
The most exciting moment is boarding the plane itself, but before that, some more paperwork!
Have these documents ready:
Your passport
Negative PCR test result OR Vaccine certificate
Again, do your due diligence on the travel documents that’s required by the foreign authorities of your travel destination. What’s worse than being turned away at the airport?
5. Travelling to your country of choice
It goes without saying that every household runs itself differently, and you can apply this concept to other countries as well. You will have to adhere to their health authority mandates:
 Country |  Health Mandate |  TraceTogether equivalent |
 Brunei Darussalam | ||
 Germany | ||
 Canada | ||
 Denmark | ||
 France | ||
 Italy | ||
 Netherlands | ||
 Spain | ||
 United Kingdom | ||
 United States | N.A. | |
 Switzerland | ||
 Australia | ||
 South Korea | ||
 Finland | ||
 India | ||
 Indonesia | ||
 Malaysia | ||
 Sweden | N.A. | |
 Qatar | ||
 Saudi Arabia | ||
 United Arab Emirates |
6. Coming home to Singapore
This bit is now far less expensive than before. You used to have to take FOUR PCR tests during peak pandemic, but from 26 April onwards, fully vaccinated travellers do not have to take any tests.
General Travel Category Countries/Regions | Summary of Travel Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
All countries/regions | No tests required | Any of the following COVID-19 test, within 2 days before departure for Singapore:
On-arrival PCR test 7-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at declared place of accommodation SHN-exit PCR test |
If in the future, you happen to travel to a country in the restricted category, these are the regulations to follow:
Restricted Category Countries/Regions | Summary of Travel Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
Currently none |
| |
6a. What if you get COVID-19 after returning?
You first need to check your travel insurance provider’s coverage for COVID-19.
Travel insurance providers like Aviva, AXA and FWD require that you notify them within 14 to 30 days of you getting COVID-19 for you to benefit from the coverage. Then, you simply have to make an online claim via your insurers’ mobile app or website with the relevant documents:
Doctor’s memo stating that you have caught COVID-19 and you require treatment
Flight itinerary or boarding pass
Medical report or inpatient discharge summary
Original medical bills
That being said, insurance is still largely a “phygital” thing, so if you would rather have someone guide you along the mess of paperwork, definitely ring your agent up or call your insurers’ hotline.
You can also tap into existing government subsidies, make health insurance claims via MediShield Life, Integrated Shield plans or private health insurance for your COVID-19 treatment in Singapore. This is only open to Singaporeans, PRs and long-term pass holders only, and if your symptoms appear within 14 days of your return.
Only one PCR/ART test to travel? Two-dle loo!!
If you do get COVID-19 before your trip, you had best make sure you already have your travel insurance policy already purchased! It can cover trip cancellations, inconveniences and/or the whole shebang. Find the best COVID-19 travel insurance coverage here.
If you’re really paranoid though, you can definitely afford to be a hermit until your travel dates. You’ll want to minimise as much spending as possible because the flight tickets, accommodation, food and travel insurance expenses will add up to a pretty penny.
Look at this way, you’ve been a hermit since March 2020, what’s a few more weeks or days’ worth of isolation? It will all be worth it when you finally get to spread your wings and experience the thrill of takeoff and landing.
Know anyone with an insatiable itch to stretch their wings? Share this article with them!
The post VTL Singapore – Latest Bus Tickets & Flights Updates (May 2022) appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.
MoneySmart.sg helps you maximize your money. Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with our latest news and articles.
Compare and shop for the best deals on Loans, Insurance and Credit Cards on our site now!
The post VTL Singapore – Latest Bus Tickets & Flights Updates (May 2022) appeared first on MoneySmart.sg.
Original article: VTL Singapore – Latest Bus Tickets & Flights Updates (May 2022).
© 2009-2018 Catapult Ventures Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
