COVID-19 restrictions on Singapore travel are a thing of the past

Singapore is making a significant move toward easing entry requirements as the world continues to reopen to tourists. The Ministry of Health in Singapore recently announced that beginning last Monday, all COVID precautions, including pre-departure testing and mask mandates, would be lifted.

U.S. citizens traveling to Singapore are informed that as of February 13, 2023, no COVID-19 measures will be enforced for arrivals to Singapore, regardless of vaccination status or traveler profile. It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that they meet all basic entry requirements.

As the disease outbreak response level was changed from “yellow” to “green,” indicating COVID-19 is not a threat, the health ministry also revealed that masks would also no longer be required to be worn on public transportation.

A 48-hour pre-departure COVID test was previously required for those not vaccinated before entering Singapore, noted Travel + Leisure. The Singapore Ministry of Health noted that there has been a decrease in the number of new cases of COVID-19 and that no new variants have emerged.

Since last August, when the government repealed the mandatory quarantine regardless of vaccination status, this is one of the most important phases Singapore has taken toward reducing COVID-19 guidelines.

“Within Singapore our COVID situation has remained stable over the recent months, despite increased travel over the year-end holidays and China’s shift from zero COVID,” Lawrence Wong, deputy prime minister and co-chair of the virus taskforce, said in a media briefing according to Reuters. “Our population has developed a high level of hybrid immunity,” he added.

Around 12–14 million tourists are expected to visit Singapore in 2023, almost double the 6.3 million who came in 2022. Throughout the past year, Singapore Tourism has collaborated on programming to promote the country with the likes of National Geographic, Warner Brothers Discovery, and Charlie Puth, a Grammy Award–nominated singer, songwriter, and producer.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.

This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 12:30 PM.