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Covid-19: ICA to issue tamper-proof vaccination sticker to newly arrived travellers immunised abroad

SINGAPORE — From Aug 21, Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and visitors who enter Singapore and have been fully vaccinated overseas will be issued a tamper-proof vaccination sticker that is to be pasted onto their passport, which they can then use to show as proof of their vaccination.

  • A tamper-proof vaccination sticker pasted on passports will serve as proof of vaccination status
  • This will take effect from Aug 21
  • It will apply to Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and visitors immunised abroad
  • With the sticker, travellers will be able to dine out or gather in groups of five here
  • For border controls, countries and jurisdictions will be cast in four groups, each having a different set of rules

 

SINGAPORE — From Aug 21, Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and visitors who enter Singapore and have been fully vaccinated overseas will be issued a tamper-proof vaccination sticker that is to be pasted onto their passport, which they can then use to show as proof of their vaccination. 

The Ministry of Health said on Thursday (Aug 19) that only those fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing, and can produce a valid vaccination certificate in English, will be issued this sticker by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). 

To get this sticker, travellers should produce their English-language vaccination certificates to ICA officers once they arrive at Singapore’s immigration checkpoints. 

At the moment, the records of those who have been vaccinated overseas are not in Singapore’s National Immunisation Registry, and they are not able to enjoy the reduced safe-distancing restrictions that apply to people vaccinated here. 

This includes being able to gather in groups of up to five and dine in at restaurants. 

Those who are not yet fully vaccinated are not allowed to dine out at eateries, except at coffee shops and hawker centres, and only up to groups of two. 

The only way they can dine out or gather in groups of five is if they have a negative pre-event test result by a MOH-approved test provider, which is only valid for 24 hours. 

The authorities have decided to adopt a vaccination-differentiated approach to handling the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare Singapore for a transition towards treating the disease as endemic, or permanently circulating in the population.

With the valid tamper-proof vaccination sticker on their passport, these individuals will be able to dine out or gather in groups of five here when they produce their passport, without having to obtain a negative pre-event test result. 

MOH also said that authorities will improve digital systems by September, so that the fully vaccinated status of travellers can be recognised by the SafeEntry (Business) application when they present their TraceTogether mobile application or token and be eligible for a less restrictive set of safe-distancing rules. 

BORDER RESTRICTIONS FOR 4 GROUPS

In line with Singapore’s plans to open up its economy and live with an endemic Covid-19, MOH also announced that countries and jurisdictions will be classified in one of four categories, with each category having a different set of border controls. 

Category 1

  • Countries or jurisdictions in this category include China (excluding Jiangsu province), New Zealand and Taiwan 

  • Hong Kong and Macau will be added to the list from Aug 21

  • Travellers from countries or jurisdictions in this category can enter Singapore without serving a stay-home notice

  • They will only need to undergo a polymerase chain reaction test when they arrive at the airport, and will be allowed to go about their activities once the test is negative

Category 2 

  • Countries or jurisdictions in this category consist only of China’s Jiangsu province

  • Australia, Brunei, Canada and Germany will be added from Aug 21

  • Travellers from countries or jurisdictions in this category will be required to undergo a seven-day stay-home notice at their accommodation of choice

  • Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders travelling from these countries may serve their seven-day stay-home notice at their place of residence, if conditions are suitable

Category 3

  • Countries or jurisdictions in this category are Austria, Italy, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland

  • Belgium, Denmark, Japan and Luxembourg will be added to this category from Aug 21

  • Unvaccinated travellers from countries in this category will have to undergo a 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities

  • Travellers who are fully vaccinated may apply to opt out of staying at these dedicated facilities and serve their stay-home notice at a suitable accommodation of their choice

Category 4 

  • All other countries or jurisdictions would be in this category, except for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka 

  • Travellers from these six countries are banned from entering Singapore, but the ban does not apply to Singapore citizens and permanent residents

  • Travellers from other countries and jurisdictions outside these six are required to serve a 14-day stay-at-home notice at dedicated facilities, and also undergo multiple swab tests 

  • All travellers, irrespective of the country from which they come, have to remain in the departing country for at least 21 consecutive days before leaving for Singapore 

During a media briefing held by the Government’s Covid-19 task force on Thursday, Transport Minister S Iswaran said: “The longer our borders remain closed, the greater the lasting damage to our economy, our livelihoods and our status as an aviation hub. 

“We will take a calibrated step-by-step approach, always mindful of our public health objectives. We are fortunate to be embarking on these moves with more than 75 per cent of our population vaccinated. Ultimately, we want to safely reopen our borders,” he added. 

MOH also announced that fully vaccinated travellers from Brunei and Germany, as well as all travellers from Hong Kong and Macau — regardless of vaccination status — are no longer required to serve a stay-home notice when they arrive here.

Infographic: Samuel Woo/TODAY

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Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine MOH ICA vaccination sticker Travel

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