All You Need to Know About Vaccinated Travel Lane (Land)

Recently, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of Singapore announced that the long-awaited Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia across the Causeway would open starting 29 November 2021.

Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders in Malaysia can finally cross the Causeway into Singapore daily via approved bus routes and bypass quarantine.

Here are all the details you need to know about eligibility, the application process, designated buses, and arrivals:

1. Eligibility

For the time being, this VTL is only available to citizens, permanent residents, or long-term pass holders of the country they are entering, including:

• Work pass holders, 

• Long-term visit pass holders, and

• Student pass holders.

Workers in either country who haven't been allowed to see their families since the land border closed will be given priority.

In-Principle Approval Holders of a Singapore-issued Foreign Short-Term Visitors and Long-Term Pass are currently ineligible to travel under the VTL (Land) arrangement.

Registration:

• If you're entering Singapore from Malaysia, you'll need to register here. Singapore Citizens do not need to apply.

• If you're entering Malaysia from Singapore, you'll need to register here.

2. Designated buses

The Land VTL will only be available via designated buses. 

Those who arrive at the border via other methods (e.g. walking or private transport) will still receive a seven-day stay-home notice even if they have the Land VTL approval. 

Two designated bus services will enter Singapore through the Causeway:

1. Transtar Travel Pte Ltd will operate services between Singapore's Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange and Johor Bahru's Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal.

2. Handal Indah Sdn. Bhd. (also known as Causeway Link) will operate services between the Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal and Singapore's Queen Street Terminal.

A total of 64 daily bus journeys will be available between Malaysia and Singapore, with 32 in each direction and a maximum of 45 seated passengers per trip.

Tickets for the authorised Land VTL buses are already on sale. Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoint Authority has advised applicants not to rush their applications because there is no quota for Vaccinated Travel Passes.

Bus operating hours are as follows:

• 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. from Singapore

• 7.30 a.m. to 6.45 p.m. from Johor

3. Travel history 

Travellers must have stayed at least 14 consecutive days in Malaysia, Singapore, or any other VTL/Category I region as recognised by the Singapore government before arriving in Singapore.

4. Covid-19 testing

Travellers must test negative in a pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen rapid test (ART in Singapore before entering Malaysia and then in a supervised on-arrival ART at Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal after passing immigration.

Travellers entering Singapore must present a negative valid pre-departure ART or PCR test within two days of their departure. In Singapore, there is no requirement for an on-arrival test.

These tests are not required for children under the age of two in the calendar year.

5. Vaccination requirement

Digital proof of vaccination is required for all fully vaccinated travellers.

• If you were vaccinated in Malaysia, you must use MySejahtera.

• If you were vaccinated in Singapore, you must use Notarise, HealthHub, or TraceTogether.

Unvaccinated children aged 12 and under in this calendar year can travel to Singapore via the Land VTL if they are accompanied by a fully vaccinated VTL traveller.

Singapore Citizens, Long-Term Pass Holders, and Permanent Residents who have been vaccinated overseas must upload their vaccination certificate in the electronic health declaration card through the SG Arrival Card before arriving in Singapore.

6. SG Arrival Card Submission

All travellers must submit the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration via the ICA website or the SG Arrival Card smartphone app. 

They must complete this task three days before arriving in Singapore.

Travellers who are entering Malaysia from Singapore must register on the MySafeTravel portal before buying any tickets.

Singapore's PMO said that the government might expand the Land VTL to include general travellers based on the public health situation in both countries. 

Additionally, the authorities are working on quarantine-free travel via the Tuas Second Link.

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Causeway.

Preparing the travel to Singapore from Malaysia

According to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, these are the steps to prepare for a trip to Singapore via VTL:

Pre-departure:

1. Prepare the following softcopies:

   1. Vaccination certificate in digital format,

   2. Vaccinated Travel Pass.

   3. Download MySejahtera or TraceTogether.

2. Sign up on the relevant websites.

   1. If you're coming to Singapore from Malaysia, you'll need to register here. Citizens of Singapore are not required to apply.

   2. If you're entering Malaysia from Singapore, you'll need to register here.

3. Print your vaccination certificate/VTL/travel or medical insurance as well as any other necessary documents.

4. Buy bus ticket(s).

5. Two days before departure, take an RTK or ART/PCR test.

6. On the day of departure, arrive at the boarding points at least two hours earlier.

At the point of departure:

1. Checklist: Make sure you have the following documents:

   1. VTL-Land registration proof,

   2. Result of RTK or ART/PCR test,

   3. Certificate of Vaccination

   4. Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) (for long-term pass holders),

   5. Passport,

   6. Insurance for travel and medical expenses (for travellers entering Singapore), and

   7. Ticket(s) for the bus.

2. Malaysian citizens must submit the SG Arrival Card under Foreign Visitors.
   Singapore citizens must submit the electronic Health Declaration Card under Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Long-Term Pass Holders, and update their vaccination certificate QR code if they were vaccinated outside of Singapore during submission.

When arriving:

1. Travellers that arrive at the Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal must undergo an on-arrival test.

2. Show all relevant documents at the Immigration for clearance.

After arriving:

1. Check traveller's status via MySejahtera or TraceTogether.

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