Discussions underway for Singapore-Australia travel bubble

Unimpeded travel between Singapore and Australia could be happening as soon as July this year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday (Mar 14). 

Under the travel bubble, Singaporeans can travel to Australia without needing to quarantine for two weeks if they are vaccinated. Similarly, Australians would not require permission from their home affairs authorities to travel to Singapore if they have been vaccinated. 

Visitors from other countries who have already completed two weeks of quarantine in Singapore would also be granted access to Australia. 

Discussions are underway on the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and resumption of travel with priority for students and business travellers. 

A condition of the travel bubble is for passengers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. As many as one-third of Singaporeans may be vaccinated by the third quarter of this year. 

With about 10,000 Singaporean students enrolling in Australian universities in 2018, Australia cemented itself as one of the educational hubs for Singapore due to its close proximity. 

Singapore has already opened its borders to Australia since October last year for limited visitors with an Air Travel Pass prior to arrival and obtained a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. This new partnership being discussed between the two countries with similar low rates of COVID-19 infections will allow for quarantine-free leisure travel between both countries.