European Union takes Singapore off list of countries for relaxed travel restrictions

Singaporean travellers hoping for a year-end holiday to Europe could now face stricter border restrictions after Singapore was removed from the list of countries for which travel curbs should be lifted.  

The Council of the European Union (EU) removed Singapore and Ukraine from its latest list on Tuesday (Nov 9). 

Singapore was previously on the list during their last assessment conducted in late October. The list is reviewed every two weeks. 

The announcement potentially means that the 27 EU countries can reimpose border restrictions on Singapore travellers, although the immediate effect remains uncertain. 

Over the last two months, Singapore has announced Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with 10 European countries including Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and Britain. 

The VTLs currently allow for two-way quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers. 

On the factors considered when deciding whether to recommend travel restrictions for a specific country, the EU said: “They cover the epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources.”