Singapore-Australia travel bubble could start at the end of October

Authorities in Australia are in talks with the Singapore government to launch a travel bubble for fully vaccinated students and business travellers at the end of October.

Australia.- A travel bubble between Singapore and Australia could be launched this month, according to Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. Before opening to tourists, the travel bubble will initially focus on fully vaccinated students and business travellers. 

Whether it goes ahead will depend on whether the states relax their quarantine arrangements, although New South Wales and Victoria have already cancelled mandatory hotel quarantine for all vaccinated international arrivals from November 1.

At the beginning of October, authorities in Singapore announced a shorter 10-day quarantine for travellers coming from a list of “Category 3” countries.

The 10-day quarantine applies for arrivals who have spent their last 14 days in Austria, Bahrain, Bhutan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Fiji, Greece, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, the Maldives, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom or the United States.

Tourists are required to have a Covid-19 test when they arrive and another on their 10th day in the country. Visitors arriving from Category 2 countries, which include France, Finland, Italy, Japan, Portugal and Spain, still have to undergo a 14-day quarantine.