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Korea-Singapore launch ‘fast-track’ entry program
According the to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Korea and Singapore agreed to introduce a “fast-track” entry program starting from September 4, 2020, for essential trips by businesspeople and others in exception to coronavirus entry restrictions. In addition to Korean citizens, permanent residents and long-term visa holders residing in Korea can also hold a visa to enter Singapore and use the express entry process. The ECCK has recommended including foreign residents in Korea in the scope of this procedure and accordingly appreciates that the recommendation was positively considered.
Under the entry program, a businessperson from Korea with a negative coronavirus test and a travel pass from the Singaporean government can fly to Singapore. Upon arrival, he or she must undergo another test, and negative results will exempt him or her from quarantine. Korea Immigration Service has released the ‘Implementation Guide on Korea-Singapore Fast Lane System (14-day Isolation Exemption)’. In order to also inform our member companies, ECCK has made an English translation released by the government below. Link to the original notice in Korean can be found here.
More information on ‘fast-track’ entry program can be found on ‘Immigration Clearance Support Center for Corporate Representatives’ page (www.btsc.or.kr). The support center is jointly formed by the Korea International Trade Association, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Implementation Guide on Korea-Singapore Fast Lane System (14-day Isolation Exemption)
Implementation of Korea-Singapore ‘Fast Lane System’ (Effective 2020.09.04)
o A system agreed upon by the two governments in which businesspeople, government officials, and others of Korea and Singapore are exempted from a 14-day Isolation when visiting the other country in order to continue the inevitable visitations and exchanges and assist them in facilitating the performance of duties even in the COVID-19 pandemic.
※ This system exempts one from undergoing self-quarantine when visiting the other country for a short time from the country of residence. When returning to the country of residence after visiting the other country, the general immigration measures of the country are to be followed.
– Example : If a Singapore resident enters Singapore after a short-term visit to Korea through a “Fast Lane System”, one is required to be quarantined for 14 days.
o How to apply : After issuance of an Isolation Exemption Certificate, one should conduct a testing for COVID-19 pre-departure / post-entry
– COVID-19 testing should be conducted within 72 hours from the departure date
o Applicability : A personnel visiting for important business and public service purposes such as but not limited to: contracts, investments, and technical support
o Eligibility : Nationals of both countries and long-term visa/pass holders residing in both countries, who have stayed in both countries for more than 14 days
※ Please refer to the link for visa application information (English) if one needs a visa in order to enter Korea (Foreigner)
KOR-SGP Fast Lane Usage Procedure (Singapore → Korea)
No.
Steps
Description
①
Apply for Isolation Exemption
(Sponsoring Companies and Institutions in Korea
→ Relevant Government Department)
o Application for Isolation Exemption
– Sponsoring companies and institutions in Korea should apply for “Isolation Exemption” to relevant Government Department
o Comprehensive Guidance on Isolation Exemption
– Please inquire 「Immigration Clearance Support Center for Corporate Representatives」
On 2 September 2020, Singapore and the Republic of Korea (ROK) agreed to implement the Fast Lane for essential business and official travel between Singapore and the ROK.
The SafeTravel Pass is a mandatory document for in-bound travelers for essential business and official travel from the ROK to Singapore via the Singapore-ROK Fast Lane.
The Fast Lane arrangement is open to all residents of the ROK and Singapore. Personnel travelling on the Fast Lane to/from the ROK will be required to enter/exit only through Seoul (Incheon International Airport) at this juncture.
Application
Business or official travellers seeking to make essential travel via the Fast Lane to Singapore from the ROK must be sponsored1 by either a Singapore-based company or a Singapore Government agency, which will file an application on behalf of the applicant for a SafeTravel Pass.
Important
Travellers (who are not Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents or Long-Term Pass holders) without a valid SafeTravel Pass will be refused entry into Singapore.
For more information on the Terms and Conditions of the SafeTravel Pass, please click here.
Process Overview
Before Entering Singapore
Visa Requirements
When the SafeTravel Pass application is approved, an approval letter will be sent via email to the sponsoring company or government agency.
With the SafeTravel Pass approval, an approved applicant who is a visa-required passport holder can proceed to apply for a visa for travel to Singapore through the usual channels. If the applicant already has an existing valid visa, the visa suspension will be lifted when the SafeTravel Pass is approved, and he/she need not apply for a new visa. The applicant can check his/her visa status through this page.
Those who do not require a visa prior to the COVID-19 pandemic will not need to apply for a visa for Green/Fast Lane travel. Please refer to https://www.ica.gov.sg/enteranddeparting/before/entryvisa/ for more information on Singapore’s visa requirements.
The approved applicant will have to electronically submit pre-trip health and travel history declarations and declare his/her accommodation in Singapore via the SG Arrival Card, before departing for Singapore. The SG Arrival Card can also be accessed via the Visit Singapore Travel Guide App.
Pre-Departure Measures
Prior to travelling to Singapore, approved SafeTravel Pass travellers are required to:
Monitor their health status and refrain from travelling to Singapore if feeling unwell;
Have not travelled out of the ROK in the entirety of the 14 days prior to departure; and
Take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours from departure and obtain a certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19. The certificate must be from the medical institutions designated by the ROK Government. The SafeTravel Pass applicant will bear the cost of the pre-departure PCR test based on the prevailing guidelines of the ROK Government.
At pre-boarding checks, approved SafeTravel Pass travellers must produce:
A valid SafeTravel Pass approval letter (the date of entry into Singapore must fall within the period of entry stated in the letter);
A valid visa to enter Singapore (for visa-required passport holders who are short-term visitors to Singapore);
A valid certificate of negative result for a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure for Singapore (the certificate must be from the medical institutions designated by the ROK Government); and
A return air ticket or proof of other transportation arrangements to depart Singapore.
Travellers who do not produce the documents above at pre-boarding checks can be refused boarding.
Arrival and Stay in Singapore
Post-Arrival Measures
The SafeTravel Pass traveller will undergo a COVID-19 PCR test at the airport checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore. The SafeTravel Pass traveller will bear the costs of the post-arrival COVID-19 PCR test in Singapore.
The applicant must present a valid SafeTravel Pass for the intended week of travel, a valid visa (for visa-required passport holders), the above-mentioned negative COVID-19 PCR test result, and a return air ticket or proof of transportation arrangements to depart from Singapore to arrival immigration. Applicants without these documents can be refused entry under the Fast Lane arrangement.
The host2 company or government agency will transport the traveller directly from the airport to the declared self-sourced accommodation, adhering to prevailing health measures. The approved traveller must remain in the declared accommodation (non-residential address only) until a negative test result from the post-arrival COVID-19 PCR test is released. Thereafter, the traveller can proceed on the pre-declared controlled itinerary. The host company or government agency is responsible for monitoring the traveller’s adherence to the controlled itinerary.
If tested positive for COVID-19, the traveller will undergo medical treatment at his/her cost.
Measures during stay in Singapore
SafeTravel Pass travellers to Singapore must subscribe to the relevant contact tracing mobile applications and technology solutions that are in place at the time of travel, including TraceTogether and SafeEntry for the entire duration of their stay in Singapore. A traveller who does not have a TraceTogether-compatible device should be provided with one by his/her host, for the duration of his/her stay in Singapore. If the traveller subsequently tests positive for COVID-19 while in Singapore or within 14 days after departure from Singapore, he/she will be required to upload his/her TraceTogether data.
In addition to abiding by prevailing local public health and safety distancing measures, SafeTravel Pass travellers must adhere to a controlled itinerary for the duration of their stay. The traveller is prohibited from using public transportation for this purpose, with the exception of private hire cars/taxis or cohorted company transport.
For more information on the Terms and Conditions of the SafeTravel Pass, please click here.
1 The term “Sponsor” refers to the company or government agency making the application on behalf of the traveller.
2 The term “host” refers to the company or government agency that receives the traveller in the destination country/region. For company-sponsored travellers, the sponsor will also be the host company.
Notes on Entry to Korea
o Verification of Self-diagnosis Application, phone number and address (modify when changed)
o Conduct COVID-19 PCR Testing at the airport or at a designated area, and await the test result at a designated area
– One is unable to travel until the negative result is confirmed, and if tested positive, should be quarantined for proper treatment.
o For 14 days after arrival in Korea, one is required to adhere to the given schedule and cooperate with the government for active monitoring (Response through telephone is required), under the supervision of the sponsoring companies or institutions in Korea.
※ One may be subject to criminal disposition in accordance with the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, if one takes non-cooperative actions such as failure to check self-diagnosis application or refusal to respond to phone calls from the quarantine authorities.
Korea-Singapore launch ‘fast-track’ entry program
According the to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Korea and Singapore agreed to introduce a “fast-track” entry program starting from September 4, 2020, for essential trips by businesspeople and others in exception to coronavirus entry restrictions. In addition to Korean citizens, permanent residents and long-term visa holders residing in Korea can also hold a visa to enter Singapore and use the express entry process. The ECCK has recommended including foreign residents in Korea in the scope of this procedure and accordingly appreciates that the recommendation was positively considered.
Under the entry program, a businessperson from Korea with a negative coronavirus test and a travel pass from the Singaporean government can fly to Singapore. Upon arrival, he or she must undergo another test, and negative results will exempt him or her from quarantine. Korea Immigration Service has released the ‘Implementation Guide on Korea-Singapore Fast Lane System (14-day Isolation Exemption)’. In order to also inform our member companies, ECCK has made an English translation released by the government below. Link to the original notice in Korean can be found here.
More information on ‘fast-track’ entry program can be found on ‘Immigration Clearance Support Center for Corporate Representatives’ page (www.btsc.or.kr). The support center is jointly formed by the Korea International Trade Association, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Implementation Guide on Korea-Singapore Fast Lane System (14-day Isolation Exemption)
o A system agreed upon by the two governments in which businesspeople, government officials, and others of Korea and Singapore are exempted from a 14-day Isolation when visiting the other country in order to continue the inevitable visitations and exchanges and assist them in facilitating the performance of duties even in the COVID-19 pandemic.
※ This system exempts one from undergoing self-quarantine when visiting the other country for a short time from the country of residence. When returning to the country of residence after visiting the other country, the general immigration measures of the country are to be followed.
– Example : If a Singapore resident enters Singapore after a short-term visit to Korea through a “Fast Lane System”, one is required to be quarantined for 14 days.
o How to apply : After issuance of an Isolation Exemption Certificate, one should conduct a testing for COVID-19 pre-departure / post-entry
– COVID-19 testing should be conducted within 72 hours from the departure date
o Applicability : A personnel visiting for important business and public service purposes such as but not limited to: contracts, investments, and technical support
o Eligibility : Nationals of both countries and long-term visa/pass holders residing in both countries, who have stayed in both countries for more than 14 days
※ Please refer to the link for visa application information (English) if one needs a visa in order to enter Korea (Foreigner)
(Sponsoring Companies and Institutions in Korea
→ Relevant Government Department)
– Sponsoring companies and institutions in Korea should apply for “Isolation Exemption” to relevant Government Department
o Comprehensive Guidance on Isolation Exemption
– Please inquire 「Immigration Clearance Support Center for Corporate Representatives」
– Contact (+82-1566-8110), Website (www.btsc.or.kr)
(Relevant Government Department
→ Sponsoring Companies and Institutions in Korea)
– A relevant government department will notify sponsoring companies or institutions in Korea about the result for Isolation Exemption Application.
※ A list of approved applicants will be delivered from relevant government department to the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore
(Applicants for Isolation Exemption ↔ The Embassy of Republic of Singapore)
– Submit required documents 5-10 business days prior to departure from Singapore
– Required Documents: Copy of Passport, Copy of flight itinerary/ticket, Isolation Exemption Certificate (Must fill “Attachment 1”)
– How to Submit: Email (fastlanesg@mofa.go.kr)
o (Embassy) Inform the applicant of the Embassy visitation date after review (Email)
– Within 2 business days from the date of submission
o (Recipient) Visit the Embassy and receive Isolation Exemption Certificate and Letter
– Sign and submit the Isolation Exemption agreement (Attachment 3) on visit
※ Letter should be submitted during the COVID-19 PCR Testing prior to departure from Singapore
(Testing for COVID-19)
– Must bring a valid certificate of negative result for COVID-19 after the testing mentioned above is performed at a hospital in Singapore
※ Information on Hospitals available for COVID-19 PCR Testing (Link)
(Incheon International Airport)
o PCR Testing for COVID-19 after arrival in Korea
※ COVID-19 PCR Testing takes 1 to 2 days, must wait for the result at the designated location
o Please refer to Singapore Government’s Fast Lane Requirements & Process Website (Link).
Requirements & Process
On 2 September 2020, Singapore and the Republic of Korea (ROK) agreed to implement the Fast Lane for essential business and official travel between Singapore and the ROK.
The SafeTravel Pass is a mandatory document for in-bound travelers for essential business and official travel from the ROK to Singapore via the Singapore-ROK Fast Lane.
The Fast Lane arrangement is open to all residents of the ROK and Singapore. Personnel travelling on the Fast Lane to/from the ROK will be required to enter/exit only through Seoul (Incheon International Airport) at this juncture.
Application
Business or official travellers seeking to make essential travel via the Fast Lane to Singapore from the ROK must be sponsored1 by either a Singapore-based company or a Singapore Government agency, which will file an application on behalf of the applicant for a SafeTravel Pass.
Important
Travellers (who are not Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents or Long-Term Pass holders) without a valid SafeTravel Pass will be refused entry into Singapore.
For more information on the Terms and Conditions of the SafeTravel Pass, please click here.
Process Overview
Before Entering Singapore
Visa Requirements
When the SafeTravel Pass application is approved, an approval letter will be sent via email to the sponsoring company or government agency.
With the SafeTravel Pass approval, an approved applicant who is a visa-required passport holder can proceed to apply for a visa for travel to Singapore through the usual channels. If the applicant already has an existing valid visa, the visa suspension will be lifted when the SafeTravel Pass is approved, and he/she need not apply for a new visa. The applicant can check his/her visa status through this page.
Those who do not require a visa prior to the COVID-19 pandemic will not need to apply for a visa for Green/Fast Lane travel. Please refer to https://www.ica.gov.sg/enteranddeparting/before/entryvisa/ for more information on Singapore’s visa requirements.
The approved applicant will have to electronically submit pre-trip health and travel history declarations and declare his/her accommodation in Singapore via the SG Arrival Card, before departing for Singapore. The SG Arrival Card can also be accessed via the Visit Singapore Travel Guide App.
Pre-Departure Measures
Prior to travelling to Singapore, approved SafeTravel Pass travellers are required to:
At pre-boarding checks, approved SafeTravel Pass travellers must produce:
Travellers who do not produce the documents above at pre-boarding checks can be refused boarding.
Arrival and Stay in Singapore
Post-Arrival Measures
The SafeTravel Pass traveller will undergo a COVID-19 PCR test at the airport checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore. The SafeTravel Pass traveller will bear the costs of the post-arrival COVID-19 PCR test in Singapore.
The applicant must present a valid SafeTravel Pass for the intended week of travel, a valid visa (for visa-required passport holders), the above-mentioned negative COVID-19 PCR test result, and a return air ticket or proof of transportation arrangements to depart from Singapore to arrival immigration. Applicants without these documents can be refused entry under the Fast Lane arrangement.
The host2 company or government agency will transport the traveller directly from the airport to the declared self-sourced accommodation, adhering to prevailing health measures. The approved traveller must remain in the declared accommodation (non-residential address only) until a negative test result from the post-arrival COVID-19 PCR test is released. Thereafter, the traveller can proceed on the pre-declared controlled itinerary. The host company or government agency is responsible for monitoring the traveller’s adherence to the controlled itinerary.
If tested positive for COVID-19, the traveller will undergo medical treatment at his/her cost.
Measures during stay in Singapore
SafeTravel Pass travellers to Singapore must subscribe to the relevant contact tracing mobile applications and technology solutions that are in place at the time of travel, including TraceTogether and SafeEntry for the entire duration of their stay in Singapore. A traveller who does not have a TraceTogether-compatible device should be provided with one by his/her host, for the duration of his/her stay in Singapore. If the traveller subsequently tests positive for COVID-19 while in Singapore or within 14 days after departure from Singapore, he/she will be required to upload his/her TraceTogether data.
In addition to abiding by prevailing local public health and safety distancing measures, SafeTravel Pass travellers must adhere to a controlled itinerary for the duration of their stay. The traveller is prohibited from using public transportation for this purpose, with the exception of private hire cars/taxis or cohorted company transport.
For more information on the Terms and Conditions of the SafeTravel Pass, please click here.
1 The term “Sponsor” refers to the company or government agency making the application on behalf of the traveller.
2 The term “host” refers to the company or government agency that receives the traveller in the destination country/region. For company-sponsored travellers, the sponsor will also be the host company.
o Verification of Self-diagnosis Application, phone number and address (modify when changed)
o Conduct COVID-19 PCR Testing at the airport or at a designated area, and await the test result at a designated area
– One is unable to travel until the negative result is confirmed, and if tested positive, should be quarantined for proper treatment.
o For 14 days after arrival in Korea, one is required to adhere to the given schedule and cooperate with the government for active monitoring (Response through telephone is required), under the supervision of the sponsoring companies or institutions in Korea.
※ One may be subject to criminal disposition in accordance with the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, if one takes non-cooperative actions such as failure to check self-diagnosis application or refusal to respond to phone calls from the quarantine authorities.
[1] The “Isolation Exemption Certificate” is equivalent to “The SafeTravel Pass”, as stated in https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/rok/rgl/requirements-and-process.