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It's about to get a lot easier to visit Singapore

Feb. 19, 2022
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3 min read
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It's about to get a lot easier to visit Singapore
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Looking to travel to Singapore in the near future? Buckle up and brace yourself for some exciting news.

As of Feb. 22, passengers arriving at Changi Airport (SIN) will no longer need to take a PCR test nor isolate on their arrival. Instead, travelers will need to only take one supervised self-swab at an official testing center within 24 hours of arrival in the city-state - a great deal easier than the recently-implemented daily rapid tests across the first week.

Indeed, visiting Singapore will soon be a relative breeze for many travelers who’ve previously been hampered by strict COVID-19 guidelines. As well as softening the blow on credit cards (on-arrival PCR tests had been as much as $100, scrapping the current tests will change the game entirely for travelers keen to explore without the hassle of constantly self-swabbing for seven days straight.

The new rules are applicable to all fully vaccinated travelers whose country of origin is part of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), a special Singapore travel corridor open to passengers from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Maldives, The Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, The U.K., the U.S, now also Hong Kong, and as of Feb. 25, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The new ruling also affects travelers hopping between countries on the VTL list. At present, visitors to Singapore need to have remained in a VTL country for 14 days prior to their arrival at Changi, but now this has been cut down to just seven days in a bid to make it easier for holidaymakers and business travelers alike.

(Photo by Ethan Steinberg/ The Points Guy)

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Expect Singapore to drop restrictions for other countries in the coming months, too, as officials this week stated that they intend to scrap testing vaccinated travelers once the omicron wave has flattened. “Instead of having vaccinated travel lanes or VTLs with selected countries that we think are low risk, we should actually allow SHN-free travel for fully-vaccinated travelers from all countries,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung “We should make this transition not now, but after omicron wave has peaked and start to subside.”

Related: Singapore is reopening: Here’s how to get there using points and miles

However, it may have impacted your travel plans to date, there's no doubt Singapore's hardline approach to border control during the pandemic has been effective. Last week, its government reported that it had prevented over 8,000 COVID-19 deaths in the last five months of 2021, keeping its COVID-19 death rate to 15.7 deaths per 100,000 of the population. By comparison, in December 2021 mortality rates for deaths due to COVID-19 in England were 56.3 deaths per 100,000 people.

Now of course, with these imminent changes for vaccinated travelers, the Asian city-state will be looking to take its seat as a global super hub for business and leisure once again. We’ll raise a Singapore Sling to that.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.