Update: Singapore will reopen to fully vaccinated US travelers beginning Oct. 19
Editor's Note
Editor's note: This post has been updated with additional details on visiting Singapore.
U.S. travelers will soon be able to arrive or transit through iconic Changi Airport (SIN).
Beginning Oct. 19, 2021, fully vaccinated travelers from eight additional countries will be permitted to enter Singapore without the need to quarantine upon arrival. After a limited reopening to residents of Germany and Brunei last month, Singapore is expanding its "vaccinated travel lane" program to the following nations:
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- United States
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) made the announcement on Oct. 9, noting that only two COVID-19 cases were detected among the 1,926 people from Germany or Brunei that participated in the program thus far.
About 83% of the population in Singapore is fully vaccinated, one of the world's highest rates.
Just one day earlier, on Oct. 8, the CAAS said fully vaccinated South Korean residents would also be allowed into Singapore through the travel lane program beginning Nov. 15, 2021.
In total, 11 countries will be participating in the vaccinated travel program. Singapore authorities will initially admit up to 3,000 travelers to enter Singapore daily.
Travel requirements
Those traveling from the eight newly-announced countries will first need to apply online for a vaccinated travel pass, beginning on Oct. 12. To travel to Singapore, you must have remained within the countries under the vaccinated travel lanes for 14 consecutive days prior to departure.
Visitors will still be required to take two PCR tests (down from four previously). A first test is required within 48 hours of departure to Singapore and a second upon arriving at Changi Airport. Only once a negative test result is received will travelers be able to leave self-isolation.
All tourists must also use the TraceTogether app for contact tracing and have mandatory travel health insurance.
Getting to Singapore (or transiting)
Related: Singapore Airlines will resume popular JFK-FRA route on Nov. 2
Travelers bound for Singapore must still fly on designated vaccinated travel lane flights. These include services on Singapore Airlines between Singapore and the following cities: Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Copenhagen (CPH), London (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), Milan (MXP), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG), Seoul (ICN) and Rome (FCO).
Singapore Airlines said additional flights and frequencies will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
Additionally, travelers will now be allowed to transit through Singapore as long as COVID-19 requirements are met and they are on a designated vaccinated travel lane flight.
If you want to use your miles to get to Singapore, you have a choice of Star Alliance partners to book with including Singapore's own KrisFlyer program, United MileagePlus and Aeroplan. If you don’t have miles, KrisFlyer is a partner of all five major transferable points currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One and Marriott Bonvoy.
Here are the round-trip rates for saver awards from the U.S. to Singapore:
- Economy: 76,000 miles (80,000 miles from the East Coast)
- Premium Economy: 130,000 miles (140,000 miles)
- Business: 176,000 miles (184,000 miles)
- First: 236,000 miles (240,000 miles)
Related: Singapore is reopening soon: Here’s how to get there using points and miles
As the city-state seeks to rebuild its standing as an international aviation hub, that's good news for U.S. travelers looking to visit or even transit Singapore.
Singapore will not accept your CDC card
Be sure you know all the rules before applying to visit Singapore.
As first reported by the travel blog "Paddle Your Own Kanoo," Singapore, unlike almost any other country in the world, will not accept the standard proof-of-vaccination handed out to most vaccinated Americans. Singapore isn't accepting CDC cards as proof of vaccination.
Instead, you will need to come from a state that uses the Smart Health Card format. It's part of the CommonTrust Network that verifies and tracks health data for companies and countries. In New York state, for example, they use the Excelsior Pass, which incorporates Smart Health Card technology.
According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, only the following states are using the technology so far:
- Arizona
- California
- Hawaii
- Lousiana
- Maryland
- Missisipi
- North Dakota
- New York
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
Related: Some states rolling out vaccine passports
Additional reporting by Clint Henderson.
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| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
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Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases