S'poreans can still travel to 7 VTL nations in Europe without quarantine

Vaccinated Singapore residents will still be able to travel without quarantine to seven of the eight European countries that have vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) with the Republic.

According to their border regulations, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Britain have yet to reimpose a compulsory quarantine on travellers from Singapore despite the European Union (EU) raising its Covid-19 risk assessment of the Republic last Tuesday.

Finland and Sweden - two other European countries that will start VTLs with Singapore from Nov 29 - have also not introduced quarantine curbs on travellers.

This leaves Denmark as the only VTL country to have reimposed quarantine restrictions. Since last Thursday, travellers from Singapore have to serve at least four days of isolation after arrival.

Denmark's move comes after the Council of the EU removed Singapore from a list of countries for which travel curbs should be lifted.

The council's recommendations are not legally binding. But its 27 EU member states, which do not include Britain and Switzerland, reference the recommendations when deciding on border restrictions.

A British official told The Straits Times that the EU's changes do not impact Britain's independent travel rules. Britain left the EU bloc in January last year.

An Italian embassy official said: "Travellers heading from Singapore to Italy will not be affected by the EU recommendation."

Mr Antti Vanska, Finland's ambassador to Singapore, said his government tracks the international Covid-19 situation closely and occasionally changes restrictions when needed. Fully vaccinated individuals are currently able to enter Finland without quarantine.

Endau Analytics aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said it seems likely that more Western European nations could impose stricter rules to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19, as the new domestic restrictions in the Netherlands show.

"Whether more limitations will be imposed on travellers... remains the prerogative of each EU state," he added. "I believe nothing is off the table in the Covid-19 battle."

Swedish national Andreas Birnik, 48, a Singapore permanent resident, is worried that more EU states will reimpose restrictions on travellers from the Republic.

The business owner has already booked flights to return to Sweden to see his parents, after 2½ years of not meeting them in person.

"I am relieved that so far, other EU countries have not followed Denmark," he said.

"After living with Covid-19 for 20 months, I hope that we can look forward to bidirectional travel between Singapore and the EU without reimposed quarantines from either side."