After many false starts the first local ‘Air Travel Bubble’ opens on the 26 May when HongKongers will be able to travel quarantine-free to Singapore.
There are lots of rules and qualifications, see below, but amongst the many rules is nothing about what happens to HongKongers in Singapore if the travel bubble is suspended. And once the bubble is suspended, the restart conditions are quite onerous. So if you travel, be prepared… For the latest information www.tourism.gov.hk/travelbubble
Hopefully, if the bubble proves successful, it will lead to similar arrangements with New Zealand and Australia in the coming months. No practical suggestions seem to have been made as to when or how HongKongers will be able to visit Macau any time soon.
Objective Air Travel Bubble
No restrictions on travel purposes.
Exemption from compulsory quarantine requirement / Stay-Home Notice.
No restrictions on itineraries.
Eligibility
Any person currently in Hong Kong and Singapore, irrespective of his/her nationality.
Any person with no travel history to any place other than Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to departure.
Note: any compulsory quarantine / Stay-Home Notice periods in Hong Kong or Singapore arising from the traveller’s last visit outside Hong Kong or Singapore would not count towards that 14-day period.
Negative result of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid test by recognised testing institutions with a specimen collected within 72 hours prior to departure.
Hong Kong passport holders can only take an ATB flight at least 14 days after they have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Travel on ‘Designated Flights’.
Designated Flight Arrangements
From 26 May to 9 June, 2021:
Hong Kong to Singapore: 1 flight per day, with 200 travellers per flight Singapore to Hong Kong: 1 flight per day, with 200 travellers per flight
From 10 June, 2021 onwards:
Hong Kong to Singapore: 2 flights per day, with 200 travellers per flight. Singapore to Hong Kong: 2 flights per day, with 200 travellers per flight.
Health Protection Measure
Testing Requirements:
Travellers are required to take mutually recognised COVID-19 PCR nucleic acid tests with a specimen collected within 72 hours prior to departure from Hong Kong and Singapore.
Travellers arriving in Hong Kong and Singapore are required to take a PCR nucleic acid test again at the airport.
Designated Flights:
Only carry ATB travellers, but not transit nor non-ATB travellers.
Designated lane upon arrival in Hong Kong:
There is a designated lane at Hong Kong International Airport for ATB travellers to take post-arrival COVID-19 tests and proceed through immigration.
Mechanism to Adjust or Suspend ATB:
A change in the epidemic situation in Hong Kong and Singapore may trigger the adjustment or suspension of ATB flights:
If the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong, the ATB arrangements will be suspended after two days for a two-week period.
The ATB arrangements can resume on the next day after fulfilling the following two criteria:
(i) the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID- 19 cases for both Hong Kong and Singapore does not exceed five on the last day of the 14-day suspension period or any subsequent day; and
(ii) after criterion (i) is met, subsequently there have to be three consecutive days with the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases for both Hong Kong and Singapore not exceeding three, and the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases on the third day in both places does not exceed five.
Other Requirements for ATB Travel: HK to Singapore
(for all travellers)
Within 3 days prior to arrival in Singapore, fill in and submit SG Arrival Card.
Book a post-arrival PCR nucleic acid test before departure. Upon arrival, take the PCR nucleic acid test at the airport, then go to the declared place of accommodation5 by private transportation, taxis or private hire cars, and stay thereat for isolation until receipt of a negative test result before leaving the accommodation and commencing itineraries
(for travellers who are non-Singapore citizens, and at the same time, non-Permanent Residents or non- Long-Term Pass holders)
Apply for an Air Travel Pass 7 to 30 days prior to departure
Download the TraceTogether mobile app, register and keep the app activated on their mobile devices during their stay in Singapore, and retain the app and its records for 14 days subsequent to departure from Singapore
Other Requirements for ATB Travel: Singapore to HK
Fill in and submit health declaration by using the online Health & Quarantine Information Declaration Form within 48 hours prior to arrival in Hong Kong, and get the relevant QR code.
Book a post-arrival PCR nucleic acid test before departure. Upon arrival, take the PCR nucleic acid test through the designated lane for ATB travellers at the airport, and only leave the airport and start itineraries after receiving a negative test result.
Download the LeaveHomeSafe (LHS) mobile app, and scan the LHS QR codes displayed at relevant premises during their stay in Hong Kong, as well as retain the app and its records for 31 days subsequent to departure from Hong Kong.
Useful Links:
HongKong’s designated ATB: www.tourism.gov.hk/travelbubble
Health & Quarantine Information Declaration Form for arrival in Hong Kong: www.chp.gov.hk/hdf
Local COVID-19 testing institutions recognised by the Hong Kong SAR Government: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf
LeaveHomeSafemobileapp: www.leavehomesafe.gov.hk
Singapore’s designated ATB website Safe Travel Lanes: https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg
Singapore Trace Together mobile app: www.tracetogether.gov.sg
Singapore Arrival Card: https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard
images: singapore tourism