Entering Singapore from China on December 1: 14-Day Quarantine Lifted

Every time I go out to play, I think that when I get back I must write a travelogue, but every time I come home I'm too lazy to start writing.

This time the situation is special because there are so many procedures due to the pandemic, and I hope to help friends who are about to go to Singapore. So I quickly started writing.

I flew from Chengdu to Singapore Changi Airport on December 1, with a transfer at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport in China.

Since the trip was to accompany my child to take the SAT, I waited for the announcement from Singapore on October 30: starting from November 6, travelers from mainland China who have stayed continuously in mainland China for 14 days can move freely after a negative nucleic acid test at the airport upon arrival. Only then did I decide on the travel plan for December 1.

On November 9, I booked two visa applications on Ctrip, totaling 600 yuan. The system asked me to submit the documents before November 24 based on my travel plan. All documents can be uploaded for pre-approval. Besides the usual documents, there was also an Air Travel Pass, so I needed to book the flight ticket in advance. The visa application form requires not only flight information but also hotel information, so the hotel also had to be booked in advance.

Here's the most important part: the hotel for the two days after arrival, which is the hotel for waiting for the nucleic acid test results, must have the “Staycation Approved” label. These are hotels approved by Singapore for travelers under quarantine upon entry. You cannot take public transportation from the airport to the hotel; you can book a car or take a taxi.

We applied for a tourist visa. Many friends said we wouldn't get approved, saying that visa requirements are very strict now and ordinary tourism won't be granted. But after all my documents passed the online pre-approval and were sent to Chengdu, I got it processed and delivered by SF Express to my home in about 3 days. So Ctrip is still trustworthy.

2. Preparation for the trip

1. I brought my passport, ID card (mainly for the domestic flight), Air Travel Pass, visa, and nucleic acid test (I recommend getting it done in China; it's not mandatory, but I did it anyway). The Air Travel Pass application link is provided by Ctrip when applying for the visa; after filling it out, the pass is sent to my email in about 2 days.

2. Masks are essential (you are not allowed to wear masks with filters on the plane, so be careful when preparing). I booked the nucleic acid test online for entry into Singapore, which cost about 190 SGD per person.

3. The trace together app: I couldn't register successfully at first, and finally only succeeded after buying a Singapore SIM card. If you want to get through immigration faster, it's best to buy a local Singapore SIM card online in advance.

When filling out the Air Travel Pass application link, after receiving the pass, the attached file contains the link to book the nucleic acid test at the airport.

1. At 8:30 AM, I flew from Chengdu to Guangzhou. I was already at the check-in counter at 6:30 AM. Because it was a connecting flight and an international flight, and due to the pandemic, it took a long time to exchange boarding passes and check luggage. Most importantly, they told us we might not be allowed to enter, but luckily we kept calm.

2. I flew with China Southern Airlines; there was a simple meal, and domestic flights are very safe, so everyone ate happily.

3. The transfer at Baiyun Airport was convenient. After getting off the plane, staff members held signs and led us to the exit for international departures. During this time, we were required to declare our departure through the mini-program “China Customs.” Through this process, it's best to memorize your passport information because there are too many forms to fill out.

4. Queuing for boarding and getting on the plane was a bit different. Many people were wearing hazmat suits and goggles. However, when meals were served on the plane, everyone took off their gear and started eating. I have to give a big thumbs up to China's excellent pandemic control.

5. After landing and entering Singapore, a series of form-filling and declarations began. First, we scanned the health declaration. All these forms required hotel information, flight information, and passport information. One question was whether we had been to a hospital in the past 14 days. Of course, we had, because we needed a 72-hour nucleic acid test.

6. Then we needed to download trace together. The airport Wi-Fi was really not good, plus we didn't have a local Singapore SIM card, so we couldn't get it to work for a long time. Finally, the staff agreed to let us go to the hotel first, buy a SIM card, and then download and fill it out.

7. Then we went to the immigration stamping area. It seemed because we had been to a hospital in the past 14 days, the staff took us to another area for processing, then led us somewhere else to fill out forms, take our temperature (the kind that measures from the ear), and fill in the same information again. It really felt like they were going to send us back to China. After about 10 minutes, they let us leave after taking our temperature, and we went back to get the immigration stamp. Then there were many questions. Luckily, our purpose was to take an exam; otherwise, we might not have gotten through.

8. Finally, we went to the baggage claim area. Our lonely suitcases had been waiting for us for a long time. Luckily, I had booked the nucleic acid test online in advance. I opened the QR code from my email, first registered, then had the nasal and throat swab tests. The nasal swab was really uncomfortable.

9. Finally, the car from the hotel we booked had been waiting for us for too long, and we kept incurring extra waiting fees. But the only consolation was that the pickup service and the hotel service were very nice. There was a staff member holding a sign waiting for us, helping us with our luggage, taking us to the car, then the driver loaded the luggage, and we set off for the hotel.

10. I booked the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore. The conditions were excellent, and it met the quarantine requirements. The hotel staff told us we needed to stay in the room for 48 hours and could only go out after getting a negative nucleic acid test result. We arrived at the hotel at about 7 PM, very tired and hungry. Then came another problem: Singapore has food delivery via Foodpanda, but if you don't have a local SIM card, you can't use it. So that night we ate some dry food we had brought. The first thing the next morning was to figure out how to buy a SIM card, how to download trace together and submit health declarations, and how to order food delivery to fill our stomachs. Only then did we find that the nucleic acid test report had long been in our email. So we contacted the front desk, forwarded the email, and were allowed to go out. We bought a SIM card and enjoyed food. Why didn't we order food at the hotel? Too expensive – breakfast for two would have cost 114 SGD.

11. Finally, I suggest that if you book a car, you'd better have it arrive 2 hours after the plane's scheduled landing time (at least for now).

That's all for the entry process. The process was a bit troublesome and affected my mood, but after a good night's sleep, the food and scenery lifted my spirits.