Starting February 2022, no new work passes will be approved in Singapore without presenting a COVID-19 vaccination certificate. In other words, work passes will not be issued or even renewed unless the concerned people are fully vaccinated. Additionally, starting January 15, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has directed that unvaccinated employees will no longer be allowed to return to the workplace, even if their pre-event test (PET) result is negative.
Approval for long-term passes and permanent residence in Singapore will also require vaccination certificates.
These orders, however, will not apply to children below the age of 12 or those who have medical conditions that render them unfit for vaccination. Such special cases will have to present a doctor’s letter or submit to a medical examination / review on arrival.
This is the country’s way of protecting the health of its citizens and ensuring that its economy is able to reopen safely. Singapore is also trying its best to keep the Omicron variant at bay.
Employers will be required to declare that their work pass holders, as well as their dependants are fully vaccinated when they arrive in Singapore.
Work pass holders must submit or present their vaccination certificates as part of the verification process.
Those possessing digitally-verifiable certificates will be required to upload them to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s Vaccination Check Portal.
Those who do not possess digitally-verifiable certificates will be required to show their vaccination certificates at the checkpoints and also to the airlines and ferry operators. Those who fail to do so will be prevented from boarding.
People who cannot produce the necessary documents will not be allowed to board the plane or enter Singapore, provided they haven’t been exempted due to valid reasons, in advance.
People who have received vaccination outside of Singapore, need to update their vaccination records in the National Immunisation Registry (NIR). Within 30 days of their entry into Singapore, they will have to go through a serology test, and if they happen to test negative, they will be required to undergo the entire vaccination process again or risk getting their work passes cancelled.
