Travellers flying to Singapore can use IATA travel pass from May

SINGAPORE: Passengers travelling to Singapore by air will be able to use the International Air Transport Association (IATA) travel pass from May 1, as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and IATA. 

Passengers will be able to share their pre-departure COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results with their airline during check-in and on-arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport, said CAAS and IATA on Monday (Apr 5). 

"This is part of an ongoing collaboration between CAAS and IATA to facilitate seamless and efficient travel through digital certificates of COVID-19 tests," they said. 

The IATA travel pass is a mobile app that can be used by passengers to obtain and store their COVID-19 test results from accredited laboratories. 

Last month, Singapore Airlines (SIA) tested IATA's travel pass on passengers travelling from Singapore to London between Mar 15 and Mar 28. The airline said the app was well received by their customers and noted that they were open to using the app for international travel in the future. 

READ: SIA's trial of IATA travel pass 'well-received', plans to integrate framework into app from mid-2021

Following SIA's trials, CAAS and IATA said Singapore's health and border control authorities will accept the travel pass as a valid form of presentation of COVID-19 pre-departure tests for entry into the country. 

"The information presented on the IATA travel pass will be in a format that satisfies Singapore’s prevailing COVID-19 pre-departure test requirements for entry into Singapore," said the authorities, adding that they will be working on further enhancements to the travel pass. 

This includes enabling QR code scanning by immigration officers. Back-end transmission of health credentials from the travel pass to the airlines and immigration authorities' systems for pre-boarding and pre-arrival clearance will be included, as well as including digital vaccination certificates on the travel pass. 

CAAS director-general Kevin Shum said the collaboration with IATA demonstrates the "shared commitment to drive the adoption of digital health certificates and restore international air travel". 

"As we work to safely rebuild the Changi air hub, we will continue to explore other solutions that can provide similarly secure and verifiable means of sharing health certificates for safe international travel," said Mr Shum. 

The travel pass will be available for download in the second half of April and is currently being trialled by more than 20 airlines, including SIA. 

READ: Malaysia, Singapore use blockchain technology for COVID-19 vaccination certificates

Those who are travelling to Singapore and intend to use the travel pass should check with the airline they are travelling with for eligibility to use the travel pass, said CAAS and IATA. 

CHANGI AIRPORT LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE CONCIERGE SERVICE FOR TRAVELLERS

On Monday, Changi Airport Group (CAG) launched a new online concierge service for travellers planning to travel to Singapore by air. 

The new Safe Travel Concierge service lets passengers book their on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test and check that they have completed all pre-travel requirements for entry into Singapore, said CAG. 

"Instead of searching different websites to apply for their pre-travel documents, passengers can easily access the information and forms through STC," it said. 

Passengers can simply add their upcoming trips after registering for a Safe Travel Concierge account. Depending on their profile and trip details, they will be shown a customised list of pre-travel requirements to complete before flying to Singapore.

Besides booking their on-arrival PCR tests, they can also access services such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's electronic arrival card and health declaration form through the online concierge. 

Registration for an account is free and passengers can register for one on safetravel.changiairport.com. 

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