Singapore Toughens COVID Rules for Expats

The city-state is cracking down on expats who refuse to vaccinate against the coronavirus.

Singapore will require applicants for work passes, long-term passes, and permanent residence to be vaccinated, effective February 1, citing a government task force communication. This applies to those renewing their work passes as well.

The measure represents a toughening of measures in Singapore, which has 1.1 million foreign workers according to recent government data. Many of them work in finance, where foreign banks have established sizeable hubs in Singapore as well as Hong Kong as a gateway to wider Asia.

The pandemic has slowed the frequent flight traffic to Singapore, with executives like UBS boss Ralph Hamers not able to visit Asia until last month – more than one year into his tenure running the Swiss wealth management giant.

The new Singaporean measures are being spurred by the rapid spread of Omicron, a variant of COVID-19 which the WHO pegged as concerning last month due to the ease with which it spreads as well as the severity of illness it can cause.

The aim is to loop in employers, which will have to attest that their employees, as well as dependents, are up to date on their vaccinations when they arrive in Singapore. They do not apply to children under 12, nor those medically ineligible for the vaccine.

These measures will help sustain our high vaccination rates and facilitate the safe reopening of our society and economy, the Singaporean task force said, according to the outlet.