[Updated] Travel between Singapore and Malaysia by land: How to use the vaccinated travel lane (VTL)

share on

twitter /
facebook /
linkedin /
- email
- telegram
- whatsapp
- wechat
- pinterest
- line
- snapchat
- reddit

For now, only citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country that they are entering are eligible for this VTL.

This story was updated on 1 December 2021 with a quick guide on how to upload your vaccination certificate QR code on MySafeTravel.

Singapore's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has on 24 November (Wednesday) announced that the long-awaited Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) via the Causeway between Singapore and Malaysia will begin from 29 November 2021.

With this arrangement, Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders in Malaysia will be able to cross the Causeway into Singapore each day using designated bus services, without the need for quarantine.

From eligibility, to application process, designated bus services, and arrivals, here are all the details you need to know:

1. Eligibility

For now, only citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country that they are entering are eligible for this VTL. This includes work pass holders, student pass holders and long-term visit pass holders. Priority will be given to workers in either country who have not been able to visit their families since the land border closed.

In-Principle Approval Holders of a Singapore-issued Long-Term Pass and Foreign Short-Term Visitors are currently not eligible to travel under the VTL (Land) arrangement currently.

Registration:

Entering Singapore from Malaysia: Register here. Singapore Citizens need not apply.
Entering Malaysia from Singapore: Register here.

2. Designated bus services

This Land VTL will only be available through designated bus services. Those who arrive at the border via other means, such as private transport or by walking across the Causeway, will still be subjected to a seven-day stay-home notice even if they have been approved to travel via the Land VTL.

The following are the designated bus services entering Singapore via the Causeway:

Transtar Travel Pte Ltd
- It will operate services between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange in Singapore, and Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru.
Handal Indah Sdn. Bhd. (also known as Causeway Link)
- It will operate services between Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru and Queen Street Terminal in Singapore.

There will be a total of 64 daily bus trips between Malaysia and Singapore - 32 in each direction, with a maximum of 45 seated passengers per trip.

Tickets for the designated Land VTL buses go on sale at 8 am on 25 November 2021 (Thursday). Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoint Authority has urged that applicants do not need to rush to apply, as there is no quota for Vaccinated Travel Passes.

Bus operating hours:

From Singapore: 9.30 am to 7.30 pm
From Johor: 7.30 am to 6.45 pm

3. Travel history

Travellers must have remained in Malaysia, any other VTL or Category I country/region as recognised by the Government of Singapore, and/or Singapore in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival in Singapore.

4. Testing

Prior to entering Malaysia, travellers are required to test negative in a pre-departure antigen rapid test (ART) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in Singapore, and then in an additional supervised on-arrival ART at Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal after clearing immigration.

Conversely, travellers entering Singapore must produce a negative valid pre-departure ART or PCR test within two days before departure for Singapore. There is no on-arrival test requirement in Singapore.

Children aged two years and below in the calendar year are not required to undergo these tests.

5. Vaccination

All fully-vaccinated travellers must present digital proof of vaccination.

Via MySejahtera if vaccinated in Malaysia
Via Notarise, HealthHub, or TraceTogether if vaccinated in Singapore

Unvaccinated travellers aged 12 and below in this calendar year can travel to Singapore via the VTL (Land) if accompanied by a fully vaccinated VTL traveller.

Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long-Term Pass Holders who have been vaccinated overseas (i.e. issued with foreign digital vaccination certificate outside of Singapore) are reminded to upload their vaccination certificate in the electronic health declaration card via the electronic SG Arrival Card, prior to arriving in Singapore.

6. Submission of SG Arrival Card

All travellers are required to submit the SG Arrival Card¹ with Electronic Health Declaration via the ICA website or through the SG Arrival Card mobile application. This must be done three calendar days prior to their arrival in Singapore.

For travellers entering Malaysia from Singapore, they will have to register on the MySafeTravel portal before purchasing any tickets.

Singapore's PMO stated that Land VTL may progressively be expanded to include general travellers, taking into account the public health situation in both countries. Further, the authorities are also working towards quarantine-free travel through the Tuas Second Link.

This VTL, together with the VTL between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), will "enhance the close socio-economic ties between our countries and people".

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in the statement: "Malaysia is Singapore's closest neighbour and the two countries share deep and warm relations.

"The launch of the VTL (Land) is a big step towards reconnecting our people and economies, and will further enhance our bilateral relationship."

^{1The SG Arrival Card replaces the paper disembarkation/embarkation card (also commonly referred to as the “white card”) which has been discontinued since 27 March 2020 and is no longer accepted at the checkpoints.}

ALSO READ:

- FAQs on Singapore's Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL): Who is eligible, how you can apply for a VTP, and more

- How to travel from Singapore to Malaysia by air through the Vaccinated Travel Lane

In brief: Steps to prepare for travel between Singapore and Malaysia via the VTL Land

These details were provided by Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Pre-departure

1. Prepare these softcopies:

Digital vaccination certificate
Vaccinated Travel Pass

Download MySjehtera or TraceTogether

2. Register on the respective sites

Entering Singapore from Malaysia: Register here. Singapore Citizens need not apply.
Entering Malaysia from Singapore: Register here.

3. Print vaccination certificate/VT[/travel or medical insurance and other relevant documents

4. Purchase bus ticket(s)

5. Take RTK or ART/ PCR test two days before departure

6. On departure day, arrive at least two hours earlier at the boarding pointts.

At departure points

1. Checklist: Ensure these documents are in-hand:

Proof of VTL-Land registration
RTK or ART/PCR test results
Vaccination certificate
VTP (for long-term pass holders)
Passport
Travel/medical insurance (for travellers entering Singapore)
Bus ticket

2. For Malaysians, please submit the SG Arrival Card under Foreign Visitors.

3. For Singapore Citizens, please submit the electronic Health Declaration Card under Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents & Long-Term Pass Holders, and update your vaccination certificate QR code during submission if you were vaccinated overseas.

On 30 November, Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry shared a quick guide on how travellers can upload their vaccination certificate QR codes on the MySafeTravel website. The steps are as follows: