As governments around the world continue to relax domestic COVID-19 control measures, entry quarantine rules are also gradually being eased. Singapore and Japan announced looser entry policies at almost the same time.

Singapore

Back in March of this year, Singapore had already allowed vaccinated travelers to enter without a pre-arrival COVID test. More recently, the Singapore government announced that starting on August 29, 2022, unvaccinated travelers entering Singapore no longer need to obtain Singapore Entry Approval in advance, whether they are tourists (social visit pass holders), work pass holders, or entering under the visa-free transit facility (VFTF). The only requirement is to obtain a negative COVID test result within 2 days before flying to Singapore.

Other visa requirements remain in effect. If you are a Chinese national and want to enter Singapore, you still need to obtain a Singapore visa. To check the latest entry requirements, see this page from Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

At the same time, Singapore also announced that it would relax its local mask rules.

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on August 24 that starting on September 7, 2022, travelers who have received three doses of a COVID vaccine will no longer need to take a pre-arrival COVID test before entering Japan. This policy applies regardless of status (Japanese citizens, permanent residents, tourists, and business visitors). Other travelers will still need to take a COVID test within 72 hours before departure and obtain a negative result.

At present, travelers entering Japan for sightseeing still need to book a package tour through a travel agency. According to NHK, the Japanese government is considering further easing tourist entry rules so that travelers would only need to book an itinerary through a travel agency, without being required to join a guided group tour for the entire trip.

China

Starting on August 24, 2022, China has allowed holders of APEC cards and valid study-type residence permits to enter without applying for a new visa. However, entry quarantine and COVID testing requirements remain unchanged.