Pre-pandemic, over 400,000 people crossed between Singapore and Malaysia via the Causeway and Second Link daily. From 1 April 2022, this is set to resume with the reopening of the Singapore-Malaysia land border via the Causeway and Second Link.
Prior to this, land travel had been limited, with the land Vaccinated Travel Lane which operated with a quota of passengers on designated buses and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA). With the reopening of the land borders, travelling will be no longer quota-restricted and travel requirements minimised.
Note: While the Daily Commuting Arrangement between Singapore and Malaysia is still under consideration, Malaysian workers working in Singapore can resume their daily commute across the borders under the 1 April 2022 reopening
#1 Fully Vaccinated Persons Can Travel Quarantine Free
From 1 April 2022, fully vaccinated persons and non-vaccinated children aged 12 and below can travel to Malaysia via the Causeway without the need for quarantine or testing. Effectively, it is a resumption of the pre-pandemic border crossing with minimal COVID-19 restrictions.
To be considered fully vaccinated in Singapore, travellers must have received the full regimen of WHO EUL Vaccines and met the minimum dose interval period. If they contracted COVID-19 before being vaccinated, they must have received at least one dose of any WHO EUL Vaccines (below) at least 28 days from their first diagnosis of a COVID-19 infection (with acceptable proof of their first positive COVID-19 diagnosis).
Travellers can either present their vaccination certificates during immigration clearance or verify them digitally before departure. Vaccination status shown on TraceTogether or HealthHub apps are accepted for those fully vaccinated in Singapore.
Note: To enter Malaysia, travellers need to verify their vaccinations digitally before departure. This can be done online on the Malaysia SafeTravel website.
#2 No Need For Pre-Departure Or On-Arrival COVID-19 Testing But Contact Tracing Apps Remain
Under this easing of border measures, there is no need for COVID-19 testing (both pre-departure and on-arrival) for land border crossings.
Travellers who enter Singapore or Malaysia via the land borders only need to download the respective contact tracing apps before departure. These applications are TraceTogether for entry to Singapore and MySejahtera for entry to Malaysia.
Note: Other modes of entry (such as by air or sea) into Singapore and Malaysia have pre-departure testing requirements. Malaysia also has on-arrival testing requirements.
#3 All Modes Of Transport Are Allowed
According to the joint press release, all modes of transport are allowed, including private vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles.
In addition to the existing VTL-designated buses, other cross-border public bus services will be progressively restored. At the time of writing, these bus services have yet to resume.
For businesses that hire many Malaysian workers, it may be worth chartering private transport for your workers instead of relying on the restoration of public bus services.
#4 Valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) Is Required
For Malaysia-registered car or motorcycles, the vehicles must have a valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to enter Singapore. VEPs are valid for 14 days from the date of entry and may be renewed. The vehicle must have valid road tax, vehicle insurance (with third party coverage), Autopass Card and LTA’s approval email. The Autopass Card acts as an electronic VEP and is used to pay for all entry and exit fees for crossing the borders.
Likewise, for Singapore-registered vehicles, a VEP is required for entry into Malaysia. Additionally, Malaysia imposes a road charge (RM20) per entry for foreign-registered private vehicles (excluding motorcycles). This (and road tolls) is paid using Touch ‘N Go Cards.
#5 Road Charge And Toll Charges Are Waived Temporarily
Road charge will be waived for all Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia between 1 April and 7 April 2022, to ease congestion in the consideration that the borders have been closed for more than two years and many Singaporeans would not have been able to enter Malaysia to top up their Touch ‘n Go cards.
Additionally, toll charges at the Causeway and Second Link immigration complexes on Malaysia side will also be waived between 1 and 7 April 2022 to facilitate traffic movement.
Travel Via Private Vehicles By The Land Borders Is The Least Restrictive
For businesses that require workers to travel to Malaysia, private vehicle transport likely to be the least onerous in terms of travel requirements. However, it is likely that the land checkpoints would be highly congested when the borders officially reopen.
For businesses that have the means or urgent business needs, travelling to Malaysia or Singapore via air may be a better choice to avoid the congestion. Businesses may also have to cater for additional travel time taken for land border crossings taken by their employees, paid or unpaid.
Finally, as the resumption of travel between the borders is not capped by any quota, it may be feasible to encourage workers to stagger their planned travels to Malaysia, instead of rushing for the reopening.
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