On Monday (12 Oct), Singapore and Indonesia announced the launch of Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) to enable cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes between both countries.
According to a joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of both countries, the application for the RGL will be opened on 26 October, and travel will commence soon after.
Both Singapore citizens and residents as well as Indonesia citizens are eligible to apply for the RGL, which also referred to by Indonesia as the Travel Corridor Arrangement (TCA).
The statement revealed that Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi had spoken over the telephone, reaffirming “the excellent and longstanding relations between Singapore and Indonesia”.
In the telephone conversation, both Ministers “recalled their discussion in August 2020 on the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in overcoming common challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic”, including the resumption of essential travel while safeguarding public health and safety in both countries.
“In this context, the Ministers welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on the establishment of a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) between Singapore and Indonesia,” read the statement.
As expected, travellers will have to abide by the COVID-19 prevention and public health measures mutually agreed by both countries, including pre-departure and post-arrival polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab tests from mutually recognised health institutions.
Further details about the RGL – including the procedural requirements, health protocols, and applications process – will be announced in due course.
Other than Indonesia, Singapore has also resumed essential business travel with other countries such as China, Brunei, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and Japan under the RGL arrangements.
As of Sunday (11 Oct), Singapore has reported total of 10 new COVID-19 cases, while Indonesia reported 4,497 new COVID-19 cases and 79 new deaths.
