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COVID-19 Travel Insurance and Medical Treatment for Inbound Travellers

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1. COVID-19 Travel Insurance

All travellers are strongly encouraged to purchase travel insurance before their trip. Those seeking entry into Singapore should be insured for at least S$30,000 for any COVID-19-related cost (based on COVID-19 bill sizes at private hospitals). Travellers may use any insurance provider, but must pay for their own treatment costs if the insurance coverage is insufficient.

Short-term visitors who are not fully vaccinated with WHO EUL vaccines will be required to purchase travel insurance covering COVID-19 as a condition of entry.

Insurance for Long-Term Pass Holders

All Long-Term pass holders, excluding some MOM-issued pass holders, will bear the full cost of COVID-19-related treatment received in Singapore. This cost can be offset using medical insurance with the appropriate coverage.

2. Traveller Recovery Protocols for COVID-19

Home Recovery Programme / In-situ Recovery

Travellers who test positive for COVID-19 will either enrol into the Home Recovery Programme (if they have a place of residence in Singapore) or in-situ recovery (if residing in hotels) by default. They can use telemedicine services if they require medical advice. Travellers will continue to be responsible for any costs associated with their testing, treatment and recovery, including any necessary extensions to their stay at their accommodation. Please visit MOH’s website on COVID-19 recovery protocols, in-situ recovery at hotels and the related FAQs for more information.

Medical Treatment Facilities for COVID-19

COVID-19-positive patients who are assessed to be ineligible for home recovery may be conveyed to and accorded the necessary medical treatment at a suitable COVID-19 care facility. These facilities can be public and private hospitals, COVID-19 Treatment Facilities (CTFs) and/or Community Isolation Facilities (CIFs), depending on the patient’s condition.

Patients who are first admitted to a hospital for COVID-19 management may subsequently be transferred to a CTF or CIF for continued care. Such patients will be medically managed at the facility until they are fit for discharge.

Patients may not choose the specific hospital or facility to be treated at, and all decisions to convey the patient to the appropriate COVID-19 care facility made by the Government of Singapore will be final. Patients who deliberately refuse treatment or leave the facility before a formal discharge, or otherwise behave in a manner that exposes others to the risk of infection, may be prosecuted for offences under the Infectious Diseases Act. Upon conviction, the offender may be imprisoned and/or fined.

 
3. Costs Associated with Medical Treatment and Recovery

The following groups of travellers are responsible for all costs associated with COVID-19 treatment and recovery:

  1. All Short-Term Pass Holders, throughout their stay in Singapore
  2. SCs/PRs/LTPHs who are not fully vaccinated– specifically, those aged above 12 years (i.e. born before 2010), and have not been formally certified to be medically ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines on the National Vaccination Programme
  3. All SCs/PRs/LTPHs who are subjected to Restricted Category* border measures and test positive or develop onset of symptoms for COVID-19 within 7 days of their arrival to Singapore, regardless of their vaccination status. (*There are currently no Restricted Category countries/regions.)

In line with the prevailing charging policy for local community cases (i.e., non-travellers), SC/PR/LTPH travellers who (i) have been fully vaccinated or (ii) are certified to be medically ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines under the National Vaccination Programme or (iii) are children aged 12 years and below (i.e., born in or after 2010), and are subjected to General Travel Category border measures will not be required to pay for the medical bills incurred if they require admission for COVID-19 treatment in hospitals and CTFs.

SCs and PRs may access Government subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life/Integrated Shield Plans, where applicable. LTPHs and STVPs may tap on private insurance, if applicable. There are no subsidies available to LTPHs and STVPs and they will have to rely on their private insurance if any, to cover their medical costs.

Charges for hospitals and community facilities are billed separately. All paying patients may enquire about the relevant charges during financial counselling at the point of admission to the facility.

The cost of hospitalisation at the hospitals and/or community facilities are separate from the cost of Stay-Home-Notice (SHN) Dedicated Facilities.