Malaysians Can Enter Singapore Under Two Special Passes – All The Details
Whether you use the RGL or PCA pass, it depends on the length of your stay and mode of transport.
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After months of discussions, Malaysia and Singapore have published the procedures and health protocols on cross border travel between the two nations, also known as Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) schemes.
Here’s what you need to know:
Choosing between RGL or PCA
The RGL functions to allow cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes. It is only applicable for travel between:
- airports in Singapore and Malaysia which have available non-stop flight routes
- land checkpoints
Malaysian business or official travellers seeking essential travel via the RGL to Singapore must be sponsored by either a Singapore-based company or a Singapore Government agency, which will file an application on behalf of the applicant for a SafeTravel Pass.
RGL applicants will be granted up to 14 days’ stay in Singapore.
The PCA applies to business travellers using the land border crossings at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link.
It is especially for Singapore and Malaysia residents who hold long-term business or work immigration passes to enter the other country for work purposes.
PCA applicants must be willing to spend at least 90 days in Singapore for work upon entry.
Those approved under PCA can commute from Malaysia’s immigration checkpoint to Singapore via personal transport, private buses that only ferry Malaysian passengers, or by foot.
Employers can apply for PCA on behalf of their Malaysian/Singaporean employees
Employers in Singapore can apply for the PCA on behalf of their employees using CorpPass if their employees fulfill the following criteria:
- Malaysia Citizen / Permanent Resident
- Hold valid long-term passes for business and work purposes in Singapore
Singaporean employers may choose a date of entry within a 60-day window of their application- which will only be processed after payment for Covid-19 PCR swab test has been made.
Malaysian employers can also apply for PCA on behalf of their Singaporean employees, known as the MyTravelPass online (HERE).
The application must be done at least 10-working days before the date of departure from Singapore. Employers must also provide the letter of employment and passport copy of the employee.
Pre-arrival checks for Malaysians entering Singapore
Before arriving at Singaporean immigration checkpoints, Malaysians approved under the PCA are required to:
- Monitor their health status and postpone travel to Singapore if feeling unwell
- Complete the electronic Health Declaration Card (eHDC) online (HERE)
- Download the TraceTogether, Homer and WhatsApp mobile applications on their mobile phone
- Bring along their passport and work pass when entering Singapore.
For travellers with approved SafeTravel Pass under RGL, the pre-departure checks are as follows:
- Have not travelled out of Malaysia for 14 days prior to departure
- Take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours from departure and obtain a certificate of having tested negative from the accredited laboratories by the Malaysian Health Ministry.
Cost of a pre-departure PCR test is borne by the applicant.
Before departure, approved applicants have to electronically submit pre-trip health and travel history declarations as well as declare their accommodation in Singapore via the SG Arrival Card – which can be accessed via the Visit Singapore Travel Guide App.
Health protocols for those returning to country of work
Singaporean travellers returning to Malaysia for work will be subjected to the following health procedures:
- Health screening at the point of entry
- Mandatory 7-day Home Surveillance Order self-quarantine.
- Take Covid-19 RTK Antibody test at the end of HSO and will be released if tested negative
- Travellers must download and subscribe to the MySejahtera mobile application
SafeTravel Pass travellers from Malaysia entering Singapore under RGL will take a Covid-19 PCR test at the airport/land checkpoint. The cost of the test in Singapore is borne by the traveller.
The applicant must then remain in the declared accommodation (non-residential address only) until a negative test result from the post-arrival Covid-19 PCR test is released. After that, they can proceed on the pre-declared controlled itinerary.
As for work pass holders under the PCA scheme who enter Singapore, they will serve a 7-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) quarantine and undertake a Covid-19 PCR test.
The employer or employee will bear the costs of the employee’s accommodation for the SHN and post-arrival Covid-19 PCR swab test in Singapore.
Malaysian workers can return for short-term home leave
Malaysians arriving back will have to undergo Covid-19 PCR test. Only when the result is negative can travellers be exempted from the 14-day Home Surveillance Order (HSO) mandatory self-quarantine.
Travellers must also download and subscribe to the MySejahtera mobile application.
For more information on the RGL and PCA for travellers from both countries, check the official websites below:
- Malaysian Immigration Department – Malaysia – Singapore Border Crossing Arrangement (HERE)
- Singapore Immigration Checkpoints Authority – Travellers from Malaysia (HERE)
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