Need To Know: Reopening Of The Malaysia-Singapore Land Border

No joke, starting April 1st, the Malaysia-Singapore land border will be reopened. Here's what you need to know before you make that road trip. 

Borders Open! 

The reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore land border would allow road access - in one’s own vehicle - between the city-state and Johor without the need for quarantine or a COVID-19 test.

This is coinciding with the full reopening of Malaysia’s borders at large, as was announced by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri earlier this month. However, our land border with Thailand will not be as permeable despite air travel expected to resume in full.

Naturally, authorities on both sides of the Johor Strait have urged that only those with urgent matters cross upon the reopening. Still, they are expecting a large volume of travellers regardless of attempts to mitigate an overwhelming crowd between Malaysia and Singapore.

How Do I Cross Into Singapore?

• For the first time in 2 years, Malaysians will be able to cross the border into Singapore (and vice versa) with their own car or motorcycle using either the Causeway or Second Link.
• As confirmed by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, there will be no quota for all modes of travel and the border checkpoints will be open 24 hours a day.
• Of course, to enter the city-state, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority requires all foreign-registered vehicles to have a valid Autopass card and an email address verified by the LTA to serve as an electronic Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) that has a validity period of 14 days.
• These can be obtained online via the LTA’s OneMotoring portal. Do note that due to the approval process taking a few days at least, it is advised that Malaysian travellers intending to cross the land border submit their application at least 2 weeks before their intended travel dates.

Travel Documents?

Since this border reopening is effectively making the Vaccinated Travel Pass obsolete, the main items of documentation that would be needed for you (and your vehicle) to cross into Singapore and back is a valid passport and that previously mentioned VEP.

All travellers are also expected to fill out the SG Arrival Card within 3 days of arriving at the checkpoints. Also required is the submission of a digital vaccination certificate to the Vaccination Check Portal on the SafeTravel website (safetravel.ica.gov.sg).

Alternate Transport?

As of April 1st, designated vaccinated travel bus services will still operate as the usual cross-border public busses are not yet active and will only be restored progressively.

Obviously, there’s also the option of air travel directly into and out of Changi International Airport.
Unlike before, no quarantine will be necessary upon arrival and the requirement to use the MyTravelPass application has also been lifted.

However, until the land border, travellers entering by plane from April 1st will be subjected to a pre-departure test within 2 days before leaving Malaysia. And within 2 days before departing Singapore, they are required to take another Covid-19 antigen rapid test.

It’s much less costly than the PCR test previously required under the VTL scheme but an inconvenience nonetheless, especially compared to users of the land border crossing.

Really? No COVID-19 test required?

Correct. As of April 1st, the Malaysia-Singapore land border is open to all travellers using any mode of transport provided they are fully vaccinated (and non-vaccinated children aged 12 and below) and present valid travel documents, after which no quarantine or Stay-Home Notice is imposed.