Singapore travel bubble to focus on students

A travel bubble between Australia and Singapore will focus on early pilot programs for students and set-up a mutual recognition of digital vaccination certificates.

Scott Morrison, right, arrives in Singapore with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday. Picture: Adam Taylor

A travel bubble between Australia and Singapore will focus on early pilot programs for students and set-up a mutual recognition of digital vaccination certificates.

Two-way travel between the key economic partners had been in the planning for months, but was derailed following a recent breakout in the city-state.

Following his meeting with Mr Lee, the Prime Minister said Singapore would be the next country Australia would consider setting up a travel bubble with — after two-way travel resumed with New Zealand.

“I welcome the fact we will now work together … and put the infrastructure in place, to get the systems in place,” Mr Morrison said.

“There is still some time before we reach that milestone but there is nothing impeding us as we discuss getting on with the job of putting systems in place that will enable such a bubble to emerge between Singapore and Australia as it now occurs between Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Morrison said Australia would give priority to Singaporean students and wanted travel to occur “sooner rather than later”.

Mr Lee said vaccination and transmission rates must be “part of the consideration” in setting-up a travel bubble.

“In Singapore, we are making good progress with our vaccination program. Australia also they are steadily vaccinating their population. And I think once the majority of the population is vaccinated it becomes much more easier to contemplate these openings ups,” Mr Lee said.

“Now the world is moving to its next phase of the fight with vaccinations becoming more prevalent and country’s beginning to open up their borders. We discussed how two-way travel from Singapore to Australia can eventually resume in a safe and calibrated manner when both sides are ready.

“We need to resume these people to people flows to maintain our close and excellent bilateral relationship. We need to prepare the infrastructure and the processes to get ready to do this. And it starts with mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, possibly in a digital form.”