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SINGAPORE – Singapore and Japan have launched a “residence path” for business executives and professionals with job pass holders, in addition to a previous reciprocal greenway that primarily caters to short-term business travelers.
However, this will be done with the necessary public health safeguards, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Friday (September 25).
Applications for the residence track will begin from next Wednesday.
The two sides have been in discussions since July over the route to residency, the MFA said.
It comes in addition to the commercial road, or reciprocal green lane, which was launched last Friday and is for essential short-term commercial and official travel between the two countries.
This will help restore connectivity and support economic recovery in Japan and Singapore, both foreign ministries said in an earlier joint statement on September 11.
Last month, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his visiting Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi said the two countries were in talks to establish the two tracks that will allow cross-border travel.
Singapore currently allows visitors from five other countries, with a variety of restrictions in place.
More details, such as the eligibility criteria and other requirements, health protocols and the application process, will be available before next Wednesday on the MFA website for entering Singapore, and the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. to enter Japan.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement that a new business travel pass is being tested for senior executives in Singapore with regional or international responsibilities who need to travel regularly for official and business purposes.
Travelers with this pass, which is not country specific, will be required to adhere to a strict and controlled itinerary when traveling abroad for business purposes.
Upon return, the traveler will have the option of taking a Covid-19 test instead of delivering a stay-at-home notice and isolating themselves until the results are published.
The Health Ministry said the number of passes will be strictly limited in the initial phase to ensure that the public health results of this pilot can be monitored.
“If the pilot is successful and the public health measures are fully met, we will consider expanding the scheme in a safe and calibrated manner,” he added.
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