What is an exit pass?
An exit pass is a permission document that migrant workers residing in Singapore dormitories must acquire before leaving their dorms to go to specific locations in the community, such as recreation centres.
Do I still need an exit pass in Singapore?
Previously, all workers, regardless of their vaccination status, were obligated to obtain these exit passes as a Covid-19 safety measure.
However, in April 2022, vaccinated migrant workers were no longer obliged to apply for exit passes to visit recreation centres. This adjustment was part of the effort to align the safety protocols for migrant workers with those applicable to the broader community.
During this period, only unvaccinated workers were required to apply for exit passes and undergo antigen rapid tests (ART) before they could visit recreation centres. Workers who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine were prohibited from visiting the community, and restrictions on group size were still in effect.
In May 2022, the limit for vaccinated migrant workers to visit the community was increased to 15,000 on weekdays and 30,000 on weekends and public holidays by The Ministry of Health (MOH). Previously, the caps were set at 3,000 and 6,000, respectively.
On June 24 2022, COVID-19 regulations for migrant workers were relaxed, eliminating the requirement for exit passes and limits when visiting recreation centres. This was part of the country’s ongoing efforts to ease COVID-19 measures within the community.
Instead, the MOH introduced visit passes to ensure effective management of the anticipated high number of visitors in popular areas.
How to apply for an exit pass?
The government has eliminated the need for migrant workers to apply for exit passes.
What is a visit pass?
On June 10 2022, migrant workers wishing to visit four popular locations on Sundays and public holidays were required to apply for a visit pass.
To manage the crowd at Chinatown, Geylang Serai, Jurong East and Little India, the MOH announced the implementation of a new mechanism.
Migrant workers who intended to visit these places on Sundays or public holidays had to obtain a visit pass. This pass was also known as the “popular places pass”.
Eighty thousand visit passes were available for each Sunday or public holiday. Initially, 30,000 passes were allocated for Little India, 20,000 for Jurong East, and 15,000 for Geylang Serai and Chinatown.
Migrant workers did not require a visit pass if they visited other Singapore locations on any day of the week.
How to apply for a visit pass?
Similar to the exit pass, the requirement for visit passes has been lifted for migrant workers who wish to visit popular places.
