Visa Requirements Lifted For Nationals From Sierra Leone Entering Singapore

With effect from 28 November 2015, nationals from Sierra Leone will no longer require a visa to enter Singapore. This follows the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration on 7 November 2015 that Sierra Leone was free of Ebola virus transmission, and that the outbreak there was over. The WHO declaration came after 42 days had passed since the last case of Ebola tested negative on 26 September 2015.

2. The visa requirement was originally imposed in November 2014 to allow for better oversight of entry of nationals from Ebola-affected countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea), as well as to facilitate possible contact tracing. In addition, it allows Singapore to inform the nationals of these countries during the visa application process of its Ebola health advisory and actions they should take, should they develop symptoms while en route to or during their stay in Singapore.

3. Singapore had lifted visa requirements for nationals from Liberia from 30 May 2015 following the WHO’s declaration that Liberia was Ebola-free on 9 May 2015. Noting the recent reports of cases in Liberia, we are monitoring the situation closely and we will consider re-imposing visa requirements if necessary.

4. Nationals from Guinea will still require a visa to enter Singapore as Guinea continues to report new cases of Ebola Virus Disease and the WHO has not declared it free of Ebola virus transmission. The Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to closely monitor the Ebola situation.

5. While the situation remains fluid, MOH’s assessment continues to be that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa poses a low public health risk to Singapore. This is because person-to-person transmission results from direct contact with bodily fluids of those infected, and the current outbreak is limited to West Africa, and travel connectivity between Singapore and West Africa is low.

6. Before travelling to West Africa, members of the public are encouraged to refer to the MOH web page on Ebola for the latest Health Advisory. Those travelling to countries with reported Ebola Virus Disease activity (currently Guinea) are advised to adopt the necessary precautions, which includes the following:

- Practise frequent hand washing (e.g. after going to the toilet, or when hands are soiled); when soap and running water are unavailable, an alcohol-based hand rub can be used instead. The virus is not hardy and can easily be destroyed by such disinfectants.

- Avoid direct contact with blood or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animals, as well as objects that may have become contaminated with these infectious fluids, such as soiled clothing, bedsheets, or used needles;

- Avoid participating in burial ceremonies which require direct contact with the body of a deceased infected person.

- Avoid contact with wild animals, including bats, monkeys, apes, chimpanzee and gorillas, whether alive or dead, including their raw or undercooked meat;

- Travellers who suspect that they have been exposed to the Ebola virus should seek immediate medical attention if they develop any disease symptoms (i.e. sudden onset of high fever, stomach pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, rash or bleeding) within 3 weeks of their return. They should inform their doctor of their recent travel or contact history.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
27 NOVEMBER 2015