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The Council of the European Union (EU) has removed Singapore and Ukraine from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted.

The decision was announced on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

However the recommendation is not a legally binding instrument.

The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation.

This means that non-essential travel to the EU from Singapore could be subject to temporary travel restriction, although it does not prejudice the possibility for an EU member state to lift this restriction for fully vaccinated travellers.

Responsibility for implementation still lies with each individual state of the EU however

According to a press release by the EU Council, the decision was based on criteria covering "the epidemiological situation and overall response to Covid-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources."

The press release added, "Reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case by case basis."

The list is reviewed every two weeks.

Currently, Singapore has Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with the following EU countries: Spain, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.

Neither the UK nor Switzerland are part of the EU.

What is the EU's criteria for lifting restrictions?

For restrictions on non-essential travel to be lifted for a country outside of the EU, the number of Covid-19 cases per 100 000 inhabitants over the last 14 days should be not more than 75, while the progress in Covid-19 vaccination should also be taken into account.

Other requirements include a stable or decreasing trend of new cases, the number of tests performed, a 4 per cent positivity rate among all tests carried out, the overall response to Covid-19 in the country and the reliability of the available information, along with reciprocity.

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Top photo from Changi Airport Facebook