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The Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) application on the SafeTravel website went down for around five hours on Nov. 22 after Malaysians and Indonesians who wish to enter Singapore via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flocked online.

This disrupted the first day of VTP application in view of the start of VTL between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur via air on Nov. 29.

This is despite the likelihood that a land-based VTL between Singapore and Johor will be ready by end of November 2021.

System down

As a result of the system going down, interested travellers faced trouble applying for the VTP soon after the application began at 10am.

However, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in an evening update that the VTP application on the SafeTravel website resumed normalcy at 3pm.

ICA explained that there was an "immediate surge" of close to 35,000 users trying to log in to the website when the application portal for the VTP for travellers from Malaysia and Indonesia opened at 10am. 

That resulted in the system disruption.

ICA had upscaled the system over the weekend in anticipation, but there was an error in the configuration.

"We regret the inconvenience caused and thank applicants for the understanding," ICA added.

In its media statement, ICA reminded that there is no quota for VTPs issued for air travel under the VTL.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents do not need to apply for VTPs to enter Singapore.

On the website, ICA also wrote that only those who are entering Singapore between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 may apply VTP at this point in time.

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