Dying to leave this island after two years of Covid-19 but not about to fork out the cash for an overpriced VTL flight? Rejoice, as you can now hop on a ferry to Batam or Bintan.

Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) from Singapore to Indonesia (Batam & Bintan) by ferry service will start on Feb 25, 2022 as part of Singapore’s simplified border measures, announced on Feb 16. That means you won’t need to quarantine after both legs of your journey if you’re fully vaccinated.

If you have family in Batam, it’s time to bust out the kueh at your first reunion in two years! For Singaporeans itching for a quick getaway, the trip to Batam or Bintan is a quick and easy 45 minute ride.

So, how do you get a VTL sea ticket? And how much will it cost to travel to Bintan or Batam now? Read on to find out.

Bintan & Batam Ferry VTL

The VTL Sea will operate from the Singapore Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to the following destinations:

• Batam Nongsapura International Ferry Terminal (350 travellers /week)
• Bandar Bintan Telani Ferry Terminal (350 travellers /week)

VTL Sea tickets can only be booked through one of the following ferry operators:

• Batam Fast
• Bintan Resort Ferries

Batam Ferry VTL schedule & price

To book a Batam Ferry VTL trip from Singapore to Batam, select “Tanah Merah to Nongsa” on Batam Fast’s website. At the time of writing, you could only book trips in the first week of March 2022 or earlier.

Batam Ferry only operates VTL rides on Thursdays, Fridays and weekends. Here’s the schedule:

A round trip costs $80 per person. This is inclusive of boat fare, surcharge and departure fees.

Bintan Ferry VTL Schedule & Price

To book a Bintan Ferry VTL trip, head to Bintan Resort Ferry’s website and select “Singapore (TMFT to BBT)”.

Bintan Ferry operates rides on Fridays, Mondays and weekends. Here’s the schedule:

A round trip costs$130 per person, including a $20 refundable deposit, boat fare, PCR test upon arrival in Bintan and levies / fees.

Travelling as a group or family? You can also go by private charter.

Am I eligible for VTL Sea?

Travel requirements via VTL Sea are the same as for VTL Air.

You must:

• Be fully vaccinated.
• Be a Singapore Citizen, PR, Long Term Pass Holder (except work permit holder) or unvaccinated child aged 12 years and below accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
• Have remained in a VTL country or Category 1 country (including transit stops) in the last seven consecutive days before departing from or returning to Singapore.
• Get a negative result on a PCR test or professionally-administered ART test taken within two days before departing for Singapore.
• Upon return to Singapore, take an on-arrival supervised ART test at a Quick Test Centre or Combined Test Centre within 24 hours of arrival and remain self-isolated until you get a negative result. You must travel to your accommodation via private transport, taxi or private car.

What if you’re a tourist in Singapore and want to make a trip to Batam? If you are a short term visitor or work permit holder, you can also travel via the VTL on condition that you:

• Apply between three to 60 days before departure for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP), which is valid for 14 days, and entry visa (if required)
• Use Trace Together app in Singapore
• Purchase travel insurance with minimum Covid-19 coverage of 30,000 SGD (work permit holders exempted from this requirement)
• Have a return ferry ticket corresponding to the duration of your hotel stay (work permit holders exempted from this requirement)
• Show proof of hotel booking confirmation and payment for duration of stay in Singapore in an approved hotel (work permit holders exempted from this requirement)

Batam & Bintan VTL vs Travel Bubble

On Feb 23, 2022, the government launched Singapore-Batam and Singapore-Bintan travel bubbles. This isn’t the same thing as the VTR.

Here’s how the travel bubble differs from the VTL:

• Travel Bubble is available only for trips between Singapore Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Batam Nongsapura or Bintan Lagoi.
• Travellers to Batam must have a confirmed package from one of these resorts: Batam View Beach Resort, Montigo Resorts, Nongsa Point Marina & Resort or Turi Beach Resort.
• Travellers to Batam must have a confirmed package from one of these resorts: The Anmon Bintan, Doulos Phos Ship Hotel, Banyan Tree Bintan, Mayang Sari Beach Resort, The Sanchaya, Club Med Bintan, Ria Bintan Golf Club or Cassia Bintan
• Those travelling via the travel bubble must stay within designated areas and cannot mix with visitors outside of their group.

The requirements for the travel bubble are also different.

Travellers must:

• Have stayed in Singapore for the last 14 days prior to the trip.
• Have received at least two vaccine doses, with the last dose being at least 14 days from the departure date.
• Get a negative result on a PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
• Have travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage of at least 30,000 SGD.
• Download the Peduli Lindugi app (Indonesia’s official contact tracing app) and fill up the e-HAC.

Batam / Bintan resorts price comparison

Here’s how much you can expect to pay to stay in Batam or Bintan. We’ve used the lowest room rates for dates which accord with the VTL ferry schedules. At some Bintan resorts, staying from Sunday to Monday works out to be cheaper than Friday or Saturday night.

Do I need to buy travel insurance?

If you are travelling via the travel bubble or are a work permit holder or short-term visitor to Singapore travelling via the VTL, you must have insurance offering at least 30,000 SGD worth of Covid-19 coverage.

For everyone else, travel insurance isn’t compulsory, but you should definitely still buy a plan with Covid-19 coverage! If you test positive for Covid-19 and are forced to cancel your trip, the insurance plan will enable you to recoup some of your costs.

ALSO READ: Travel insurance: Promo codes for 2022 and 7 more ways to save on it

This article was first published in MoneySmart.