Travel FAQs

Pre-Event Testing

What is Pre-Event Test (PET)?

A “Pre-Event Test” refers to a COVID-19 test taken by an attendee or patron who wishes to enter a premise where certain events, businesses, or activities are being held. This attendee or patron must obtain a negative COVID-19 test result within a specified period of time, before being allowed to enter the premise.

Why is Pre-Event Test (PET) required?

PET reduces the risk of a COVID-19 positive case being present hence the likelihood of an outbreak occurring at events, businesses, or activities. This allows more of such activities to resume safely, in particular those with larger numbers of attendees.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced that this exemption will only apply from 24 April 2021* onwards. As OSEA 2022 falls on 15 Nov 2022, exemption from PET will not apply to individuals who have completed the full vaccination regimen. All attendees will have to go through a mandatory Antigen Rapid Test (ART) before the commencement of the event.

*From 24 April 2021, individuals who have completed the full vaccination regimen and have had time to develop sufficient protection (i.e. two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccination) can gain entry to events that implement PET without the need to undergo PET.

Rapid antigen tests are commonly used in the diagnosis of respiratory illnesses. In this case, the rapid antigen detection test detects spike proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus aka Covid-19.

Antigen tests are immunoassays that detect the presence of a specific viral antigen, which identifies people with a possibility of viral infection. In some situations, they may be a viable alternative to nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT or PCR tests), which look for viral RNA in the sample.

ART is useful for pre-event testing for events such as business-to-business events, wedding receptions, live performances, and sports events.

If you are attending one of our physical events, the ART test kit typically takes 15 to 30 minutes to complete. You will receive an SMS for the e-certificate according to the prescribed format if your ART test is negative. Alternatively, you may re-scan the QR code, 15 mins after your swab test, that was provided on the ART Registration Card during your ART swab test. Please note that this certificate is valid for 24 hours and should cover the entire duration of your event. This e-cert will be used as verification for entry to the event venue.

You will need a proof of identity such as NRIC/FIN/Passport. Preferably a smartphone with camera function and wifi enabled to scan for the QR code and be notified of the results.
All positive ART results will require a confirmatory PCR test as a follow-up to determine if the person is genuinely a positive case. We will conduct a mandatory express PCR test for you at the venue should the ART be positive. The turnaround time is estimated between 2 to 3 hours. If the test results return to be a negative case, you will be allowed to attend the event.

Our medical staff will repeat the ART on the spot for you. If the repeat test is still inconclusive, we will conduct a mandatory express PCR test for you at the venue.

The turnaround time of an express PCR test is estimated between 2 to 3 hours. If the PCR test results return to be negative, you should be allowed to attend the event.

The ARTs used in the pre-event testing pilots minimally meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recommendation of at least 80% for sensitivity and 97% for specificity and have been evaluated by MOH. This means that they will be able to pick up at least 80% of individuals who are infected with COVID-19, and will show a result of 3% false positives in healthy individuals.
The validity of your COVID-19 test result is 24 hours from the time you were registered in-person at the testing premise. As long as the result is still valid, you may enter and stay in the premise of the event, business, or activity.

Step 1: Arrive at your designated time(found on your confirmation email) to allow sufficient time to conduct the ART test

Step 2: Do a pre-registration at our contactless registration booth, by scanning the QR that was sent together with your confirmation email

Step 3: Proceed to ART test area to perform ART test

Step 4: After the test, proceed to the result waiting area, according to your allocated zone

Step 5: You will receive your test result via SMS. Alternatively, you may re-scan the QR code, 15 mins after your swab test, that was provided on the ART Registration Card during your ART swab test. Once your result shows negative, you can proceed to the badge collection counter for verification and proceed to the event hall.

Step 6: Ushers will direct you to your designated zone which are demarcated in the event hall. Please note that the colour reflected on your lanyard will indicate the zone that you are in. In line with the prevailing guidelines for business events, you are not allowed to inter-mingle with other attendees from the other zones demarcated in a colour different from yours. Please keep your mask on at all times, unless during consumption of meals.

If you show any symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days after the event, kindly seek medical assistance immediately and inform the organisers at [email protected]

Safe Management Measures

No, you are not allowed to go across to another zone. Safe Distancing Ambassadors will be around to advise.
Individuals are required to put on their face masks all at times, except during meal times at your table.
Yes, you may mingle with participants seated within your designated zone. However, you are not allowed to cross over to another zone. Please ensure that you keep your mask on when speaking with delegates from other tables within the same zone and maintain social distancing of 1 m between yourselves.
Please seek assistance from our working staff onsite immediately if you are experiencing any signs of discomfort.

For further information on safe management measures for MICE events, please visit https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/end/home-pages/advisory-for-MICE.html

If we missed a question you would like answered, please send us an email below and a member of our team will be in touch.