While fully vaccinated Americans can fly to hundreds of cities and towns across the country and 27 European capitals, border rules across Asia remain far stricter than in any other region in the world.
Governments in Asia have promised to reopen their borders because of the improved Covid situation and progress on vaccinations. But they are falling behind the rest of the world. Air travel in August across the region was still 10 percent of what it was two years ago, lagging the rebound in the United States. Travelers must navigate an inconsistent patchwork of border restrictions, visa rules and travel corridors — one likely to continue for months.
Vaccinated travelers from a handful of countries, including Britain and Spain, won't have to quarantine to visit Singapore. But Ireland and Portugal, which have comparable vaccination rates, didn t make the list. And visitors from only four places in Asia — Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan — can enter by applying for a special pass.
The list of eligible countries from which tourists can visit Indonesia is longer, with travelers from 19 countries cleared to visit Bali and the Riau Islands. People from India, which has vaccinated about a quarter of its population, are good to travel. But those from Singapore, which has vaccinated 72 percent, or Malaysia, 82 percent, aren t yet welcome.