Newsletter Netherlands Embassy to Singapore and Brunei - November 2021
Travel- and Consular Updates, News & Events
Preface by Roland Coppens
It is a pleasure to start this edition of the Embassy Newsletter, especially now that it is possible to travel back to Singapore without quarantine. There is a distinct feeling of optimism in the air! KLM’s latest campaign uses the tagline ‘We can never replace together’, and after very little travel over the last 20 months, I could not agree more. We learnt during the pandemic that technology could replace many things, but that there is no substitute to really ‘being together’.
KLM and Air France offer four weekly Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights; two from Amsterdam (every Monday and Saturday) and two from Paris (every Friday and Sunday).
Despite the fact that travel plummeted during the COVID crisis, I am proud that KLM maintained schedules to all its destinations in South East Asia, with the exception of Bali. We have always kept the ‘air bridge’ between Europe and South East Asia open; to fly seafarers, technicians, business travelers and families but also to secure a constant flow of (lifesaving) cargo.
The pandemic has had - and should have - a profound impact on the way we define our travel habits. When KLM turned 100 in October 2019, we launched ‘Fly Responsibly’ advocating our commitment to work together with customers, suppliers and partners towards achieving a sustainable future for aviation. We called out for change and now, more than ever, we are hoping business and leisure travelers will choose sustainable travel when they are ready to explore the world again. With KLM, customers can do so through offsetting their CO2 emissions and for an even higher impact – companies can join our Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme, so they will have the opportunity to contribute to developing a market for SAF.
On Wednesday 10 November, there will be another Q&A session for the Dutch Community. Our Country Manager for Singapore and Vietnam, Nicolas Ricard will be present to address any VTL questions you may have, as I will be in Amsterdam that week.
With travel restrictions beginning to ease, we all look forward to reuniting with loved ones during the festive season. KLM’s primary goal is to provide our customers, the best possible travel experience and I, along with our colleagues on the ground and in the air, look forward to welcoming you on board one of our beautiful airplanes in the very near future!
Kind regards,
Roland Coppens
General Manager Southeast Asia and Oceania at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Travel & Vaccination Information – Useful Links
As information is constantly changing, we have created an overview of useful links for Singapore on our website with information about travelling and vaccinations for everyone's convenience. We have done the same for Brunei. We will do our utmost to keep this list of links updated and relevant. Make sure you regularly check the updated information via the links provided to stay up to date.
We will continue with our monthly Consular Affairs Q&A sessions, co-organised with ADB-DutchCham. The next Q&A for Dutch people in Singapore will take place on November 10, from 12 to 1PM.
We have invited KLM to join this session to talk more about travelling and the VTL between Singapore and the Netherlands. We welcome the entire Dutch community in Singapore to participate in this Q&A.
You can already register and pose any questions you might have via this link.
We hope to see you then!
Consular News for Brunei Darussalam
From now on, we will include Brunei news in our newsletter as well.
For an overview of useful links to the latest travel- and vaccination information, go to the website.
Reminder: Passport Renewal
Do you know when your passport expires?
Most countries, including Singapore, need six months of validity for entry.
Find out how to renew your passport via this link.
Netherlands Innovation Network welcomes two new team members
The Netherlands Innovation Network (NIN) at the Netherlands Embassy in Singapore stimulates international cooperation between companies, research institutes and public authorities in the fields of innovation, technology and science. The network's activities support the implementation of the international knowledge and innovation agenda of government of the Netherlands.
Last month, NIN welcomed two new members to the team, and together with Astrid Seegers, Head of Innovation, they are happy to help and be your partner for your international R&D ambitions.
Jose Snoep, who joined the team as Advisor for Innovation, Technology and Science, will have a primary focus on life sciences and health, starting with stimulating collaborations in digital health innovation.
Alexander Drent is our temporary advisor, seconded from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and will focus on establishing a network around quantum technology, and on topics related to blockchain, digital government and identity.
The Netherlands Innovation Network is the partner for your international R&D ambitions, we are happy to help and are always open for an exploratory discussion! Read more about the team and how they can support via this link.
SWITCH: The Netherlands, your European Gateway for Startups
This year’s Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH) is taking place from 8 to 12 November. Explore opportunities in over 40 markets with international business experts at SWITCH Global’s Market Access Sessions. The Netherlands is also hosting a market access session, broadcasted on 8 November 2021, 4pm – 4.30pm (SGT), 9am – 9.30am (NL time).
Join this session to dive deeper into the world of food and agri, and discover the opportunities in the revolutionizing food industry for startups looking to expand into Europe. The Netherlands functions as a gateway to Europe especially in the food and agri industry, a large network and expertise is ready to scale the food solutions of the future.
You can register here to register for a SWITCH pass.
Crossroads 2021: Online mission to Singapore for EdTech Companies
On Wednesday November 10, from 3 – 4pm (SGT), the Netherlands Embassy in Singapore is co-organizing an exciting and informative ‘Online Mission’ about Education Technology (EdTech) in Singapore and South East Asia. This virtual discussion between Dutch EdTech startups and Singapore-based EdTech experts will offer unique and useful insights into the latest developments in the EdTech space in Singapore and the wider Asian region.
The Online Mission is a collaboration between Startup Utrecht, Regional Development Agency (ROM) Utrecht, the Netherlands Embassy and the Singapore Education Network.
The event will take place during Crossroads 2021 (8 - 11 November), an initiative by StartupUtrecht with partner events, inspiring keynotes and breakouts on Growth, Sustainability and Health. So really the place for startups, scale-ups, investors and corporates to connect & grow.
Click here for more information on the Online mission to Singapore for EdTech Companies, and here for more information on Crossroads.
Trade and Connectivity Challenge (TCC) 2021
Organised by Enterprise Singapore, TCC 2021 seeks solutions that address operational needs and drive partnerships in the aviation, maritime, land mobility, logistics and trade sectors.
We invite Dutch startups to participate and showcase their innovative solutions in growth areas such as big data, data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics & automation, improving supply chain management and more, so you are able to collaborate, co-develop and pilot your solutions with leading corporate partners. All Corporate Challenge Sponsors provide startups with opportunities for proof of concepts paid trials in Singapore!
Participation is super easy. Just go to the challenge platform and click the ‘participate’ button. Oh, and a total prize pool of S$100,000 of grant prizes is made available for TCC 2021! Register here to participate
Walk the Walks: The Cleanup Edition
After last year’s success of our Walk the Walks event, with over 200 participants, we would like to invite you for another edition of Walk the Walks: the Cleanup Edition.
Pick a route from NCA’s ‘The Book of Walks’ and walk this route with your walking buddy.
You can do the walk whenever it suits you, as long as it is sometime between 12 and 21 November 2021.
All participants will receive an orange t-shirt upon registration.
Bring a garbage bag with you to pick up trash along the way, and help clean up Singapore during your walk.
All proceeds of this year’s Walk the Walks will go to the Waterways Watch Society Singapore.
Important: Make sure you adhere to prevailing COVID-19 regulations and don’t walk in groups of more than 2 people.
Available packages:
Registration + free t-shirt: $15
Registration + ‘The Book of Walks’ + free t-shirt: $20
You can register here until 10 November. Let’s colour Singapore orange whilst cleaning up at the same time!
Virtual Southeast Asia Career Fair 2021
Continuing the success of previous Career Fairs organised in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico and China, the first Virtual Southeast Asia Career Fair (VSEACF 2021) will take place on Saturday, November 6.
Tap into the NL Alumni Network: more than 9300 alumni from Dutch universities live in Southeast Asia, varying from fresh grads to mid-career professionals. We also target graduates from top universities in Southeast Asia. Meet and screen your potential employees / employer virtually in one-on-one sessions. Six countries will be covered: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
A collaboration between Nuffic Neso, The Netherlands Embassy in Indonesia, Netherlands Food Partnerships, Erasmus Training Centre, the NL Alumni Network and the ASEAN Dutch Chamber Network (ADCN).
Register via this link.
Save the date for NCA’s Giving Back Week
Mark your calendars! The Netherlands Charity Association (NCA) is organizing a Giving Back Week in the second week of December. From 4-10 December various activities will take place all over Singapore to support NCA’s different charities. There will be a Sponsor Swim Event to participate in at the Hollandse Club, students of the Hollandse School will prepare gift boxes and Christmas cards…and much more, for young and old! Stay tuned and details will follow.
Interested in what the NCA does and how you can help the less privileged in Singapore?
Visit our website at www.nca.org.sg for more information.