COVID-19 FAQs

The health and safety of our community is our priority. We have put a number of measures in place to protect our community on campus. 
See Safety measures on Campus

Please strictly adhere to the guidelines and measures provided by the INSEAD Crisis Management Team.   

Whether on or off-campus, you should:     

• ​Respect safe distancing 
• Avoid gatherings 
• Wear a mask  (mandatory on the Asia and Middle East Campuses)
• Wash or sanitise hands frequently 
• Download and activate government-provided contact tracing apps 

Mask wearing remains mandatory in healthcare facilities and in transport settings. People are encouraged to continue being socially responsible to protect themselves and others, and to wear a mask in crowded places and when around vulnerable people. When experiencing symptoms, wear a mask and take a test.   

We have created guidelines, also available for reference or download here, to clarify some questions about different types of Covid-19 tests. Note that some information in this guide is specific to France, please refer to the links provided for reliable information sources for our other locations. 

What the different tests do 

• A PCR test detects whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself is present in the sample 
• An antigen test detects whether a sample taken from the nasopharynx (where the back of the nose connects to the soft palate) presents a reaction to SARS-CoV-2 virus proteins 
• An auto test (also known as a self-test, lateral flow test, or ART) is also an antigen test, but the sample is taken in the nose itself. It is less reliable than a nasopharyngeal antigen test 

 Remember 

• Being vaccinated or having a negative test result does not mean you should stop following health and safety measures 
• Mask wearing, personal hygiene, hand washing, and safe distancing are easy and effective ways to stop the spread of the virus 
• If you receive a positive result from any test: isolate immediately, follow the recommendations from the government (France specific), and inform the Crisis Management Team (informing your professor you will join classes via Zoom is not enough – you need to tell us too!) 
• Be mindful that regulations differ per location, please see the specific guidelines for Singapore, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco, and refer to our FAQs for more details  

Wherever you are based, please ensure you follow the local recommendations and guidelines. You do not need to wait for an e-mail from INSEAD to take action!

• Singapore: fill in this form and follow these guidelines from the Singapore government 
• France: follow these guidelines from the French government 
• Abu Dhabi: click here for guidelines 
• San Francisco: click here for guidelines 

If you test positive, please inform your class officer or programme manager and send an email to [email protected]. This applies to all locations – Singapore, Fontainebleau, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco – and is required as per government regulations. The relevant authorities will use this information for contact tracing. However, you can help them make a head-start by compiling a list of close contacts from the previous seven days and inform them yourself so they can take appropriate action as well.

A close contact is generally considered anyone who you have spent more than 10 minutes with, regardless of mask wearing or social distancing. This may include colleagues, study group members or classmates. For further details on how close contacts are managed in the countries we are located, see the links below:   

• Singapore – Living with COVID  
• France – Click here
• United Arab Emirates – Quaranting to fight COVID   
• San Francisco – Isolation & Quarantine  

Close contacts are anyone within the past seven days who:  

• shared the same living space as the confirmed or probable case;  
• had direct contact with a case, face-to-face, within one metre, regardless of the duration (eg a conversation, meal, hugs). On the other hand, people crossed in a public space in a fleeting way are not considered as contact persons at risk;  
• provided or received acts of hygiene or care;  
• shared a confined space (office or meeting room, personal vehicle, etc.) for at least 10 consecutive minutes or accumulated over 24 hours with a case, or remained face-to-face with a case during several episodes of coughing or sneezing;  
• is a student or teacher in the same school class (nursery, primary, secondary, tutorial group at the university).  

A confined space is a space that does not meet the social distancing criterion, i.e. a minimum distance of two metres around a person.  

The Main Reception is open from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on weekends and public holidays.

The following services will be provided at the Main Reception: 

• Operations & Campus Services Help Desk 
• Badge request and issuance 
• Visitor check-in 

Email [email protected] for front desk related queries.

We welcome all back to campus. Please register your visitors on VMS.

TraceTogether App or Token are no longer required to access campus

You must be fully vaccinated to enter campus. Click here for more information.

An INSEAD Badge is required to enter campus.

Mask wearing is optional for both indoors and outdoors.

Guest speakers are allowed on campus. Please register your visitors on VMS.  

The regulations have been lifted and the APRETTO bar and the restaurant have resume normal operations.

The regulations for the Fitness Centre have been lifted and resume normal operations.

Yes, the Mail Room is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. It is closed during the weekend.  

INstore is open Monday to Friday from 8.15 am to 6:30 pm. Weekend, Closed.

The Security Office is open 24/7.

The Tanoto Research & Learning Hub on the Asia Campus is open 24/7 with badge access.

There is 24/7 book-drop to return items.

You can access online resources here.

Staff are present Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. (Weekend & Public Holiday, No staff on duty).

INSEAD Residences on the Asia Campus is now open.

The Asia Campus teaching spaces have reverted to the original capacity. You may refer to the Asia Campus Learning & Common Spaces Seating Plan. 

Currently, we are using the Aeris Active disinfectant which is a hospital grade disinfectant cleaner that kills Covid-19 in 60 seconds and protects against it for seven days or up to 200 touches. 

Our routine disinfection takes place as follows: 

• High touch areas including lift button panels and glass door: hourly. 
• VMS & SafeEntry Kiosks: three times a day. 
• Washrooms: three times a day. 
• Amphis and Flatrooms: cleaned in between each class (MBA) and at every break (EDP and Executive Degrees). They are also cleaned each evening. 
• Common spaces such as the Restaurant, Bar, Fitness Centre, Meeting Rooms & Library: daily. 
• Office workstations: Saturday and Sunday. 
• Aircon Supply Units: disinfected weekly.  
• Hand sanitiser stations: we to stock and maintain all stations located on campus as needed.  

In case of a high number of cases or a cluster, we will do additional disinfection if necessary and as required. 

ART test kits are available on campus for our community in Singapore. Staff, faculty, and students/participants can collect them from the main reception from Monday to Friday, 7.00 am to 7.00 pm. Remember that if you test positive you should isolate immediately, follow the government guidelines and report your positive status here.

Please click this link to report your positive status or if you have been issued with a Health Risk Notice (HRN). There is no need to report a negative status.  

You may click here to read the latest updated protocols from the government.  

Please click on this link to find out on the latest vaccination protocol.  

Please click on this link to find out all the details on the latest requirements for travel to Singapore and recognition of overseas vaccination status. 

Travellers are required to be fully vaccinated with WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) COVID-19 vaccines to enter to Singapore. Please click on this link to find out more. 

For the latest updates, you can visit The UAE Government Portal 

For a vaccinated person with symptoms of Covid-19, but who has not tested yet 

If symptoms appear, the person should perform a test immediately and self-isolate until receipt of the result. If the result is positive, the person will receive a text message from Seha telling them to report to a designated hospital and isolate in the meantime. 

For a positive person with or without symptoms of Covid-19 

High-risk patients or people with severe symptoms will take additional tests, followed by consultation with a doctor to determine if they need hospital care.  

People with mild or no symptoms must quarantine for 10 days either at home or in a facility depending on their living arrangements. 

For a person who has been in contact with a positive person for Covid-19  

Close contacts are no longer required to quarantine. 

The Reception desk is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

There are no requirements to enter the Middle East Campus as of 7 November 2022.

There are no requirements to enter the Middle East Campus as of 7 November 2022.

There are no requirements to enter the Middle East Campus as of 7 November 2022.

Testing is not available on the Middle East Campus. However, a COVID-19 test can be arranged at any of the SEHA centres as well as at main private hospitals. Its cost has been fixed by the authorities at Aed 40.  

Auto-tests are not provided on campus. We encourage our community to get vaccinated.

Inform [email protected] if the result is positive.  

No, it is not required.

Those who have taken Covid-19 vaccines abroad that are approved by the UAE can register their details and vaccination certificates with the authorities by visiting smartservices.ica.gov.ae. Approved vaccines will appear on the Al Hosn App. 

Vaccination is widely accessible in the UAE. You can visit any vaccination centre by presenting your Emirates ID to get the vaccine. Please check the nearest facility  here  

Sinopharm, Pfizer- BioNTech and  Sputnik V are available for citizens and residents for free.  

No, there is no need to quarantine on arrival.

No, there is no need to quarantine on arrival.

The Green Pass is not required to enter public facilities and sites, except hospitals and medical facilities. Al Hosn App use will be limited to proof of vaccination and test results inside and outside the UAE upon request.

If you face difficulties in uploading or activating Al Hosn app, whether you are a resident in the UAE or a visitor, you can contact Al Hosn hotline at 8004676 to fix the problem.

If you are a visitor and still cannot fix the problem through Al Hosn Hotline, you have the possibility to show your vaccination certificate on the official app of residence country and your latest PCR test results on your phone when you visit the public places that require Al Hosn App for access.