Latest Travel to Portugal - Updated 4th Feb. 2022

Updated 4th Feb. 2022.

The Government announced on 25th November that Portugal will return to a State of Calamity due to the increase in cases of Covid-19 from 1st December and the revised travel order is effective until 23:59 on 9th February 2022.

The Portuguese Government announced a series of changes on 3rd Feb, to the rules regarding COVID-19  digital certificates, which will already indicate the booster dose.  

It is now no longer necessary to present a negative test upon entry into Portugal for those who have a digital certificate.

You can travel to Portugal for any purpose from the EU/EEA, the UK and from some other non-EU/EEA countries. If you are travelling from any other non-EU/EEA county, you can only enter for essential purposes. Check the Portuguese Immigration Service website for further details of entry requirements.

Anyone travelling to Portugal:

• The GNR and SEF will carry out random inspection operations at the border crossing points
• Mandatory negative test for all flights arriving in Portugal even for those who have a digital vaccination certificate, regardless of the point of origin of the flight or the passengers nationality
• Citizens from EU countries considered to be a low or moderate risk (by ECDC) must carry a certificate reflecting vaccination, testing or recovery from COVID-19
• ALL citizens from countries outside the EU and from countries certified to have a red risk level (by ECDC) when they do not have a certificate of vaccination, testing or recovery must present:

1. Laboratory proof of a negative PCR test performed in the last 72 hours
2. Laboratory proof of rapid antigen test performed in the last 48 hours and with a negative result
3. All tests must be administered by trained healthcare professions. Self-administered tests are NOT acceptable

• All passengers must complete a Passenger Locator Form prior to departure Arrival by Air

Only rapid antigen tests that are included in the common list of rapid antigen tests for screening of COVID-19 disease in the community area, agreed by the Health Safety Committee of EU are allowed.

Always check with your airlines before travelling to Portugal.

For UK Nationals - Please check your passport and ensure that if you are travelling to an EU country (except Ireland) or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, or Vatican City you must meet the Schengen area rules:

Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:

• Less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the date of issue)
• Valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the expiry date)

The U.K. Government is asking the European Commission to clarify the 10-year rule as their guidance may not be updated until spring 2022. Until then, for some Schengen countries your passport may need to be less than 10 years old during your whole visit and the 3 months at the end of your visit may need to be within the 10 years of your passport issue date.

Check both the issue date and the expiry date of your passport. Contact your travel provider or embassy of the country you are visiting if you are unsure if you think that your passport does not meet these requirements.  Also, check GOV.UK for more info.

All passengers need to: 

Complete an online passenger locator card before you arrive in Portugal. 

All passengers travelling to Portugal may be subject to health screening on arrival. If your temperature is 38ºC or over or you show signs of being unwell, you may be required to take a further RT-PCR COVID-19 test and remain at the airport until you receive your test result.

Transiting Spain and France: 

Please check the requirements for entering and transiting France and Spain on FCDO Travel Advice, before you travel.

Returning to the UK:

From Friday 7th January  2022, the rules for international travel to England will change and pre-arrival tests for arrivals into England are to be scrapped. You will no longer be required to have a negative test to show on arrival. Instead,  need to:

• The Day 2 PCR test which had been required can now be an antigen/lateral flow test instead. This change will negate the need to self isolate if they return a positive test, a further PCR test will be needed to identify any new variants, plus isolation as normal

• complete your passenger locator form –  48 hours before your flight arrives in England 

NHS kits cannot be used. Travellers will still need to complete a Passenger Locator Form. 

You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated (plus 14 days) with a document (digital or paper-based) from a national or state-level public health body that includes, as a minimum:

• foreman and surname(s)
• date of birth
• vaccine brand and manufacturer
• date of vaccination for every dose
• country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issuer

If your documents from a public health body do not include all of the above, you MUST follow the non-vaccinated rules. If not, you may be denied boarding.

From Friday 11th February 2022, the rules for international travel to England will change and ALL testing requirements will be removed for eligible fully vaccinated arrivals, with only a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) now required.

Arrivals who are NOT recognised as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after they arrive in the UK.

Children aged 12-15 in England will be able to prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via a digital NHS COVID Pass from 3rd February for outbound travel.

If you are fully vaccinated in the USA, you will also need to prove that you are a resident of the USA.

Safe Travel in and across Portugal

Measures are in place throughout Portugal to control the spread of the virus. You are required to observe the rules on social distancing when in public:

• Keep a social distance of 2 metres
• Use a face covering in enclosed spaces, and outdoors where a distance of 2m cannot be maintained
• Wash your hands regularly

Your temperature can be taken on access to enclosed spaces, as determined by the health authorities.

The new regulations applied by England on 7th January to arrivals in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The EU Commission is reviewing Portugal’s imposition that ALL passengers test negative for COVID-19, even if vaccinated and recovered in the EU and are assessing the situation as at 3rd December having only been advised of the addition regulations by other EU member states (Ireland) as the change imposed by Portugal has not been agreed and co-ordinated across EU. 

All content is valid at the date of publication and should only be used as a guide.