Portugal: Expert offers advice to people who have trips booked
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The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a new warning to Britons eyeing a holiday in Portugal. Britons hoping to visit the amber list country will be required to show evidence that they have received both doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.
If not, they will face 14 days of mandatory quarantine.
In a new update, the FCDO explains: “If you have travelled from the UK to mainland Portugal, you must quarantine for 14 days in the place you are staying or at a place indicated by the Portuguese health authority, unless you can show you have been fully vaccinated with an EU approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel.”
Children under 18 are exempted from the new rule.
Britons who are set to quarantine are required to fill out a form ahead of time.
The FCDO warns that those who have been vaccinated must make sure they have adequate evidence with them.
“Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status,” it explains.
Instead, travellers can either use an official letter from the NHS or the NHS Covid pass.
The pass is downloaded as a smartphone app and is being accepted by most countries, however, there has been some confusion in recent weeks with Malta only accepting paper confirmation.
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The NHS Covid pass is accessible to people two weeks after having a second dose of the vaccine.
For those travelling to either Madeira or Porto Santo, similar rules apply.
“If you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 180 days, or have had both doses of the vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel, you will be exempt from showing an RT-PCR test on entry to Madeira and Porto Santo,” explains the FCDO.
“If you live in England, the authorities in Madeira and Porto Santo will accept your NHS COVID Pass as evidence of your COVID-19 vaccination status.
“If you live in Scotland or Wales, the authorities will accept your respective NHS letter.”
Regardless of whether or not a traveller has been vaccinated, all arrivals into Portugal must show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.
“The test can be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), including RT-PCR, taken within 72 hours of travel, or an Antigen test that meets the performance standards set out in the EU common list of Rapid Antigen Tests, taken within 48 hours of travel,” states the FCDO.
“You must show your test certificate before you board your flight to mainland Portugal.”
Travellers who arrive at the airport without an appropriate testing certificate are “likely” to be refused travel.
Portuguese authorities are also conducting health screenings for those arriving in Portugal.
This includes a temperature check and visual observation.
“If your temperature is 38 degrees celsius or over or you show signs of being unwell, you may be required to take a further COVID-19 test and remain at the airport until you receive your test result,” adds the FCDO.
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