Portugal holidays: Foreign Office issues new update on ‘entry’ to amber list hotspot

Portugal: Holidaymakers share experience of getting back to UK

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Although Portugal was moved to the Government’s amber list for travel at the beginning of June, some travel firms have reported British holidaymakers continuing to push ahead with their plans in return for quarantine.

Furthermore, Portugal is still welcoming British tourists.

However, Britons are only able to visit the country if they follow a specific set of entry requirements as set out by the Portuguese Government.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) keeps its travel advice pages up-to-date with the relevant information for Britons looking to travel or currently in foreign countries.

The travel authority advises: “Before you travel, check the ‘Entry requirements’ section for Portugal’s current entry restrictions and requirements. These may change with little warning.”

On Tuesday, the FCDO issued a new update on “COVID-19 testing for entry to Portugal”.

The latest update outlined the specific tests which will be accepted in order to be permitted through the Portuguese border.

“With the exception of children up to the age of 12, you must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to or through Portugal,” explains the FCDO.

“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.

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“You must show your test certificate before you board your flight to Portugal.

“Your airline is likely to deny boarding if you cannot show this at check-in. Check with your airline before you travel.”

Passengers are also required to fill out an online passenger locator card before arrival in Portugal.

Upon arrival, health screenings are in place including temperature and visual checks.

“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,” the FCDO adds.

Although the NHS does offer free COVID-19 tests for Britons, these are not to be used in order to enable travel overseas.

“You should arrange to take a private test,” explains the FCDO.

“Make sure you have a NAAT or an antigen test that meets the requirements.

“Check your test result identifies the type of test taken and gives your name, date of birth, the date and time the sample was collected and the date of the result.”

Testing requirements have already caused some chaos for travellers visiting Portugal in recent months.

When the nation was suddenly axed from the green list, holidaymakers rushing home found themselves denied the right to fly due to having the incorrect COVID-19 test type.

Speaking to BBC News at the time, Mick Hurley from Manchester said: “We arrived to board our flight from Porto to Manchester.

“We had our tickets checked a couple of times and our information, our documents that we were required to bring along with us.

“When we were just about to board our flight, our final check the Ryanair staff said we did not have the right test information for our Covid status.

“They disembarked us and popped us out the other side of the airport and left us to it. We’ve spent the rest of the day with this queue behind us queuing for another type of Covid test.”

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