Portugal holidays: Three major rule updates Britons MUST know before travelling

Man stuck in Portugal as UK doesn’t accept Portuguese Pfizer vaccinations

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The latest traffic light update saw seven new additions to the UK’s green list. Among them was Portugal’s Azores – an archipelago that sits roughly 1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The Azores join fellow archipelago Madeira on the green list.

However, mainland Portugal remains on the UK’s amber list for travel.

Since the Department of Transport updates the traffic light rules on August 26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice pages.

Here are three major rules Britons should be aware of before travelling:

Britons returning from green list Azores must pre-book travel tests

In its latest update, the FCDO explains: “The Azores has moved to the green list for entering England.”

This means both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers are able to enter the UK from the Azores without quarantine.

However, they will still be subject to a pre-departure COVID-19 test taken within the “three days before you travel to England”.

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Travellers must also take a second coronavirus PCR test on day two of their arrival in the UK.

This must have been booked and paid for in advance of travel, with details of these tests included on a “passenger locator form”.

The Gov.uk website explains: “You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive.”

Despite this, holidaymakers may still need to self-isolate if NHS Test and Trace notifies them that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

UK visitors to The Azores must follow strict entry requirements

While The Azores may be on the UK’s green list for travel, there are still strict entry requirements in place for those entering from the UK.

Travellers must either present proof of full vaccination, evidence of having recovered from COVID-19 in the previous 180 days or a negative coronavirus test.

The FCDO states: “You will be subject to health screening on arrival.

“If you don’t have an EU digital COVID-19 vaccination or recovery certificate and your airline has allowed you to travel without an RT-PCR COVID-19 test, you will have to take a test on arrival.”

Those remaining in The Azores for more than seven days will be required to take a new coronavirus test six days after their first one.

Mainland Portugal remains on the amber list, with some travellers facing quarantine

Although there has been good news for its archipelagos, Portugal remains on the UK’s amber list for travel.

This means that fully vaccinated travellers are not required to self-isolate on their return to the UK.

However, unvaccinated travellers still face 10 days of mandatory self-isolation.

Vaccinated arrivals must take a pre-departure coronavirus test within the 72 hours prior to travelling to the UK. They must also book and pay for a day two coronavirus test, the details of which should be included on your “passenger locator form”.

Unvaccinated arrivals face the same testing requirements, plus a further PCR test on day eight of their quarantine period.

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