Portugal Removes All Entry Requirements For Travelers
Portugal has become the latest country to remove all of its travel rules and Covid-19 entry requirements.
The wildly popular travel destination was one of the few remaining major tourist destinations to still have relatively strict entry requirements in place. However, following today’s positive announcement, the sunny destination will now join the growing list of other countries on the continent and around the world that have liberated travelers of tests and vaccine passport requirements – just in time for a busy summer of travel.
Whilst the travel situation throughout Europe still looks fraught, with strikes, delays, and cancellations affecting the travel plans of many travelers, being able to visit Portugal without tests or any other kinds of documentation will likely bring some cheer to the great numbers of travelers looking to jet off to the country over the next few months.
Here’s a closer look at what exactly is set to change regarding entry to Portugal, and what else travelers should know about visiting the country.
Portugal Removes Entry Requirements – What Travelers Should Know
The last few months have been full of positive stories for travelers, particularly when it comes to countries dropping their Covid-19 related barriers and opening up to travel once more. However, whilst much of Europe has peeled back their entry requirements in favor of welcoming tourists back, some countries have resisted so far, including Portugal. However, that has now all changed courtesy of an announcement made by the country today.
Prior to today, entry to Portugal was still a relatively tall order for travelers, which saw many flocks to alternate destinations on the continent as a result. In order to be able to enter the country, Portugal required travelers to ensure that they had either proof of a negative Covid-19 test result, proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection, or proof of their vaccination against the virus. However, as of today, travelers will no longer need any of those things to enter.
The change to Portugal’s entry requirements was reported by the country’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) today. It states that travelers will no longer need to present a negative test result in order to fly into the country, nor will they need to show proof of vaccination through either the EU Digital Certificate or any other means.
In short, travelers are now free to enter the country in exactly the same way they were before the pandemic – armed with only a passport and a relevant visa where required.
The change is live now, meaning that travelers flying to the country from July 1, 2022 onwards will find the process of entering the country a relative breeze – just like it is to enter most other European destinations.
Following Portugal’s change, it means that there are just five countries in Europe that are still clinging on to their Covid-19 related entry requirements – Spain, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Malta.
According to the official document that brought about the changes, it was made due to the fact that “the epidemiological situation experienced in Portugal following the Covid-19 disease pandemic has remained relatively stable, as a result of the high vaccination coverage, the emergence of new drugs for the serious disease and greater knowledge about the infection”.
The dropping of the entry requirements comes at a strange time for Portugal – not that anyone is complaining – with the country currently reporting some of the highest Covid-19 statistics on the continent. The past week has seen an average of nearly 9,000 daily cases, with early June seeing as many as 70,000 cases reported in one day. However, with summer fast approaching and the country at risk of missing out on another consecutive year of a tourist drought, it seems Portugal has pivoted towards living with Covid-19 – though not entirely.
Whilst it may be a piece of cake entering the country, Portugal is still pretty strict with regards to managing the spread of the virus once travelers arrive. The country’s Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, revealed in a press conference this week that mask-wearing on public transport, hospitals, and pharmacies was still required and strongly recommended in other situations. That said, the change is a positive step in the right direction, and has firmly put Portugal back on the map as a serious destination for travelers to consider this summer.
Source: https://bit.ly/3NE6oJd
