Portugal: Current Travel Restrictions Explained

In line with the new rules that Portugal has, travellers from the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) can enter the country for all kinds of purposes provided that they fill out a Passenger Locator Form and hold a valid certificate that falls under the EU Digital COVID Pass.

This means that all EU/EEA travellers are permitted restriction-free entry to Portugal as long as they hold a vaccination, recovery certificate, or a negative COVID-19 test result, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.

Portugal accepts all vaccination passes that indicate that the holder has been vaccinated within the last 270 days with these vaccine doses: BioNTech, Novavax, Moderna, AstraZeneca (all of its forms), Janssen, Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Covaxin. Vaccination certificates that prove that the holder has received a booster shot are accepted too.

Recovery certificates are accepted as long as the last positive test has been obtained in the last 180 days. As for the COVID-19 tests, it has been explained that PCR tests need to be taken within 72 hours and the rapid antigen test need to be taken within 24 hours before arrival in order to be recognised.

Entry Requirements for Travellers From Third Countries

Similar to the EU/EEA countries, travellers from several third countries can also enter Portugal for travel purposes. Portugal currently allows non-essential travel from these third countries, Brazil, Canada, the USA, and the UK.

In addition, non-essential travel is also allowed for travellers from Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait, New Zealand, Peru, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Rwanda,  United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Uruguay, and the administrative regions of Macau and Hong Kong, provided that they meet reciprocal conditions.

Travellers from these third countries who reach Portugal by air or sea are required to present a vaccination certificate indicating immunisation against the virus with one of the vaccines listed above or a recovery certificate.

In contrast, stricter rules apply to third-country travellers reaching Portugal by land. Travellers who do not hold a Digital COVID EU Certificate are required to present a pre-entry PCR test performed in the last 72 hours or a rapid antigen test performed in the last 24 hours when entering Portugal by land.

“Citizens who are not holders of the Digital Covid EU certificate in vaccination, test, or recovery modalities, will have to present proof of a negative RT-PCR test (TAAN), performed in the last 72 hours, or rapid antigen test (TRAg), performed in the last 24h,” the statement of the Portuguese authorities reads.

These entry rules apply only to persons over the age of 12. Those under are exempt from the requirement to present a certificate or a test.

Travel from any other third-country that was not mentioned above is only permitted if someone is travelling for professional, study, health, humanitarian, and family reunion purposes.

“Flights from countries not mentioned are allowed exclusively for “essential travel”, i.e., to allow the entry into Portugal of citizens travelling for professional, study and family reunion purposes, and for health or humanitarian reasons,” the Portuguese authorities stated.

Portugal’s Domestic COVID-19 restrictions

Except for easing its entry rules, Portugal now also applies facilitated domestic COVID-19 restrictions. Travellers are now able to attend different places and events, including bars, restaurants, and clubs, among others, without having to present a certificate or a test.

The only requirement that currently remains in place in mainland Portugal is to keep a face mask on when in closed spaces.

>> Portugal to Lift Most of Its COVID-19 Restrictions