Portugal has green-lighted non-essential airline travel between Brazil and the United States – and removed the requirement for non-vaccinated travellers from UK to quarantine on arrival in this country.
All visitors have to do as of yesterday (until September 16) is present a European Covid Digital Certificate, or proof of a negative PCR or antigen test (the former taken up to 72 hours prior to embarkation, the latter 48 hours).
After September 16, in principle, the situation will continue.
The government dispatch announcing this change in policy says it can be “revised at any time”, depending on the evolution of Portugal’s epidemiological situation.
The text explains that “with exception of the two countries mentioned, the Member States of the European Union and countries associated to Schengen Space, the United Kingdom and countries and administrative regions where the epidemiological situation is in accordance with the EU Recommendation 2020/912 of the Council of June 30, 2020 – whose list no longer includes Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Lebanon and Kosovo – only essential travel is permitted for other third countries”.
Quarantine meantime is still required by any arrivals to Portugal from South Africa, India or Nepal.
The news, announced yesterday, has gone some of the way to appeasing AHP, the Association of Portuguese Hoteliers, which has been campaigning for acceptance of travellers fully-vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India (Covishield). DGS health authorities have intimated that they will recognise the vaccine, but nothing official has been said since. This latest decision means people protected by Covishield can now come to Portugal on holiday (or for any other reason) on the basis of a negative PCR or antigen test.
