A leading agency group boss has questioned whether a relaxation of Portugal’s entry rules will apply to British travellers.
Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said was responding after the Lisbon government announced the dropping of a requirement to present a negative Covid-19 test for air passengers arriving with a valid digital European Union certificate or recognised proof of vaccination.
The move, approved in a cabinet meeting, is aligned with European Union rules.
In a statement, the government said negative tests will no longer be required for “those who present the EU Covid digital certificate in any of its modalities or other proof of vaccination that has been recognised”.
It did not say when the decision would take effect, but the rules now in force were meant to last until February 9, Reuters reported.
The Portuguese interior ministry, which is responsible for the entry of people into the country, could not immediately provide further details, including whether British or American proof of vaccination would be considered valid.
Lo Bue-Said tweeted: “Whilst Portugal has confirmed it will scrap tests for vaccinated arrivals, the Portuguese authorities have not confirmed from when or whether this includes arrivals from UK.
She stressed that the trade “also needs to understand what this means for unvaccinated children for half term holidays”.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate records if people have been vaccinated, received a negative test result or have proof of recovery from Covid.
The UK Foreign Office had not updated its travel advice for Portugal at the time of writing.
Portugal eased some Covid curbs in early January, allowing students to return to schools and nightclubs to reopen but kept the negative test requirement to all passengers entering the country.
The country is one of the world’s most vaccinated nations, with nearly 90% of its people fully inoculated, and although the infection numbers and incidence are still near record levels, hospitalisations and deaths are well below peaks a year ago.