FCO make changes to Portugal entry requirements ahead of summer holiday

Travel advice for holidaymakers heading to Portugal this summer has been updated by the government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced on July 1 that the country had dropped its vaccination and testing requirements for visitors to mainland Portugal, Madeira and Porto Santo.

This will be welcome news to Brits with holidays booked to Portugal this summer as they will no longer have to show proof of vaccination to enter the country. Unvaccinated travellers will not have to show a negative test either.

Passenger locator forms have also been scrapped. The changes will make it easier for tourists to visit Portugal and it’s likely it will reduce airport queues on arrival.

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The FCDO said: “A passenger locator form is no longer required for entry to mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. There are no COVID vaccination or testing requirements for entry to mainland Portugal, Madeira and Porto Santo.”

However, the rules are slightly different for those travelling to the Azores. Travellers still need to provide proof of full vaccination when they check in for their flight - the UK Covid Pass is accepted.

You must make sure that you show proof of vaccination. If your airline allows you to travel to the Azores without showing this, then you will have to take a Covid test at your own expense at the airport or port on arrival, according to the FCDO.

Those who are not fully vaccinated will need to show proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before boarding, or a lateral flow taken no more than 24 hours before boarding. Unvaccinated travellers can also present a Covid-19 recovery certificate if they