Portugal Clarifies Confusion Over Children Travel

Authorities have stated that children under the age of 18 who go to mainland Portugal with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian would not be required to quarantine.

It comes after two days of uncertainty about whether Portugal’s new immigration criteria applied to young people.

Adults must quarantine for 14 days unless they can prove they took their second vaccine shot a fortnight before their arrival, according to the requirements.

The Foreign Office confirmed that children aged 12 and up must produce a negative Covid-19 test.

This must be a PCR test performed 72 hours prior to travel or a lateral flow test performed 48 hours prior to departure.

“You must show your test certificate before you board your flight to Portugal,” the FCDO said. “Your airline is likely to deny boarding if you cannot show this at check-in. Check with your airline before you travel.”

The requirements apply only to mainland Portugal, which is now on the amber list, which means that anyone returning to the UK from there must quarantine for ten days.

Visit Portugal, the tourist board stated: “Children up to 18 years old do not need to comply with 14 days isolation when accompanying adults have proof of complete vaccination. Children under 12 are exempt of testing requirements.”

Different rules apply to visitors visiting Madeira, which was recently added to the UK’s green watch list (Wednesday).

Due to the misunderstanding, half of UK guests with forwarding bookings for this summer contacted Joe Mountain, who manages Sandy Blue Villas in the Algarve, according to the BBC.

“It was carnage and chaos for every business in the Algarve,” he said. “People were in meltdown and just not understanding the rules. It’s impossible to find answers.

“For us, it has been continued uncertainty for the last two months, with a real lack of ability to plan. We rely on that and it is critical that we get UK guests this summer.”

Meanwhile, Malta, a green list country, has stated that beginning today, travelers traveling from the United Kingdom will be required to present an official NHS letter to show their vaccination status.