Flying back from Portugal? Here’s how the new rules affect you

The ramp at Faro Airport is likely to be the busiest in Europe this summer! (TransportMedia UK)
The ramp at Faro Airport is likely to be the busiest in Europe this summer! (TransportMedia UK)

Portugal rejoined the Amber travel list at 04:00 hours this morning after the UK Government caught the travel industry, and tourists, by surprise and removed it from the green list.

The move prompted a rush by British passengers to get back to the UK before the deadline with airlines laying on extra flights to get their customers back.

But with the last “green” flight back from Portugal landing at just before 3am this morning, what does it mean for those who decided to stay, or continue to travel to the popular summer destination.

Travel to countries on the Amber list is not recommended unless essential but for those happy to take the chance, you will need to meet the following conditions.

  • Negative PCR Test Prior to departure from the UK
  • Quarantine for 10 days on Return to the UK
  • PCR Tests on Day 2 and Day 8 after arrival back in the UK.
  • Quarantine can be reduced to 5 days if you pay for a PCR test on Day 5 and get a negative result. (as long as Day 2 is also negative).
The streets of Faro on Portugal's Algarve are much quieter than normal (Image: TransportMedia UK)
The streets of Faro on Portugal’s Algarve are much quieter than normal (Image: TransportMedia UK)

The move back to Amber was prompted by a rise in Coronavirus cases in Portugal but this has been met with fury from the Portuguese authorities where Minister for Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva said he could not understand the logic of the decision and pointed to the UK’s own rising rates.

The move leaves Gibraltar as the only country on mainland Europe on the Green list. The other countries are; Australia, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

About Nick Harding 2043 Articles
Nick is the senior reporter and editor at UK Aviation News as well as working freelance elsewhere. He has his finger firmly on the pulse on Aviation, not only in the UK but worldwide. Nick has been asked to speak in a professional capacity on LBC, Heart and other broadcast networks.