New air traffic rules to and from Portugal

The Portuguese Government  has reassessed the flight restrictions to and from Portugal for the next 15-day period, from 1.08 up to 15.08.

As per the new legislation, there are no flight restrictions to flights to/from Portugal to/from the EU, Schengen Area and the UK.

On the other hand, flights from/to non-EU or non-Schengen Area will be resumed for the following list of countries: Australia, Canada, South Korea, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

Apart the mentioned countries, flights from/to other countries are only allowed for the purposes of essential travel. Please note that, previously, essential flights were limited to flights to/from Portuguese-speaking countries and the US.

Under the new legislation, essential travel is regarded as the flights intended to allow transit or the entry/exit of Portugal of EU nationals or Schengen Area associated States’ ones and their families and non-EU individuals holders of residence permits within the EU, as well as third-country nationals travelling for professional purposes, study, family reunion and health or humanitarian reasons.

Following the path of the previous legislation, individuals arriving to Portugal should present a valid COVID-19 negative test (RT-PCR) taken within 72 hours prior to embarkation, except in transit situations or in situations where individuals do not have to leave the airport facilities.

However, national citizens and foreigners with a residence permit in Portugal, as well as the diplomatic personnel, who, exceptionally, do not present a valid COVID-19 negative test, should take the test on arrival and at their own expenses.

Any individual who refuses to take the test may be charged with the crimes of disobedience and spread of contagious disease.

Lastly, foreign individuals who embark without a COVID-19 test will not be allowed to enter Portugal and the airline may be subject to a penalty in likelihood of non-compliance. The foreseen penalty may only not be applicable to situations where the passenger is a Portuguese national or a foreign individual holder of a residence permit in Portugal and the flight is from an African-Portuguese speaking country or the flight is intended to allow the return of Portuguese nationals/foreign individual holder of a residence permit in Portugal or a humanitarian flight