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Coronavirus

18th Mar 2021

Portugal to allow Brits in for summer even if they have not been vaccinated

Charlie Herbert

It’s more good news for the holiday industry

Portugal has announced that it is planning on welcoming British holidaymakers this summer, regardless of whether they have had the vaccine or not. The news comes just days after Turkey, another popular holiday destination with us Brits, also announced that it was expecting to allow British people to enter the country this summer.

Portugal’s tourism minister Rita Marquez has said that tourists will be allowed into the country if they either can show proof of having been vaccinated, or simply that they received a negative Covid test result before travelling.

Marquez said that the country were working towards being able to welcome British tourists from May 17th. Of course whether we will be allowed to travel for leisure purposes by this date is of course a very different question.

The current roadmap for exiting lockdown in England does plan for foreign travel being allowed from this date. However this is currently subject to review, and the government’s Global Travel Taskforce are looking into it. They are expected to share their update with the government on April 12th.

Earlier this week Portugal was removed from England’s travel ban red list, so this is further good news for Brits hoping to go abroad this summer and a travel industry desperate to get back on its feet.

Greece has also recently announced that they will not require visitors to have been vaccinated, whereas Cyprus have said that they will only welcome British holidaymakers that have had both jabs of the vaccine.