Portugal will soon unlock its borders for tourists from a selected number of countries, especially the EU Member States and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Although the Portuguese government hasn’t issued an official announcement about this decision yet, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva said that such a move has been thought of, and tourists will soon be entitled to enter the country.
“Tourists are welcome in Portugal, [this summer],” Silva said, although not giving any certain date when that would happen.
Silva added that arrivals by air would require health checks but not compulsory quarantine.
According to the Minister, among travelers entering the territory of Portugal would be nationals of countries from the Schengen Area, other than Italians and Spaniards, as well as visitors from Canada, Brazil, the US, and Portuguese- speaking countries.
Few Portuguese regional tourist boards including Madeira and Porto Santo have also announced their plans to reopen for international tourists from July 1. The boards have specified that travelers will need to produce negative test results from within 72 hours prior to departure or be tested on arrival, paid for by the local government.
Currently, Portugal has permitted stores, book shops, restaurants, cafes, and libraries to open for business. However, restaurants and cafes are working with 50 per cent capacity and will shut down at 11 PM.
Religious celebrations have been permitted from May 30, while cinemas, concert halls, auditoriums, and theatres would open from June 1, but with reduced capacity. Beaches too also expected to open on June 6.
Flights are already running to Portugal’s three major airports, and more airlines are resuming flights soon.
Greece has also decided to open its borders for several EU and non-EU countries in which the rate of infections has decreased from June 15. These countries are: Albania, Australia, Austria, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Romania, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.
Tags: Portugal
