Entry requirements for UK Citizens visiting Portugal

Portugal’s authorities set and enforce entry regulations

A passenger locator form to visit Portugal, Madeira, and the Azores is no longer necessary.

You can travel to mainland Portugal and the Azores if you are fully vaccinated.

You must show proof of either:

• An entire course of vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency must be completed at least 14 days before arriving but no longer than 270 days.
• An entire course of vaccines as listed below plus a booster vaccination approved by the European Medicines Agency no less than 14 days before your arrival

If you have had the following:

• 2-dose vaccination or a combination of different compatible vaccines are acceptable.
• An entire course of vaccines plus a booster vaccination
• If you have COVID-19 and received only one dose of a 2-dose vaccination, your certificate will show that your vaccine course has been completed.

Valid proof of vaccination

When you check in for your flight to the Azores and mainland Portugal, you must show proof of being fully vaccinated.

You can use your UK COVID Card (paper or digital) to prove your vaccination record. You cannot travel with the NHS vaccination card.

If your airline allows you to travel to the Azores or mainland Portugal, and you are fully vaccinated, you will need to undergo COVID-19 testing at your expense at the port or airport. You will be penalized if you cannot prove that you legally reside in Portugal.

You don’t need to be fully vaccinated.

You will need to provide proof that you have been vaccinated. For more information about getting a test before traveling, click here.

A trained healthcare professional should conduct your test. Self-administration of tests is not allowed. You should ensure that your rapid lateral flow test meets EU standards.

You can travel to mainland Portugal and Azores if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past year. A test is not required. To prove your COVID-19 recovery, you can use your UK COVID pass to check-in for your flight.

Suppose your airline allows you to travel to the Azores or mainland Portugal without a negative or valid recovery certificate. In that case, you will need to undergo COVID-19 testing at your expense at the port or airport. You will be penalized if you cannot prove that you legally reside in Portugal.

You can find more information at the Visit Portugal website and the Portuguese Airport Authority passenger guide.

Children and Minors

Children under 11 years old do not have to pass a test or show proof that they have been vaccinated or recovered to enter Portugal and the Azores.

If you are transiting through Portugal

You must follow all rules for your vaccination status if you are transiting through Portugal to reach another country.

Before you travel, make sure to check the FCDO Travel Advice for details on how to enter and transit France and Spain.

You can find out the requirements to cross the border into Portugal from Spain by reviewing the following:

Be sure that all of the passport requirements are met and check your documentation.

Passport validity

If you do not fulfill all of the requirements issued by the Schengen zone, you will not be admitted entry, except for Ireland, Switzerland, Norway or Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Andorra.

Your passport must contain:

• Issued less than ten years before the date you enter the country
• Valid for at least three months from the day you intend to leave

Before you travel, ensure that your passport meets all requirements. Extra months could have been added to your passport’s expiry date if it was issued before October 2018.

If your passport doesn’t meet these requirements, contact the Embassy of the country you are visiting. If you have to renew your passport, do so.

Visas

Travel to the Schengen region for as long as 90 days. Within 180 days is possible without obtaining a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, visiting family or friends, for business meetings, cultural and sports events, or to study or train short-term.

You can travel to Portugal or other Schengen countries with no visa if you do not have a ticket. Your 90-day limit does not apply to visits made within the last 180 days.

You must comply with the Portuguese government’s entry requirements. In case you would like to stay longer to study, work, business or other reasons. You can check the Portuguese Immigration Service (scroll down to the bottom) and ask the Portuguese Embassy for the type of visa or work permit you might need.

You can stay in Portugal without a visa if you have a residence permit, long-stay visa, or another type of visa. This does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Passport stamping

Make sure the border agent has stamped your passport when you visit Portugal.

The staffed immigration booths are available. If you’re 18 or older, the gates for the UK and non-EU citizens can be used. After completing the e-gate, hand your passport to the border agent for stamping.

To verify that you comply with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in Schengen, border guards will use passport stamps. A border officer might assume you have exceeded your visa-free period if your passport’s relevant stamps for entry and exit are not found.

You can provide evidence that you entered or left the Schengen region and ask the border officer to include this date and place it in your passport if you have not received entry/exit stamps. Tickets and boarding passes are examples of acceptable evidence.

Portugal residents

Your passport should not be stamped if you are a resident of Portugal. You should show proof of residency and your passport at the Portuguese border. See our Living in Portugal guide for more information.

For additional evidence, you may need to:

• Show a return ticket or onward ticket
• Show that you have enough money to pay for your stay

Traveling with children

Children under 17 years old must travel to Portugal with their parents or guardians alone, accompanied by a parent or guardian at the airport/point of entry, or carry a letter from their guardian or parent authorizing them to travel. The letter should identify the adult in Portugal responsible for their stay, as well as the contact details and identification of the guardian or parent.

You may not be allowed to travel with your child if they are not consenting. Your entry into Portugal could be delayed while further checks are completed.

If a letter of authority is not provided, teens aged 17 or under may not be allowed entry.

Portugal’s Resident Children

If a child under 17 years old resides in Portugal, they must have a notarized letter of authority from their parent/guardian. This is required if traveling alone or with someone other than their parent/legal guardian. You can issue the letter of authority by a parent or a legal guardian.