Citizens of countries outside the European Union and countries considered red or dark red risk without a European digital test or recovery certificate need a negative PCR test or proof of rapid antigen test to enter Portugal across the land border.
According to the alert released today by the Portuguese Government, one day before the new rules come into force, the PCR test needs to be carried out up to 72 hours before and the antigen, with laboratory evidence, within 48 hours.
According to the rules for entry into Portugal that will be in force as of Wednesday, those who do not submit one of the aforementioned tests or refuse to take one of the tests indicated by the authorities will have to pay a fine of 300 to 800 euros.
Today's alert from the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) also says that citizens from EU countries considered to be at low or moderate risk must have a European digital certificate of vaccination, test or recovery to enter Portugal.
On the other hand, cross-border workers - who carry out their professional activity within 30 kilometers of the border - and workers in essential services, such as transport of goods and passengers, emergency and relief, security and emergency services, must also present the digital certificate at any of the three modalities.
“The Republican National Guard (GNR) and the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) are going to carry out random inspection operations at the border crossing points”, warns the MAI.
The Government also recalls that those who do not present one of the certificates or proof referred to above are notified to carry out a screening test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at their own expense, in places indicated by the health authorities, which must be located in a radius of 30 kilometers from the place of inspection and where citizens must wait for the respective result.
On Monday, a source from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers clarified that passengers from the Azores and Madeira destined for the Portuguese mainland are exempt from submitting a negative test to Covid-19 to board.
When he announced the new measures, last Thursday, the prime minister, António Costa, underlined that airlines that transport passengers without a negative test to covid-19 incur fines of 20 thousand euros per person and that the government will also "aggravate the additional sanctions that may culminate in the suspension of the flight licenses of these companies for national territory".
Mainland Portugal will enter on Wednesday in a situation of calamity due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among other measures, it is now mandatory to present a covid digital certificate from the European Union to access hotels, restaurants, gyms and events with marked places, as well as the presentation of a negative test (even for vaccinated) when visiting homes and hospitals, sports venues and bars and clubs.
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