What are the new testing rules for UK to Portugal and back?

[gg321]

Double vaccinated, want to travel to Portugal for a week, what are the rules? I know it’s all changed today, is that from now or a date coming up? I can’t find anywhere that makes it easy to understand! Do I need to test before I go, while I’m there, when I get back? And pcr or lateral flow? Any advice will be hugely appreciated! Thankyou in advance

I think but might be wrong, that Portugal doesn't recognize the NHS vaccine cert but does accept the NHS vaccine oddly.
But basically you need to test.

So…

We fly on 3rd October so my understanding is that we will STILL need an antigen test to get into Portugal. I've ordered these from Chronomics. We WON’T need an antigen test to enter the UK again on 13th October as these are being scrapped from 4th. BUT, we will still need a day 2 PCR as these aren’t being scrapped until the end of October. I've got these coming from Expert Medicals. We will still need to do PLFs to both enter Portugal and enter the UK again.

Hope that’s right!

Should have added...

We are both double vaxxed. Not sure if the rules if you're not.

Sorry I’m probably sounding dim but can someone put it really simply
Do we need to test before we fly? If so when and what sort of test?
Do we test when there? Again, how and where?
And do we need to test on return, and if so what type of test and when?

Do we also need a certificate to prove we are double vaxed?
Thankyou!

You need...

1. A copy of your NHS vax certificate. You can request this from the NHS app, not the Covid NHS app. Print this off.
2. For Portugal, either a PCR test 72 hours before departure OR an antigen test 48 hours before departure.
3. To enter Portugal, you need to fill in the passenger locator form.
4. If leaving Portugal after 4th October you no longer need a test to return.
5. On or before day 2, you need a PCR test and need to provide the reference number on the UK passenger locator form before flying home.
6. The UK passenger locator form must be completed in the 48 hours before you travel back so you'll need to have booked a PCR test before this to put the reference on the form.

I thought it was all too complicated and was going to move our holiday yet again, but it's not too bad once you do it. Print everything off as apparently this makes it much easier at the airport rather than having to find everything on a phone.

@72WayTooCool thankyou, your last post is so helpful!!!

@72WayTooCool do you know if young children are exempt from the testing here and in Portugal?

Don't know where the thing about Portugal not recognising the NHS vaccine certification comes from (eg the 'vaccine passport' you show on your NHS app). It definitely does recognise it!

Children under 12 do not have to test to get in or out of Portugal but currently need to do a Day 2 test in the UK.

@glomofnit

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements

From this ... Portugal only recognises the EU vaccine certificate, so if you've been vaccinated in the UK, you need a Covid test to enter.

OP check your passport validity too - needs to be less than 9 years and 3 months from the date of issue on your return date. The expiry date on old passports doesn't always apply as some had "extra" months and those aren't valid now we're out of the EU.

So we need private pcr tests 72 hours before we go, are there centres for those? (Sorry I literally know nothing about all this testing!) And we’d get certificates within 24hours? And the ones we need on day 2 in Portugal how and where do we book those?Would we book before or when we’re out there? Again I am sorry I’m sounding dim (I’m not!) I just know zero about covid testing and travelling!
And am I correct in saying from 4th we would no longer need testing once we’re back in uk? So only tests we need are before and during? And not children. I need one of this ‘for dummies’ books 😂 ‘travelling to Portugal for dummies!’ @72WayTooCool you’d be a great author for this one!

The only tests you need as it currently stands are either a PCR (72 hours) or a antigen, also know as lateral flow test (48 hours) before your flight time. The flight time bit is important as the test must be done inside the requisite time frame for it to be valid for the flight.

We got our antigen tests from Chronomics at £28 each, but you can get them from C19 and others for a similar price. The day 2 tests have come from Expert Medicals and arrived this morning.

https://www.chronomics.com/fit-to-fly-antigen - pre-departure antigen tests

https://www.expert-medicals.co.uk/products/fully-vaccinated-amber-arrivals-day-2-test-kit-home-kit - Day 2 fully vaccinated test.

@gg321 You do need testing when back in the UK. This is the day 2 test and you must provide a reference number to show you've purchased this on the passenger locator form you need to return home.

Search the fecking website

@72WayTooCool Thankyou so much, I really appreciate your time replying! Ah I didn’t know we needed to test when back in uk, I thought this was stopping from 4th Oct?
Regarding PCR tests I didn’t even know they were ordered and then done yourself, I assumed you’d need to book an appointment and have them done at some sort of testing centre 🙊 so you do them yourself at home then send them off or drop them somewhere and you get emailed results? Is that the same when in Portugal, do them yourself then what?
I completely understand if you are fed up replying to me but you are my life like for testing knowledge!!!
Good point re flight time, so test time would need to be within 72 hours and not a minute more or we’d be stuffed.

@mamaoffourdc no need to be rude. If @72WayTooCool does t want to help me by replying they don’t have to but they kindly are and I really appreciate it.

Ahhhhh I’m re reading whole thread and its slowly getting through to me!….no test needed in Portugal just before and after

With the antigen tests you do the test at home and upload a photo. They then verify it and send you a certificate back. Print this off.

For the day 2 test, the ones we've bought need to be done at home and then sent back via the Royal Mail priority post box. Randox Health also provide day 2 tests and these need to dropped in their dedicated drop boxes. If you are on Facebook, join the Portugal Holidays group. They have loads of people just as confused as you looking for advice. They've really helped me get to grips with it all!

@72WayTooCool you are a star! I think I’ve finally got it sussed!! 😀

I used Randox for both my UK tests. I chose PCR on the basis I could do it 3 days before and if I hadn't got the results the next day, still had a day to play with. If I'd
been better organised I'd have paid for the day before tests at the airport (Gatwick, not through Randox) but all the slots were gone by the time I realised this was an option! Randox delivered the test to my house (order at least a week ahead if not more), I did it at home, packaged it up and dropped it to a drop box 20 minute drive away. Other companies might have courier labels, check before ordering - you don't want to find you have to drive an hour to drop it off. I registered the kit on their website and that's when I put the time of the test. Now, I actually did the test slightly more than 72 hours before my flight because of needing to catch the drop box cut off, so I waited an hour to register it so that I could add a valid time.

From 4 October, no test needed in Portugal.

Day 2 test on your return to UK will still be needed BUT this will change from PCR to rapid antigen at some point in October. So I'd wait until closer to your holiday before ordering those - you can order whilst you're away as long as you have the reference number for the UK passenger locator form - it knows incorrect references as I got mine mixed up! These can be taken any time up to the second day, so you can do them the day after you land, doesn't have to be the second day. You don't have to isolate whilst waiting for the result.

It IS confusing, especially with the recent changes, and the government website - whilst having a step by step guide - directs you off to other pages at each step!

@WhatsitWiggle thankyou so much, really helpful

@72WayTooCool @WhatsitWiggle hi my knowledgeable friends! Could either of you help me with one last question. Passenger Locator Forms. Do we need to do one before going to Portugal and another one for coming back? Or is it just one and you put the reference number of the Day 2 tests on the form before you fly? (So will need to book/order these before) and is it one form per traveller? THANKYOU!

@72WayTooCool sorry just re read the thread…again! And see you said you need a form to enter Portugal and then one to come back to uk. So that answers my question. Thanks. I will leave you in peace now!

@gg321

Not sure on the Portugal one, but for UK you do one per adult