Unvaccinated Britons arriving in Portugal must quarantine from today – as EU considers tightening rules
British travellers to Portugal who are not fully vaccinated against coronavirus must quarantine for 14 days on arrival from today.
Anyone travelling to mainland Portugal by air, land or sea, will have to prove they have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks ago, or have to isolate.
The new rules, introduced by the Portuguese government, come into effect on Monday and will last until at least 11 July.
They state that quarantine can be “at home or a place indicated by health authorities”.
Portugal is currently on the UK government’s amber travel list, which means passengers also have to isolate for 10 days when they arrive back in Britain.
It comes as Spain tightened COVID-19 restrictions for Britons arriving in the Balearic islands.
Anyone hoping to visit Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Fuerteventura will now have to present a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
A British passenger is pictured at Faro airport
He told Cadena SER radio: “What we are going to do is apply to British tourists who go to the Balearic Islands the same requirements we make of other European citizens.”
The new rules will come into force within 72 hours.
Portugal was taken off the green list, which doesn’t require passengers to quarantine, last month over concerns about a rise in cases.
Germany is also trying to get the European Union to ban all travellers from the UK – regardless of whether they have had a coronavirus vaccine or not – according to The Times.
Angela Merkel wants the EU to classify the UK as a “country of concern” due to high rates of the Delta variant that first emerged in India.
The chancellor wants other member states to follow Germany’s example by demanding all UK arrivals isolate for 14 days – whether they are jabbed or not.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will support mandatory 14-day quarantine for all unvaccinated passengers, the newspaper reports.
Currently, people who are not fully vaccinated are only allowed to travel from the UK to France if they can prove it is essential.
They have to prove they have tested negative for the virus and isolate for seven days on arrival.
Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID do not need to quarantine, but must prove their vaccination status.
Ms Merkel’s proposals will be discussed by senior EU officials in the coming days.
But the prospect of a summer washout for holiday firms hit UK-listed travel shares with the parent firm of British Airways falling more than 4%.
TUI, easyJet and Ryanair were also among the fallers.
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However, countries such as Spain, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Portugal, who rely heavily on UK tourists, are expected to resist calls for tougher rules..
Portugal’s new restrictions only apply to those who have not been double jabbed.
Malta will move to the UK’s green list at 4am on 30 June, but passengers will stay have to isolate on arrival under local rules. Another update on the UK government’s travel list is due early next month.