Travelling to Portugal in March

Yorkcov

Yorkcov

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Hi
Planning to travel to Portugal in March for 3 months via Portsmouth - Santander. HMG travel advice says no Covid test required for Spain but Portugal needs negative tests: Antigen within 48hrs of departure or PCR within 72hrs of departure. Departure presumably from Portsmouth. I had planned to take my time travelling through Spain but this really knocks that on the head. Has anyone experience of dealing with this
Alan
 
My understanding is you need to get a lateral flow test at a Spanish pharmacy just before border. I have done this France to UK twice now. In France lateral flow tests are capped at 29 Euro. Mind you uk has just stopped that need from Friday.
 
Yorkcov said:
Hi
Planning to travel to Portugal in March for 3 months via Portsmouth - Santander. HMG travel advice says no Covid test required for Spain but Portugal needs negative tests: Antigen within 48hrs of departure or PCR within 72hrs of departure. Departure presumably from Portsmouth. I had planned to take my time travelling through Spain but this really knocks that on the head. Has anyone experience of dealing with this
Alan
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@REC is planning to return to to their place in Portugal soon, she may be the best one to help a bit as facing similar situation? :unsure:
 
Yorkcov said:
Hi
Planning to travel to Portugal in March for 3 months via Portsmouth - Santander. HMG travel advice says no Covid test required for Spain but Portugal needs negative tests: Antigen within 48hrs of departure or PCR within 72hrs of departure. Departure presumably from Portsmouth. I had planned to take my time travelling through Spain but this really knocks that on the head. Has anyone experience of dealing with this
Alan
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They use the word departure because many cross borders by plane or sea which takes time. The checks are at departure. With land borders, crossing is almost instant. Of course the Portuguese really care that your test is recent before ENTRY. You can see the confusion .
 
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It is confusing but we take it as departure from Spain, before entry into Portugal so either covid test at Santander should cover you if you cross spain in enough time to get the result and cross. We are driving end January so having to watch as the rules change....but by March it may be different again!
 
REC said:
It is confusing but we take it as departure from Spain, before entry into Portugal so either covid test at Santander should cover you if you cross spain in enough time to get the result and cross. We are driving end January so having to watch as the rules change....but by March it may be different again!
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Keep us all posted please Ruth. I’m okay atm, but could be climbing the walls soon. Especially as it’s about to get colder. I’m sure I can feel my inner wimp kicking in😢
 
Trotter said:
Keep us all posted please Ruth. I’m okay atm, but could be climbing the walls soon. Especially as it’s about to get colder. I’m sure I can feel my inner wimp kicking in😢
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Currently Spain and Portugal allow people in for " non-existent essential" reasons....France only allow people to transit to residence in EU. We still have residence in Portugal, so okay atm. If not we would have to ferry to Spain and avoid France ...but not an option for me with seasickness:sick: so the only other option would be a direct flight and car rental. And short trip!
Starting to climb the walls too...but we at least managed to go last year.
 
We too are or were going to travel to Portugal in March but would be going via the tunnel, so will have to just wait and see if we are allowed to travel through France again by then.
If not then we will just have to go later
 
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Just re-read my post #9 and can't edit it ( no button?) ..should be "non essential "
 
jeffmossy said:
I am with you on this one Trev
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trevskoda said:
Id stay local to this is over saving you headaches.
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Trouble is we have a property with land, and there are lots of rules to keep the land controlled and prevent wildfires. Not to mention, it has been unoccupied for eight months. As many headaches not going, plus we feel very safe there...more than in UK!
 
Anything can change & probably will by March! We arrived in Santander last month and had a bit of time in Spain then booked a test through Tu Medico at a clinic in Ourense before crossing the border to Portugal where we weren't even stopped.
Since being here we've only been asked to show our covid pass twice for campsites so all quite easy. Keep your plan - there will always be somewhere to get a test.
 
Yorkcov said:
Hi
Planning to travel to Portugal in March for 3 months via Portsmouth - Santander. HMG travel advice says no Covid test required for Spain but Portugal needs negative tests: Antigen within 48hrs of departure or PCR within 72hrs of departure. Departure presumably from Portsmouth. I had planned to take my time travelling through Spain but this really knocks that on the head. Has anyone experience of dealing with this
Alan
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To be honest, I'd wait until nearer the time to assess what's happening. The rules are changing literally daily for driving through countries. Also the rules are different for driving into a country that flying in. Which seems to be what most regs are about. I went in Sept to Spain, via France and once I'd got into France there are no border posts, so no one stopped me entering Spain, or Portugal. It was the same coming back in November. You probably have done, but remember to get your passport stamped for leaving the UK/entering Schengen, and count your days in a Schengen country too! They look at your passport stamps going in and leaving.
 
In addition check your passport dates. I've heard of EU looking at the issue date and adding 10 years to determine its expiry date. This can result in them considering that your passport expires earlier than the printed expiry date which typically runs 10 years from the expiry of the passport previously renewed. It is however being inconsistently applied, I believe that Spain is still using the printed expiry date at the moment.
 
Heard last night that France will be relaxing the travel restrictions for UK travellers in the next few days..
We are also planning on heading down to Portugal in March, so keeping a close eye on the situation.
 
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