The Portuguese government removed the recent restriction that banned Canadians and Australians to enter for tourism
Portugal lifted restrictions on non-essential travel from Canada on their official tourism website Visit Portugal, updated on February 19, 2022.
The information was announced by the Embassy of Canada to Portugal on a Facebook post on their official account this Monday: “COVID 19 Update: The Government of Portugal has lifted its earlier restrictions and is once again allowing non-essential travel from Canada to Portugal.”
It is great news —and probably a relief— for Canadian travelers, since Canada (along with Australia and Argentina) had been banned from non-essential travel on January 17, this year 2022. This decision, determined by the Council of the European Union, came as a shock since Canada had been on Portugal’s list of countries not subject to travel restrictions for most of 2020 and 2021.
The Embassy suggested Canadian travelers learn about the entry requirements stated on Visit Portugal’s website and stay up to date with the Canadian Government’s Travel Advice and Advisories site for more recommendations when visiting Portugal.
But now, Canadians planning on visiting Portugal soon, can still arrange their trips and prepare to comply with all travel restrictions in advance.
Portugal’s COVID Travel Restrictions for Canadians
Despite making it back into the list of countries not subject to travel restrictions and being allowed to make non-essential travels to Portugal, Canadians must comply with COVID travel requirements.
All travelers from Canada need to show proof of vaccination with a complete schedule —final dose taken at least 14 days prior to arrival and no longer than 270 days—, with vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency.
The Government has stated a few special considerations for Madeira: “Vaccines accepted in Madeira Islands: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Sinovac/Instituto Buntantan, Instituto Gambaleya (Sputnik V) and Sinopharm (VeroCell)”.
Also, a PCR test is required, taken 72 hours before arrival. As an alternative, travelers can also take a 24-hour rapid antigen test accepted by the European Commission. The test certificate must show: type of test, passenger name (must be the same name shown in passport), date of birth, date and time the sample was collected, show the explicit negative result, and the laboratory certification.
Having a valid proof of recovery certificate may exempt travelers from testing requirements.
Authorities have a warning for those who can’t meet all considerations: “Passengers who present tests that do not comply with the requirements must undergo a new test on arrival, before entering Portuguese territory, at their own expense, and must wait in a designated place, inside the airport, until the result is notified.”
The tests are required since Canada still doesn’t have a reciprocity agreement with the European Union. All Canadian travelers must frequently revise all travel restrictions prior to departure
Once in Portugal, travelers must wear masks, but it is no longer mandatory to present vaccination certificates in bars and restaurants. During the past few days, the Portuguese Government has been removing strict COVID restrictions and Cabinet Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva recently stated that they are taking steps to return to a “normal life”.
Travel to Portugal: Flights and Destinations
Now that Canadians are allowed to travel to Portugal, it’s time to make plans to explore this fascinating location.
These are some of the non-stop flight options available from Canada to Portugal, at the moment only available from Toronto:
- To Lisbon: Tap Air Portugal, Air Canada, and Air Transat are currently offering direct flights starting at $600 Canadian dollars.
- To Porto: Air Transat has a nonstop flight of 6 hours and 50 minutes, currently starting at $629 Canadian dollars.
- To Ponta Delgada and Terceira Island: Azores Airlines currently offers direct flights to these islands starting at $800 Canadian dollars.
There are other options, including stops, from Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton, with Air Canada, WestJet, Lufthansa, AirFrance, and other airlines, that can start from as low as $300 Canadian dollars.
Sata Azores Airlines will connect Montreal to Terceira, non-stop, from June 15 to September 14, 2022, with the flight being only 5-hours!
