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OBSOLETE COVID THREAD Going from US to Portugal

OBSOLETE COVID THREAD
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peregrina2000

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I know that US travelers to Portugal must have a covid test before arrival, but I would love to hear the experiences of forum members who have entered Portugal recently.

I cannot find any information on US embassy or official Portugal websites that explain what they mean by “proof” of a covid test. I have access to PCR testing at my university, and the results go to a “Safer Illinois” app on my phone. But I can’t figure out whether that will be sufficient — no passport number, just my name, university ID number, and a statement of the result of my PCR test.

Can any recent US travelers to Portugal describe what kind of “proof” they had and how it was checked?

Many thanks, buen camino, Laurie
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
One month ago we transited through Lisbon enroute from USA to UK. Had to fill out an online passenger locator form, show our CDC card, and have a negative Covid test that met the Portuguese government requirements.

With recent changes on October 1st, our flight to Porto is somewhat different as we now have a digital EU Covid certificate (via the online Pass Sanitaire tool from France) so no additional testing is required for us.

What is required of you is specific to your situation (vaccinated? CDC card or EU digital cert?), so check the Portuguese government site for specifics since the tourist and airline ones tend to be a bit out-of-date. If you do have to test, then it’s clearly stated that the standard Is:
  • RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
    Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding
A passport number was not required on the results, but it did have to list name, DOB, test type, lab name, and test date,
 
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A forum member alerted me to this site, https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal

It says the following about the proof of test results.

The test result must include:
- type of test taken;
- passenger name (as per passport);
- date of birth;
- clear identification of the laboratory including the certification;
- the date and time the sample was collected and the explicit negative test result;
SMS is not a valid format


That means I will have to get some official document adding this information to a paper copy. My phone app results will not suffice.

One new uncertainty, though, is what the 72 hour requirement means.

The site says the test must be done “72 hours before boarding.” Does that mean 72 hours before boarding my flight in my home town, or 72 hours before boarding the flight in Madrid that will take me to Lisbon? It’s a very tight window if it means the latter.

And finally, I guess all of this is somewhat mooted by the fact that passengers arriving in Portugal without the required documentation will be allowed to do a test upon arrival at the airport.

If you are a foreigner visitor and want to do the test for Covid-19 shortly after arrival, before departure or at any time in mainland Portugal or Madeira you can do it:

- at the Airport. Information at https://www.ana.pt/en/corporate/ana/faq;


Anyone else with first hand experiences?

BTW, though you can enter Spain without a test if you are from the US and have your CDC vaccination card, I do not believe that is true for Portugal. Unless you have an EU covid digital certificate, US travelers will need to show test results even if fully vaccinated.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
One month ago we transited through Lisbon enroute from USA to UK. Had to fill out an online passenger locator form, show our CDC card, and have a negative Covid test that met the Portuguese government requirements.

With recent changes on October 1st, our flight to Porto is somewhat different as we now have a digital EU Covid certificate (via the online Pass Sanitaire tool from France) so no additional testing is required for us.

What is required of you is specific to your situation (vaccinated? CDC card or EU digital cert?), so check the Portuguese government site for specifics since the tourist and airline ones tend to be a bit out-of-date. If you do have to test, then it’s clearly stated that the standard Is:
  • RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
    Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding
A passport number was not required on the results, but it did have to list name, DOB, test type, lab name, and test date,
Is the French issued passe sanitaire an EU document good for all the EU? and is there an expiration for usage? Thanks.
 
I know that US travelers to Portugal must have a covid test before arrival, but I would love to hear the experiences of forum members who have entered Portugal recently.

I cannot find any information on US embassy or official Portugal websites that explain what they mean by “proof” of a covid test. I have access to PCR testing at my university, and the results go to a “Safer Illinois” app on my phone. But I can’t figure out whether that will be sufficient — no passport number, just my name, university ID number, and a statement of the result of my PCR test.

Can any recent US travelers to Portugal describe what kind of “proof” they had and how it was checked?

Many thanks, buen camino, Laurie
Traveled from US to Barcelona and then Porto three weeks ago. To board Delta flight from US, they wanted Passport, proof of vaccination, Covid Test and Spain QR Code. To enter Spain I just provided QR Code. To enter Portugal, I needed another Covid Test which the airline asked for. Getting off the plane, I wasn’t asked for anything. Few hotels ask for Covid Test and some for proof of vaccination. Unlike where I live in Virginia, test are easy to get there and inexpensive. To your question, of the several Covid Test I did for my trip, I believe all the test results I have do include my name as it appears on my passport along with passport number.
 
I fly to Portugal tomorrow, so I’ll let you know what transpires.
 
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Is the French issued passe sanitaire an EU document good for all the EU? and is there an expiration for usage?
My wife and I were surprised when we were issued the standard “EU Digital Covid Certificate” held by all vaccinated EU folks versus just a French-only pass. In short, we are compliant in all EU countries as much as anyone else is (Italy has a “green pass” but I don’t know if this supersedes that)
 
To enter Spain I just provided QR Code.
Thanks for that heads up — I hadn’t thought that I would need to get a QR code to transit through Spain, but it’s easy to do, so I will do that.
To enter Portugal, I needed another Covid Test which the airline asked for.
Do you mean the airline in Madrid asked to see the covid test information before you boarded the flight to Lisbon? Just wanted to make sure, because that suggests that the 72 hour window will start ticking as of the time of your actual flight from Madrid to Lisbon and not the time of your departure from the US.
 
Thanks for that heads up — I hadn’t thought that I would need to get a QR code to transit through Spain, but it’s easy to do, so I will do that.

Do you mean the airline in Madrid asked to see the covid test information before you boarded the flight to Lisbon? Just wanted to make sure, because that suggests that the 72 hour window will start ticking as of the time of your actual flight from Madrid to Lisbon and not the time of your departure from the US.
I did a Rapid Test before departing US and because I spent 3 days in Barcelona, I did another Rapid Test to enter Portugal. Easy to get tested in both Barcelona and Madrid airports. I used the “Eurofins TrustOne” app to schedule, view and print test certificates. It covers many airports, but not sure about Madrid.
 
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One month ago we transited through Lisbon enroute from USA to UK. Had to fill out an online passenger locator form, show our CDC card, and have a negative Covid test that met the Portuguese government requirements.

With recent changes on October 1st, our flight to Porto is somewhat different as we now have a digital EU Covid certificate (via the online Pass Sanitaire tool from France) so no additional testing is required for us.

What is required of you is specific to your situation (vaccinated? CDC card or EU digital cert?), so check the Portuguese government site for specifics since the tourist and airline ones tend to be a bit out-of-date. If you do have to test, then it’s clearly stated that the standard Is:
  • RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
    Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding
A passport number was not required on the results, but it did have to list name, DOB, test type, lab name, and test date,
Hey, Vacajoe, are you not longer living in the US? Are you saying US citizens can get a digital EU COVID certificate?
 
Hey, Vacajoe, are you not longer living in the US? Are you saying US citizens can get a digital EU COVID certificate?
I live in the US, but am happily exhausting my 90 day EU visa at this time. I applied online for the French “Pass Sanitaire” via the link mentioned in several other posts and after nearly a month, I received an EU Digital Covid Certificate (EU-DCC). Thought I’d get something else, but got that golden ticket instead!

Sadly, I had already left France, but it turns out it’ll likely save me from having to get tests in other countries and before some flights. Also, I return to France in December, so I’ll use it then.

No idea if others got a DCC or a specific “Pass Sanitaire”
 
I fly to Portugal tomorrow, so I’ll let you know what transpires.
I am curious to hear whether anyone looked at your QR code, let alone checked it with a checking app, either at the departure airport or at the Portuguese airport.

As far as I know, thorough checks with an EU DCC checking app are only randomly done at arrival airports in the EU.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
(Italy has a “green pass” but I don’t know if this supersedes that)
I am in Italy now, using the EU digital certificate where required. I don't know if Italians get a different, national certificate but the EU one works here, as would be expected. Portugal only has the DCC as far as I'm aware.

FWIW, I was not asked to show any Covid documentation at either airport upon departure in Portugal or upon arrival in Italy.
 
I am in Italy now, using the EU digital certificate where required. I don't know if Italians get a different, national certificate but the EU one works here, as would be expected.
Certificado Verde and Pass Sanitaire are used as synonyms for the EU Digital Covid Certificate. Not surprising because EU Digital Covid Certificate is quite a mouthful. The EU Parliament came up with this name. When the proposal for such a certificate was originally made by the European Commission they had called it Digital Green Certificate but the parliamentarians who have some say in such laws before they are adopted didn't like this label. Italy apparently kept the original name.

France had used a similar QR code system several weeks before the EU DCC became technically available and the EU wide gateway became operational, and they called it pass sanitaire. Hence the name stuck when the EU DCC QR code replaced the older system in France.
 
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I flew Bilbao to Porto today. Officials checked ALL paperwork thoroughly at the check-in desk even though we “checked-in” online. Traveler in front of me used a US CDC card to show vaccination, avoiding having to test negative for Covid as required for passengers from the USA. I used my EU-DCC. The airport was a madhouse with sufficient delays due to all the paperwork and that it’s a holiday weekend. We showed up early but it didn’t matter since they wouldn’t check our paperwork until 60 minutes before boarding.

In comparison, flying SFO to Lisbon last month before the latest changes, all of our paperwork was verified at check-in, when boarding, and then in the jetway(!), the last check by a Portuguese police/military officer(!!!). No one is ignoring the requirements or simply glancing at the paperwork.

As for coming to Portugal from the USA, i still have no idea if your CDC card will work.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I know that US travelers to Portugal must have a covid test before arrival, but I would love to hear the experiences of forum members who have entered Portugal recently.

I cannot find any information on US embassy or official Portugal websites that explain what they mean by “proof” of a covid test. I have access to PCR testing at my university, and the results go to a “Safer Illinois” app on my phone. But I can’t figure out whether that will be sufficient — no passport number, just my name, university ID number, and a statement of the result of my PCR test.

Can any recent US travelers to Portugal describe what kind of “proof” they had and how it was checked?

Many thanks, buen camino, Laurie
Hi - I flew to Lisbon on Sept21 - we got the rapid antigen text done at CVS(drugstore) the day before our flight - I printed out the results. The only time I had to show this was to United Airlines - no where in Portugal or Spain has anyone asked to see it or our vaccine certificates. I also did the contact tracing for Portugal & Galicia (in Spain now) and that has never been asked about. So in two days we head home Santiago-Madrid-US so tomorrow we have appts for antigen test in Santiago which I’m sure United will need in Madrid. It has been surprising easy & no hassle to walk our Caminos
 
It’s important to understand how this all works: the airline is responsible for you once they let you board. The government of the country you are flying to determines the entrance requirements, but holds the airline responsible. Your airplane will verify - and reverify - that you can enter the country to which you are headed because if you can’t get in, they have to provide you lodging, food, and transportation back to your origination point.

So YES, your airline is often the only place to check your documentation since they have a financial risk to you not getting into your destination country. It doesn’t mean they don’t care, that they are not doing their job, or that your testing was all for naught; it simply means that the process is working.
 
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