Traveling to Portugal during COVID-19

Greetings everyone! We’d like to provide an update on traveling to Portugal. Currently, we are hosting a soccer tryout in Porto. Below is the latest update and some experiences from our clients.

Recently, we had players who traveled to Portugal for the tryout and training. First, our clients had to contact the airline to confirm if an invitation letter would be sufficient to travel. Once they received approval from the airline, our clients had to take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before the trip. Before boarding they had to show the official invitation letter from the academy and negative Covid results. Once participants arrived to Portugal, they had to take a second Covid test, which was organized by the academy. The latest update from the Portuguese Embassy is below:

American citizens can travel to Portugal for professional and study reasons, for this purpose they should contact the airline about which documentation is accepted as proof that the trip is considered essential. Parents will not be able to accompany the young person. For special travel authorization, you need to contact accompany minor services. We also remind you that all passengers in the USA must present proof of laboratory testing (RT -PCR) to screen for SARS -CoV infection - 2, with a negative result, carried out in the 72 hours prior to the moment of departure. 

Please also read below for an update directly from the Portuguese Embassy’s website:

Tourism is not considered essential travel.  

Essential travel:  

1.Travel to allow entry, transit or exit of UE citizens, citizens of associated Schengen countries and their families and third-country nationals who have legal residence in a EU member-state.

2. For third-country nationals: 

- Business trips;

- Participating in business meetings or meetings of delegations of multinational companies in Portugal;

- Business delegations; 

- High performance athletes; 

- Sports internships; 

- To fulfill cultural, educational or scientific research obligations;

- Healthcare workers, healthcare researchers, elderly healthcare workers, diplomats, transportation staff, personnel from international organizations and their guests as long as their physical presence is essential to the functioning of such organizations, military personnel and humanitarian workers and civil protection staff in performance of their duties; seafarers. 

- Study; 

- Family reunion; 

- Humanitarian reasons: third-country nationals who’s family members require emergency care that can only be provided by them or citizens considered by the Portuguese Government to be in need of international protection or that present other humanitarian reasons.

Please also contact the airline you’re flying with to make sure you are eligible for boarding.

We hope this article was helpful. Please note that this information is subject to change and you should always check your local Portuguese Consulate/Embassy website for the latest updates and contact your airline.