Flying TAP to Portugal (COVID requirements)

We fly on Tuesday TAP from London to Lisbon. We got our Covid Test to take with us. It's so confusing if the test is needed, so we went ahead and got one 72 hours before departure. The way I look at it, better to have paperwork in hand than try to board in London and have to go get a test that costs $$. Getting a test in the US for us in Denver was free.

I have a feeling that TAP will check for a negative test before they allow us on the flight from London, we have our vaccination cards with us as well (4x vax'd) We don't need a test to fly from the US to London - that is clear from United's website. (our first leg) But confident that a test result is needed to enter Portugal.

Add to that, I'd like to know personally if I am Covid positive before I fly anywhere and expose others, peace of mind comes with a simple PCR test.

Not sure when you are flying and if someone else will experience TAP into Lisbon before we get there, but if we find we didn't need the test, I'll reply to you here.

The USA vaccination card is not from a reciprocal country so testing is still required.
Read all of this: https://www.ivisa.com/amp/portugal-blog/how-citizens-of-the-united-states-can-enter-portugal-during-coronavirus

You definitely need a negative test to board the TAP flight. It can be antigen within 48 hours or PCR within 72. I flew with TAP twice since these rules were in effect. They were very strict with complying with the rules. Portugal finês airlines and passengers who do not comply.

You don’t say when you are flying. It could change in June as the current state of alert expires the end of May.
Safe Communities Portugal is a good site in English for requirements and current restrictions.

Thank you. We leave the US on June 13th. I am interested to see if there is any updates to the requirements in June.

Hi there. Just arrived in Lisbon on Monday 5/16 via TAP from Boston and they asked us to show either our vaccine card OR negative test results. We showed vaccine card when we checked our bag at the counter, and never again. At immigration in Lisbon, they just asked for passports. I definitely realize the rules (https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal) still say that US vaccine cards don't count and we should have to show test results but it is confusing in that the TAP website seems to allow vaccine card only from several additional countries, including the US, even though that doesn't seem to be consistent with the official rules. We did have test results that we were prepared to show. Not sure even knowing what I know now I'd risk showing up without them. But again, that's what happened for me and for lots of other people we've been talking to that have arrived within the last few weeks and just relaying my experience FYI. YMMV!

I just called TAP and the agent told me that our flight from San Francisco to Lisbon on 5/27 they only required vaccination cards. No tests if fully vaccinated.

That is good to know! Will you be testing prior, just in case?

I just flew from Paris to Lisbon with a brief layover in Frankfurt, on Lufthansa. When checking in at Paris CDG, the agent asked to see vaccine paperwork. My wife and I handed her our CDC cards and I said, "we have tests, too," and she replied, "it is your choice." Upon landing in Lisbon, there was no check of any documentation at any point.

This was (obviously) an inter-EU flight, so perhaps there'd be checks getting off the plane or going through immigration. However, all passengers "go through" customs at Lisbon T2 and there was no vaccine check there (at the time we walked through).

The day prior to the flight in Paris, we took COVID tests just in case. I say, it's better to be prepared than ... what? Be turned away?

The options to enter Portugal are all OR options. You only need a full vaccination and booster record OR a negative test OR proof of recovery in the past six months, etc OR. You don't need a negative test result AND a full vaccination card.

https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal

Not to belabor it, but the US is not among the countries recognized as being under "reciprocal conditions"

"Accepted vaccination certificates issued by third countries under reciprocal conditions: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Benin, Cabo Verde, Colombia, El Salvador, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, Iceland, Jordan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malasya, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, San Marino, Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man), Uruguay, The Vatican, Vietnam (https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans/eu-digital-covid-certificate_en),"
So technically, you need (if you are coming from the US) a negative test. Granted, enforcement is sporadic at this time, but with the wave of infections in Portugal, your chances of not being checked may diminish.

That’s exactly how I read it, Dennis. That’s why my daughter is having a test before flying to Portugal tomorrow. I would rather err on the side of complying with written rules rather than her not be able to board the plane. Airlines and passengers were being heavily fined for months if they didn’t have negative tests. At any moment TAP could start complying 100% again.

I think this section of the visit portugal site is new, possibly since the update listed on 19 May:
"This information has been updated in accordance with Order No. 4829-A/2022, of 22 April, published by the Portuguese government, which determines the measures applicable to airports and maritime borders and defines the supervision of their operation. In Portugal, border control is ensured by ANA, S.A., by the PSP (Public Security Police), and by SEF (Portuguese Immigration and Border Service) and is carried out randomly to 25% of passengers upon arrival in the territory. For further information, contact SEF - Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras directly (www.sef.pt / [email protected] / [email protected]), the most suitable entity to clarify any issues related to border control in Portugal."

I know a lot of us aren't experiencing a COVID test check, and the bolded portion makes me wonder if 25% of people still are. 25% is still pretty high, though, and I haven't seen a single person report on any of these forums for weeks that they had their tests checked. We're a little concerned about it right now as my FIL is supposed to be joining us in Portugal and his flight was delayed, so now his test results will be expired by the time he boards tonight. Rapid tests at the airport are $250 and no insurance coverage qualifies, so it will be painful if he pays that and doesn't need it, but the consequences the other way are pretty bad as well.

That is interesting about your point about delayed flights. How does that impact COVID test results in terms of delayed flights?

My understanding is the negative test is required within 24 hours of boarding your first flight.

And, the statement about calling SEF is a big laugh! SEF is the agency dealing with people moving into Portugal also. People trying to make or change appointments go for weeks without being able to reach them!

FYI - my daughter is flying back with me to Portugal this evening. She is testing this morning. I will report back on whether her test results are checked.

To follow up, my FIL and his delayed flight (so COVID test results technically expired) - he was only asked for vax card at airport so he boarded flight. Since he was delayed not at his home airport, we knew he'd have plenty of time sitting around literally for 20 hours to get an airport rapid test if the airline insisted, but they didn't.

Then we counted on the below portion of the Portugal "rules" for him to get a test in Portugal if they actually asked for test results and insisted his test results weren't compliant because of the timing and his delayed flight. But guess what? Once again, no one asked for test results, so it worked out for him (if you can count losing a whole day of his 8 day vacation in Portugal AND the airline losing his luggage as "working out for him" but that's a whole different topic!).

"c. 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."

Thank you for the update. This is all so confusing.

My daughter is flying from Washington DC to Lisbon on TAP next Sunday (June 5th). She is planning to have her CDC vax certificate but also a negative test result just in case. I can report back here after her flight. Of course, the rules may change in June.

A quick update. My daughter (who lives in the States) and I flew back from Italy yesterday.

I was not even asked to show my EU Covid Certificate - the first time since I’ve had one! My daughter was not asked for her test results or vaccination card.

Things have obviously changed significantly since I flew to Spain and back in April!

However, if I were flying from the states, I would still likely get a test just to calm my anxiety! And, there is no official word the testing has been dropped. With the high numbers here right now, policies could change tomorrow.