Flying from IAD to MAD, then on to OPO after a 5-hour layover on June 27/28. Since we are landing in Madrid and going through customs there, should we follow COVID guidance for travel to Spain (which currently officially states no COVID test required)? I'm not averse to getting a proctored COVID test before flying, but if I don't have to, I don't want to. Sherpa is currently stating no COVID test required for Portugal if you are fully vaccinated, but I recognize Sherpa is not the official outlet for such information. Thanks.
Posted by
4434 posts
I would read through the forum to see recent traveler's experiences. You should also inquire with your airline. It sounds very confusing, as the US does not seem to be on the list of approved vaccination certificates for Portugal, yet many report showing their CDC card for entry. However, some are reporting that they were also asked for test results too, so I would rather be safe than sorry.
I think Spain is irrelevant for your question--it should only matter what Portugal requires--but when I flew into Spain I had to show a QR code.
Posted by
Lubbock, TX
404 posts
I’m in Spain now and traveling to Portugal on June 29. You only need your vaccination card for Spain. You are supposed to fill out their app or website for entry, although no one looked at mine when I arrived in Seville. Every airport is different, so I would be prepared with the QR code.
Portugal does not recognize our vaccination cards so you will need to take either a PCR or a rapid-antigen test before you leave the US.
Posted by
9 posts
Hello! We flew from Madrid to Lisbon and they only asked for our vaccination cards, which were accepted and did not pose a problem. Before leaving, I filled out Spain's health questionnaire online and printed out the QR codes and had those ready. However, no one asked for them at all and when we left Lisbon for SFO we were not asked to show our vaccine cards nor our attestation forms.
Posted by
1 posts
This is what I got from our US Embassy website. We too are traveling later this summer to Porto, Lisbon, and Barcelona. I am going to not worry about tests right now since our trip is some time yet.
https://pt.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Entry and Exit Requirements: PORTUGAL
Opening information US Citizens:
Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter? Yes
Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? Yes (Airport temperature scans and random screenings)
Testing / Vaccination requirements for entry: All passengers 12 years old older must present EITHER
EU Digital Vaccination Certificate or a certificate if full recovery.
Neither the U.S. CDC vaccination card nor the U.S. recovery certificate are accepted as equivalent to the EU Digital Vaccination or Recovery Certificate. As such, U.S. Embassy Lisbon strongly recommends that all U.S. citizens travelling from the United States to Portugal follow option 2 below and present a negative COVID test before boarding.; or
Negative COVD Test
PCR / NAAT test 72 hours before boarding or
Rapid Antigen / TRAg test 24 hours before boarding.
Posted by
Illinois
162 posts
Sorry my response is late for the original poster but may be useful for those traveling soon. I left USA 6-14-2022 through Madrid to Lisbon. We were required at the baggage check-in counter to show either a letter of recovery or a negative test result before boarding passes were issued. Another traveller was denied a boarding pass and was told he had to go to a location in the airport to obtain a rapid test and return of proof of a negative result before a boarding pass would be issued. There were travelers going only as far as Madrid so they were not checked for proof of a negative test result