Portugal are set to open their economy to tourists again from Monday after months of restrictions to stop the spread of Covid.
Travellers from EU countries that have coronavirus rates less than 500 per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period will be allowed enter from Monday.
The interior ministry said in a statement that "all types of visits to Portugal, including even non-essential visits," will be permitted.
Tourists must show proof of a negative PCR test taken up to 72 hours before a flight however, and airlines who permit passengers to fly without having taken a test could be fined between €500 and €2,000.
Five EU countries - Cyprus, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden- plus Brazil, India and South Africa will still be restricted from travelling into Portugal, and will only be allowed in for 'essential trips'.
Britain
Portugal announced that it would allow tourists from Britain to enter the country from Monday, and it is reported that hotel owners are already inundated with bookings.
Britain added Portugal, whose economy heavily depends on tourism, to a "green" list of foreign destinations a week ago.
This allows Britons to travel there without needing to quarantine for Covid-19 when returning home.
European Union rules prohibit non-essential travel from outside the bloc, making Portugal's decision to allow in UK tourists an exception.
Spain
Spain are also expected to re-open their border in June for all types of travel for people who have 'Covid certificates'.
Fernando Valdés told the World Travel & Tourism Council summit in Mexico in April that the programme – under which tourists could show they have been vaccinated, tested negative or recently recovered from the virus - would prove “fundamental to offering travellers certainty”.
Valdés said Spain would participate in a pilot digital certificate scheme in May and would be “ready to receive visitors in June".
He also said that while the certificates were a good comparison of "before and after", they were "not magic wands" and other health measures may need to be adhered to.
Spain's official tourism website has also launched a 'Travel Safe' too which can be used by passengers across the globe to check the requirements needed before travelling to certain countries.
As well as details of the latest restrictions in each country, the new tool also tells you exactly what you need in order to travel safely to Spain, including all necessary requirements for entry from each country.
By clicking on the area you plan on travelling from, you can find out departure requirements from your origin country, the arrival requirements for Spain, all of the general measures in place as well as up to date changes to restrictions before you return home.
