Portugal will welcome visitors from the UK this summer as soon as the UK Government gives the green light for foreign holidays to resume.
The country has been removed from the 'red list' of quarantine nations and it has indicated it is ready to accept UK holidaymakers from May 17 if they have had the Covid jab .
That is the earliest date non-essential overseas travel will be permitted under the government’s lockdown roadmap.
Airlines and tour operators like Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair and Tui operate each year between UK airports and Faro and Lisbon in Portugal.
A spokesperson for the Portuguese government said it was ready to accept UK holidaymakers if they had evidence of receiving the vaccine.
Luis Araujo, president of the Portuguese National Tourism Board, also welcomed the country’s removal from the red list and highlighted its efforts to create a safe environment for the reopening of tourism.
He said: “We congratulate ourselves on the removal of Portugal from the UK’s red list.
"This decision represents a vote of confidence in this new phase the world is going through, in addition to encouraging visits to the destination to stimulate economic activity and comes as a recognition of the road travelled in regards to the effective control of the pandemic.
“It is important to signal that Portugal is committed to welcoming all in a safe and sustainable way. We are ready to give those who choose to visit us the same great experiences with added safety.
“There are over 22.000 tourism companies with the Clean & Safe Seal and over 85.000 people have been trained in safety, digital and sustainability areas.”
