Portugal no longer requires vaccinated UK arrivals to take test

Portugal will no longer ask fully vaccinated UK citizens to take a Covid-19 test on arrival in the country.

Instead, Brits can enter the country if they can show digital or paper proof of double vaccination (i.e. 14 days before travelling) via the NHS Covid Pass or EU Digital Covid vaccine certificate.

They can also enter the country if they possess a certificate proving that they have recovered from Covid-19 no less than 11 days and no more than 180 days of when they are due to travel.

Those who do not have these certificates must take a Covid-19 pre-departure test – PCR within 72 hours of departure or antigen within 48 hours of departure – and complete the same passenger locator form.

On arrival in Portugal, travellers will be subject to a health screening and may be required to take a Covid-19 test if their temperatures is 38 degrees and above, or if they show signs of illness. They will then have to remain at the airport until the results come through.

Thailand to lift quarantine for UK arrivals from November

Thailand will lift quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers arriving by air from the UK and nine other countries from November 1.

Visitors will need to take a pre-departure RT-PCR test and also undergo testing upon arrival in Thailand. The ten countries included on the ‘low-risk, no-quarantine list’ include the UK, Singapore, Germany, China and the US.

Singapore Airlines expands quarantine-free vaccinated travel programme

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has expanded its quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) network to 14 cities, and says it expects to add additional cities in the coming weeks.

The VTL flights had previously been available to Germany and Brunei.

The new VTL list includes Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. (These are in addition to the existing VTL arrangements with Brunei and Germany, which began in September 2021.)

The VTL services will operate from Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, and Rome starting from October 19, 2021.

Travel red list cut to seven countries

The UK Government website says that from October 11 (0400), the red list will reduce to 7 countries and proof of vaccination will be recognised from 37 new countries and territories.

The details are:

• red list reduced to 7 destinations (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela) with 47 countries and territories removed from 0400  Monday October 11, 2021
• the government extends inbound vaccinated arrivals system to a further 37 countries and territories across the globe including India, South Africa and Turkey, meaning eligible vaccinated passengers arriving from rest of world countries only need to take a day 2 test in England
• the government confirms passengers will be able to send a picture of their lateral flow test as a minimum requirement to verify test result accuracy and keep prices down once Day 2 tests switch to lateral flow later this month, followed by a free PCR if positive