Madeira Island Reopens With Safety And Assurance – PLEASE READ

I have been getting many messages and emails about the conditions for arriving in Madeira.

The Island will reopen with no mandatory quarantine from July 1st. This is the official statement below.

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Madeira and Porto Santo will reopen to tourism on July 1st, the date when the mandatory quarantine is eliminated.

The reopening will be carried out safely and aiming to recover the confidence both of travellers and locals.

Madeira Islands has had very few cases of Covid-19 and acted quickly to control the virus on the archipelago (Portugal has been widely praised for its rapid response). Until the present date, the islands of Madeira have registered ninety (90) positive cases of COVID-19, no community contamination, and no deaths.

Madeira was a pioneer in the whole Portugal, in developing a good practices document to deal with Covid-19, resulting from the involvement from the whole tourism sector, along with the launch of a certification process that will reassure consumer confidence and hence promote Madeira as a safe tourism location for all visitors.

The Regional Government of Madeira (GRM) will carry out a test for all travellers, upon arrival in Madeira islands. This measure ensures all visitors that not only the locals are virus-free, but all those who enter will be scanned, thus promoting a highly secure and reassuring environment.

The government will pay for all costs of the tests upon arrival to the Destination, to prevent any extra costs for travellers. However, these tests can be avoided if passengers present a PCR test with a negative result, carried out in the last 72 hours before landing time. The testing process is being prepared by the Regional Health Authority, with the collaboration of ANA – Airports of Portugal, and strives for the highest speed with least inconvenience for travellers. Further details will be communicated in due course.

During June, mandatory quarantine can be avoided if travellers present a PCR test with a negative result, carried out in the last 72 hours upon arrival with no restriction on circulation in the Madeira and Porto Santo.

The epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 will be taken into account in the reopening plan defined for Madeira Islands.

Travellers between Madeira and Porto Santo are currently free from any control by Health authorities.

The Regional Government of Madeira, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture, and Madeira Promotion Bureau are working side by side with all stakeholders to relaunch the Destination. Our teams are always available to share information.

Eduardo Jesus – Regional Secretary

Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Culture

My summary of this.

So in short if you travel to the island in June you will need to have a PCR test within 72 hours of arriving, this way you will not do Mandatory Quarantine, but you will be monitored by your mobile phone for two weeks just to make sure you have no symptoms. If you come without a test you will be Quarantined for 14 days in one of the hotels being used (please note being Quarantined is not fun, you are locked in your room and you do not leave your room for 14 days, not even for exercise. No alcohol is allowed, you will be provided with 3 meals a day, if you have friends or relatives on the island they can bring you treats or anything you might need and leave it at the hotel reception)

From July 1st everyone will need a PCR test. If you bring this with you within the 72 hours of arrival, you are free to go about the island, please make sure you know all rules as masks are mandatory in places like Supermarkets, buses, shopping centres etc. But you will not be monitored and can just enjoy your stay.

If you do not bring a test with you, then you will be tested on arrival at Madeira with no charge. Here it gets a bit uncertain, If you test positive you will go straight to Quarantine in one of the hotels. and you will stay there I believe till you test negative. If the case is you are positive, then the flight you are on there will be a strong chance you have infected many on this also, bringing more problems for Madeira.

I personally think they should have one rule for all, and make everyone have a test from the country they are travelling from, Prices of tests have to come down, and I am sure we will see that very soon. This way we do not have a situation where visitors are testing positive when they arrive, possibly infecting others, and spending their time in Quarantine. It also is not said how long the test will take and if you have to wait at the airport for the results, or some other way. 

Maybe if you know how much tests are from countries you travel from you can put the prices below, but I am 100% sure we will see prices fall when tourism travel restarts and more and more tests are available.

I also believe there will be more demand for private rentals, houses and apartments, and smaller hotels.