UK GOV Update

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Many of you have sent me the latest update on the UK GOV website, here is the update below.

  • The Portuguese Government has announced that from 1 January 2021, travel by UK nationals to Portugal will not be permitted, except for essential purposes. This restriction does not apply to UK nationals who are legally resident in Portugal or any other EU member state
  • On arrival in Portugal including Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores, you will be required to provide a certificate confirming a negative test result for SARS/COVID-19 taken in the previous 72 hours (not required for children aged two or under). Airlines are likely to deny boarding if you cannot provide this at check-in. Check the requirements with your airline in advance of travelling
  • In Madeira, you will be required to take an additional PCR test 5 – 7 days after your initial test. From the day you arrive in Madeira until you receive the results of this additional test, you must remain in isolation.

Isn’t this what has already been in place for the last couple of weeks, just seems to have been worded different.?

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Tobi Hughes

28 Responses

  1. Thank you-Tobi for sending along the link so that we in the US and around the world sharing the beauty of News Eve in Madeira. R T P link worked out extremely well. Happy New Year my friend.

  2. We are due to fly on EasyJet from Bristol tomorrow as Madeira residents. Emails from the airline direct us to the visitmadeira website which still says you get tested on arrival if you don’t have a valid test within 72hrs prior to boarding. What is confusing from the above précis is the inference is now you must have a test before boarding. We will now need to confirm with EasyJet that this is not the case as we were happy enough to test on arrival. Will but be easy to get a valid test and upload to the official entry website ahead of our flight given its 1 Jan!

  3. So just spoken to EasyJet customer service and they confirmed we will be allowed to board without a valid PCR test but we will be required to have a test on arrival, then isolate until second test 5-7 days afterwards. The onus is on the airline whether they allow you to board without a test. If you go to the gov.uk site it states ‘in the unlikely event that your airline allowed you to travel without a COVID test you will have to take a test on arrival….’. Hope this is helpful for fellow travellers.. good luck and safe travels.

  4. The update Government Advice clearly says that you need the test before travel and that airlines will request this. It goes on to say that for Madeira if you happen to get there without a test, you’ll have it at the airport but then have to go to Government accommodation until you get the result and, if ok, you then isolate in your own accommodation for 5-7 days. I was due to fly on Monday, but have stepped back until things have sorted themselves out. David, I’d be really interested to hear from you about how you get on.

    1. I have already cancelled my trip in February, two weeks with a five day self quarantine doesn’t appeal but having been on the Island since Dec 9 and talking to locals, I have a feeling the way the statistics are going the Authorities are waiting until the majority of Christmas/New Year visitors have gone home Jan 9 and will then announce a lock down. I hope not, but.
      I would interested in what others think.

      1. I don’t think a lockdown, but probable fences round the worst ares to contain. Most cases are know chains, so there really is not much local transmission, if that changes then we might see tougher measures.

  5. I wonder how long this blanket ban on UK holidaymakers will last. Both the Algarve and Madeira need tourist money. If it is not lifted soon people will look elsewhere like Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Greece and its islands. All in easy reach and similar flight times.

    1. Spain (including islands) has the same requirement as Portugal regarding trips from the UK and most of the other countries don’t even allow flights from the UK (completely banned) or travellers from the UK must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

  6. Maurice I read on the BBC website that sadly because we’re no longer in the EU we are not afforded ‘free’ travel to other EU countries due too Covid and are therefore now subject to Covid restrictions that we otherwise wouldn’t have been. I think Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and maybe Malta are the only places ‘letting us in.’
    I hope I’ve got this right. ?

  7. As usual UK advice is not clear. If Madeira required a pre flight clean test result as well as a test on arrival, irrespective of who and from where – it would be able to control the ongoing spread of the virus. Madeira was attractive because it had a minimal problem. Now it doesn’t. And that is off-putting.

    Only one country has stamped really hard on the virus. And won. Taiwan . With less than 10 deaths in a population of 20,000,000 .

    Moaning about putting off tourists is unwise. Madeira is putting off tourists with its now widely known spread of the virus.

    If one looks at the UK – just do the complete opposite of what our government has done . Most things – too little and too late !

    1. “Widely known spread of the virus”.

      14 deaths reported in Madeira up to the moment. If Madeira had a similar situation to the UK proportionally there would have been 390 deaths in Madeira. Astronomic numbers in UK, if the virus spreads as fast as it is right now who knows which new variants will exist in a month?

  8. Tobi, the difference between this update and that previous given on 20/21st December is that this applies to all UK nationals regardless of where they are flying from. The previous statement – not repealed I think – applied to all those flying from the UK regardless of nationality. This new update is in recognition of the fact that UK nationals need to be treated in a similar way to other non EU non Schengen nationals.

    1. I don’t think us leaving the EU has really any thing to do with these regulations. But, I assume you are a Remainer, if this makes you happy.

      1. Work towards better good of all not for selfish good of yourself would help.
        But what do I know.

  10. The UK problem is in England. Scotland has largely escaped the virus except for the Central belt, mainly Glasgow! Most flights from UK come into Madeira on a Monday. It is impossible to get a test within 72 hours of flying on a Monday morning so these people have to rely on tests at airport. This worked well when we last flew on 28 September. We were tested on arrival and had to self-isolate for 24 hours till we got results. This we could do in our own home. The problem arises when people require to shop if they are in self-catering accommodation or have a meal in an hotel or outside restaurant. The first 24 hours are not properly catered for. Advice to passengers is insufficient.

  11. No! It does not make me happy I have been travelling for 40 years and knew the implications
    that leaving the EU would have on travelling throughout Europe.
    This is the start of things to come appears though that some folks are still in denial .

  12. The bottom line is do not travel. Wherever you are. Do not travel. How difficult is that to comprehend? ? All people saying they’re due to travel soon have no sense of responsibility whatsoever. In fact, no sense at all. Health and social responsibility are far more important than some misplaced feeling of so called loyalty to a place, which will sort itself out eventually. Cancel your flights pdq!!! Just get a grip. It’s one year, for heaven’s sake!!!! ?

  13. As i have commented on a couple of other Blogs, the answer is simple:
    NOBODY should be allowed to board a plane without a negative test result whether they be “essential workers” “Tourists” “Madeirans” “Europeans” “Brexiteers” “Remainers” or “Martians” Apologies if I’ve missed anyone out.
    EVERYBODY should then be re-tested at the airport. Seemple.
    Time consuming, probably, Life saving, Definitely.
    Wishing You All A Very Happy Prosperous and Covid Free New Year
    (Even you Remoaners)

    John Cleary

    1. You can have a negative test within the 72 hours specified, you can have another test on landing and there is still no guarantee.

  14. Anna’s comment that most UK flights arrive on a Monday is highly relevant. Thus, taking into account the weekend, it will be almost impossible to arrive at the departure airport with a test result less that 72 hours old.

  15. Hi George, what guarantee do you need? You have a Test at Funchal airport, it is either Positive and you are Quarantined or it is negative and you are allowed on the Island. Also insisting on a negative test result at your outbound airport reduces the possibility of having a Positive test result in Funchal.
    Also i never mentioned 72 hours, maybe this time can be reduced to 48 or 24 hours, Chemists are offering tests in the UK. Some airport hotels are offering test results before you board the next day, so it can be done in a short space of time.
    Judging by the time it is taking to Vaccinate people around the World, it is highly unlikely that things will be back to normal until next year, i think Funchal can forget about the cruise ships this year but being an Island it can control and restrict visitors flying to the Island Island wherever they come from.

    Kind Regards
    John Cleary
    PS Tobi, do you have any thoughts on this matter, solution wise i mean.

    1. There is no real solution that will work. The time frame of having the virus show symptoms ect is so different, having a negative test or being tested here is better than nothing, and this we have done from the very start. It’s been very successful, but now with the new strain which is now all over Europe and other places round the world, it’s spread is so much more, and keeping on top of this is almost impossible. The only way to really control it and letting people in would be to expensive, we have already spent millions and millions on testing and hotels, probably nearly 20 million very soon, God knows where this money is coming from when thousands of people are already on their knees and can’t even afford basic food to eat day to day.

  16. Hi Robert, in that case extend the test time to 96 hours BUT everyone must have a NEGATIVE test result before boarding, instead of flying and hoping for a negative test on arrival as lots of people do. Plus as i said above, EVERYBODY has to have ANOTHER test ON arrival irrespective of whether they show a negative test result on boarding.

    John Cleary

  17. So we have arrived on the 1500 Easyjet flight from Bristol. At Bristol there was much confusion as we arrived without a negative test and some staff said we could board and others said not. We were sent away and told to rebook for Monday and get a test. As we left the airport I got a call saying actually we could board and get tested in Madeira on arrival. So we trekked back and got on a flight with 10 pax (2 of whom avoided our trauma by arriving at Bristol airport half an hour after our original arrival, and despite also having no test were allowed to board oblivious to earlier hiatus – doh!). Anyway the next important thing to say is that after arrival and testing we were all coached to the Pestana Bay for overnight isolation until we get out negative test in the morning. This is apparently something they imposed on all UK arrivals without test as of yesterday – but I can’t be 100% certain on that. Of course we then expect to go home and isolate until invited to our 2nd test at Nélio Mendonza in 5-7 days. I will say we have been treated brilliantly by everyone – Easyjet staff (despite confusion), airport staff in Bristol and Madeira, medical staff and the hotel. We fully agree with the test protocols and have no arguments. What is tough is the amount of misinformation, conflicting and out of date information you can get directed to. Despite all the due diligence on our part it has not proven easy. But we will soon at our home in Funchal and glad to be back. Happy 2021 all!

    1. Welcome back. I think there is a lot of confusion between Madeira and Mainland Portugal, this is where a lot of it is going wrong like with the confusion from Easyjet.

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