This is very important, as Portugal have been placing big fines for anyone entering Portugal without a covid test. This has been 300-800 euros for the passenger and when I looked a couple of days ago, almost 1000 passengers had been fined. The airlines are also fined between 20,000 and 40,000 per passenger, and about 35 airlines are looking at fines.
This has not included Madeira or the Azores for the tests, but now everyone will need to complete the locator form.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ONLY IF TRAVELLING TO MAINLAND PORTUGAL
MADEIRA HAS ITS OWN MADEIRA SAFE FIRM WHICH EVERYONE HAS TO FILL OUT, AND HAS ALWAYS DONE SO.
As of tomorrow, December 16, it is mandatory to fill out the Passenger Location Form (PLF) online – which you can download here – for all passengers traveling to mainland Portugal, whether as a final destination or in transit.
An online form that will need to be completed and submitted upon completion of check-in, in order to include the passenger seat number.
Passengers will be required to provide digital (on their mobile device) or paper proof that the form has been successfully completed and submitted. It is also necessary to bear in mind that, in case of Internet connection problems on passengers’ mobile devices or wi-fi at airports, a printed proof of sending the PLF form is required.
Failure to comply with this requirement will result in denied boarding and constitutes an infringement, which may be sanctioned with a fine of 300 to 800 euros.
The information provided on the form will help Portuguese public health authorities to locate passengers who may have been exposed to COVID-19. The information is intended to be held by Portuguese public health authorities in accordance with applicable law and to be used for public health purposes only.
When filling out the PLF, all fields are mandatory. The form can be submitted within 4 days prior to arrival in mainland Portugal. Once submitted, you will receive a notification that you must save on a mobile device or print to take with you on your trip.
Who is required to complete the Passenger Locator Form (PLF)?
1) Passengers on flights with destination or stopover in mainland Portugal;
2) Cruise ship passengers that dock at terminals located in mainland Portugal.
Where do I find the PLF?
The PLF is available, in Portuguese and English, on the Clean & Safe portal, managed by the Instituto do Turismo de Portugal, IP (Turismo de Portugal, IP), available at https://portugalcleanandsafe.pt/pt-pt/ passenger-locator-card .
When should the PLF be filled in electronically?
In the case of air travel, after check-in and before boarding time; In the case of sea voyages, within 96 hours prior to the estimated time of arrival in mainland Portugal.
After the electronic submission of the complete PLF, what should I do?
The submission generates an individualized QR code, which the passenger must display, in digital or paper format, to the competent authorities, with a proof of completion being sent to the email address indicated in the form.
If I forgot to fill in, what should I do?
Although passengers must be informed of the obligation to fill in the PLF, namely on the websites and at the service or sales points to the public of airlines or cruise ships; upon confirmation of ticket reservation, by the airline or cruise ship; or at the time of electronic or face-to-face check-in, by the airline or cruise ship, those who have not done so in advance must access the Clean & Safe portal in the places provided for, such as sales and check-in points, where they must be assisted assistance in filling out the PLF and providing the printed version of the proof of completion to passengers who request it.
Who controls the PLF?
Airlines must ensure that all passengers who board with a destination or stopover in mainland Portugal have, in digital or paper format, proof of completing the PLF and prevent boarding those who do not present it, without prejudice to random verification, to arrival on national territory, by the competent police authorities.
In the case of sea voyages, verification is carried out by cruise ship owners or their legal representatives, as a condition for disembarking passengers in mainland Portugal, without prejudice to random verification in the free circulation of the ship, on arrival in national territory, by competent law enforcement authorities.
How is verification done?
It is carried out through its own mobile application for reading the respective QR code, which can be displayed in digital or paper format. Subsidiary to the reading of the QR code through the own mobile application referred to in the previous number, the verification can be done manually, through the data contained in the PLF, regardless of the medium in which it is displayed.
Are there fines for those who don’t have the PLF?
Failure to comply with the submission and verification obligations provided for in this decree-law constitutes an administrative offence.