Portugal is one of the best places you can visit right now both as a remote worker and as a student. Its warm weather and beautiful beaches are only topped by its work opportunities and high-quality education. And now that the vaccine passports for hotels and restaurants are no longer needed, it’s even easier to stay in Portugal for a few months living.
What is a vaccine passport?
The vaccine passport is not very clearly defined, though in general, it refers to two separate things. First is a country’s restriction on what requirements people need to fulfil regarding COVID-19 on entering the country. This might mean that the country will not allow unvaccinated visitors at all or it might just mean that the country requires a negative PCR or antigen test before entering the country.
Another meaning of “vaccine passport” relates to the ease of living once inside the country. As a push towards lessening the transmission of the virus, many countries took measures to limit public life. Some of these measures were later relaxed, but only for those who got vaccinated, usually at least double-jabbed. This meant that in many countries, unvaccinated or untested citizens and visitors could see their public lives heavily limited. Participation bans usually include restaurants, bars, theatres, concerts, sports events, and any larger public events with many people.
Portugal removes vaccine passports: What does it mean?
The change in rules mainly concerns daily life in Portugal. Firstly, people no longer need to present a negative test to enter large events while bars, restaurants, and similar venues won’t even check for proof of vaccination. Similarly, to check into a hotel, you don’t need either vaccination or a negative test. And lastly, the recommendation for companies to have their employees working from home has been lifted. Daily life in Portugal is slowly returning to normal.
While a great step towards easing Portugal’s restrictions, there are still some limits in place. The most notable is the change in the entrance to the country. Portugal has made it possible for unvaccinated people to enter but only with a negative test. Crucially, the White Card provided by the American CDC is still not accepted at the border. This means that Americans will still have to make sure they get tested before entering the country.
The overall easing of rules follows a pattern within the European Union. As most countries see a large rise in vaccinated citizens (for example, around 90% of Portugal’s citizens are fully vaccinated) and a drop in serious cases of COVID-19, many have eased their restrictions. Some countries, like France, the UK, Spain, Greece, and others don’t even require a test to enter the country. Thanks to the wide vaccination, the world can return to being open again.
