Flying UK - Portugal
#61
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Wales/Ribatejo
Posts: 574
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Me and OH had our.jabs in UK 4 weeks ago. Appointments made at the time for 2nd shot 10 weeks later. tried today to see if we could bring them forward for an 8 week gap. Put both our NHS numbers onto the website and were advised there is no record of our 1st jabs!....... So don't hold out much chance for those without numbers or documentation. People are getting vaccinated but I think it is pretty much a free for all. Anyone/anywhere. A bit like the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. We will just have to wait our turn I suppose.
#62
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Just out of interest Hetty and I appreciate you may not know but I was wondering about those without an NHS number.
How do they keep a record of these people with regard to timing of / contact for the second jab?
Presumably also, some of these people will be undocumented / illegals?
How do they keep a record of these people with regard to timing of / contact for the second jab?
Presumably also, some of these people will be undocumented / illegals?
#63
Just Joined
Joined: May 2018
Location: London
Posts: 24
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Me and OH had our.jabs in UK 4 weeks ago. Appointments made at the time for 2nd shot 10 weeks later. tried today to see if we could bring them forward for an 8 week gap. Put both our NHS numbers onto the website and were advised there is no record of our 1st jabs!....... So don't hold out much chance for those without numbers or documentation. People are getting vaccinated but I think it is pretty much a free for all. Anyone/anywhere. A bit like the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. We will just have to wait our turn I suppose.
Last week I signed into the NHS app (to opt out of the data grab but that is a different story) and on there recorded were both jab details. I was also able to download a copy of the certificate for printing. Hope this helps.
spigs
#64
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 657
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
When I had my first jab it had been arranged by my doctors at a nearby surgery. I was given a small card recording the type of vaciine and date taken. I later attempted to sign into the NHS website just to check if my jab had been recorded but there was no trace. I therefore called the surgery and they told me not to worry and that I would be contacted in due course. True enough I got contacted after 12 weeks or thereabouts for the second jab and the small card was updated with the second jab details.
Last week I signed into the NHS app (to opt out of the data grab but that is a different story) and on there recorded were both jab details. I was also able to download a copy of the certificate for printing. Hope this helps.
spigs
Last week I signed into the NHS app (to opt out of the data grab but that is a different story) and on there recorded were both jab details. I was also able to download a copy of the certificate for printing. Hope this helps.
spigs
#65
#66
Just Joined
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Thanks for the info Fergus,
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
#67
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 657
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Thanks for the info Fergus,
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
#68
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Tunbridge Wells KENT
Posts: 2,914
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Got to Madeira late last night having arrived earlier in the day at near empty Gatwick North Terminal on a BA flight from St Lucia which was pretty full - Club was sold out. TAP Madeira flight was completely full, from Porto. Easyjet was half full from London to Porto even though it is a once-a-week flight.
BA boarded and disembarked the flight by row numbers. Easyjet simply boarded the flight en masse - no speedy boarding priority. We had (successfully) bid a price to get upgraded for TAP and were glad that we did as we got priority for us and bags and we had been traveling for 26 hours when we got here.
UK Border Agency routine for processing UK Passenger Locator Form was easy, though their systems seemed to be acting up. They were friendly enough and we knew the rules, so even though my wife was told that she had to go into quarantine, I knew that wasn't correct as we were simply transiting landside.
We had been told in St Lucia that we had to have the papers ready for inspection there or be denied boarding.
I was told by Border Agency that we were permitted to isolate while in transit for up to 24 hours at an appropriate hotel but we had chosen not to do that.
Easyjet routines at Gatwick are much easier than we had expected. Our Covid test papers were checked and we were issued with a slip for the day showing that our covid papers had been checked and it gets handed in at boarding. Nobody checked our Portugal Passenger Locator Card anywhere.
Passports got stamped at Porto arrivals.
In Madeira, we got in based upon being twice vaccinated and the updated rules on VisitPortugal.com which state that Madeira and the Azores are now aligned with the Mainland and admit based upon an antigen test are incorrect at this point - I think that applies from 1st July. Arrival routines here were very well organised and we expressed through the dark green channel to our waiting taxi.
Porto airport was heaving with passengers and busy food and drink outlets. Long queues for covid testing outside near Departures. A good four hour layover though - masks ON, except when drinking lovely Douro white!
If you have paid for tests to get into Madeira, Madeira then offers to pay for any necessary tests to return to your 'home country'. However, they say it is a non-issue as we are fully-vaccinated. That remains to be seen, as we are traveling via the EU to get (ultimately) to the UK and though Madeira accepted our vax certs, there is no guarantee that the EU will. However, we will try to avail ourselves of the EU Vaccination Certificate here if the rules have been developed for third countries in time - before we leave on 2nd August.
BA boarded and disembarked the flight by row numbers. Easyjet simply boarded the flight en masse - no speedy boarding priority. We had (successfully) bid a price to get upgraded for TAP and were glad that we did as we got priority for us and bags and we had been traveling for 26 hours when we got here.
UK Border Agency routine for processing UK Passenger Locator Form was easy, though their systems seemed to be acting up. They were friendly enough and we knew the rules, so even though my wife was told that she had to go into quarantine, I knew that wasn't correct as we were simply transiting landside.
We had been told in St Lucia that we had to have the papers ready for inspection there or be denied boarding.
I was told by Border Agency that we were permitted to isolate while in transit for up to 24 hours at an appropriate hotel but we had chosen not to do that.
Easyjet routines at Gatwick are much easier than we had expected. Our Covid test papers were checked and we were issued with a slip for the day showing that our covid papers had been checked and it gets handed in at boarding. Nobody checked our Portugal Passenger Locator Card anywhere.
Passports got stamped at Porto arrivals.
In Madeira, we got in based upon being twice vaccinated and the updated rules on VisitPortugal.com which state that Madeira and the Azores are now aligned with the Mainland and admit based upon an antigen test are incorrect at this point - I think that applies from 1st July. Arrival routines here were very well organised and we expressed through the dark green channel to our waiting taxi.
Porto airport was heaving with passengers and busy food and drink outlets. Long queues for covid testing outside near Departures. A good four hour layover though - masks ON, except when drinking lovely Douro white!
If you have paid for tests to get into Madeira, Madeira then offers to pay for any necessary tests to return to your 'home country'. However, they say it is a non-issue as we are fully-vaccinated. That remains to be seen, as we are traveling via the EU to get (ultimately) to the UK and though Madeira accepted our vax certs, there is no guarantee that the EU will. However, we will try to avail ourselves of the EU Vaccination Certificate here if the rules have been developed for third countries in time - before we leave on 2nd August.
Last edited by Pistolpete2; Jun 28th 2021 at 1:27 pm.
#69
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 235
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Me and OH had our.jabs in UK 4 weeks ago. Appointments made at the time for 2nd shot 10 weeks later. tried today to see if we could bring them forward for an 8 week gap. Put both our NHS numbers onto the website and were advised there is no record of our 1st jabs!....... So don't hold out much chance for those without numbers or documentation. People are getting vaccinated but I think it is pretty much a free for all. Anyone/anywhere. A bit like the right hand not knowing what the left is doing. We will just have to wait our turn I suppose.
In February OH and I had our first AZ jab at a Football stadium. We were not given an appointment for the 2nd one and were told the NHS would call us nearer the due date probably mid April (at that time the gap between vaccinations was 12 weeks). Well my husband got called after 10 weeks and was given his booster 2 days later. I never heard anything. I waited another week and decided to call 119....after several press button here and there I finally got through only to be told they couldn't give me a date because they had no record of my first jab however they will sort it out with technical support and I should here in a week's time. Guess what...nothing happened the 12 weeks were up. So I called 119 again only to be told that they can't do anything it is up to my GP surgery (my husband and I have different GP surgeries) to update my records. I decided to send them an email because they are constantly engaged. Well they finally sprang into action and I got my second jab.
I have now downloaded the NHS app and both vaccinations are showing dates and AZ batch numbers.
#70
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 235
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Easyjet routines at Gatwick are much easier than we had expected. Our Covid test papers were checked and we were issued with a slip for the day showing that our covid papers had been checked and it gets handed in at boarding.
In Madeira, we got in based upon being twice vaccinated and the updated rules on VisitPortugal.com which state that Madeira and the Azores are now aligned with the Mainland and admit based upon an antigen test are incorrect at this point - I think that applies from 1st July.
In Madeira, we got in based upon being twice vaccinated and the updated rules on VisitPortugal.com which state that Madeira and the Azores are now aligned with the Mainland and admit based upon an antigen test are incorrect at this point - I think that applies from 1st July.
#72
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Tunbridge Wells KENT
Posts: 2,914
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Then Portugal changed to 48 hour antigen and that was a GO for us and we got tested on Friday morning for a Saturday evening flight and were just within the 48 hours at Gatwick boarding at around 12:30pm local on Sunday. There had been indications that the antigen test was also good for Madeira (as a back-up to the vax certs) but Madeirasafe came back to us and said that was incorrect and IF we had Vax Certs that we were good to go and so it proved.
The only thing left for us now is whether we need PCR tests to enter France from here early in August. Will check in three week's time.
I will say that there is a real problem with the alignment of testing requirements between what I thought was gospel and what is reality.
Both visitportugal.com and the Madeira tourism front-page are not very accurate on updates, though Portabay tries to be for Madeira.
As a result, we have used the covid testing updates from both Easyjet and TAP which are now in complete alignment, so it seems and Easyjet are dated for latest updates which helps too. The UK Government website for Portugal lags behind by a few days.
Last edited by Pistolpete2; Jun 29th 2021 at 10:00 am.
#73
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 235
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
#74
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 93
Re: Flying UK - Portugal
Thanks for the info Fergus,
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
We are planning to travel to Faro Portugal and cross border to our apartment in Ayamonte Spain on arrival, however the “on line” Portugal locator form only allows for Portugal address?
looks like we have to stay a night in Portugal hotel as locator form completion is mandatory?
anyone else come across this snag ?
Thank you
Harry
#75
Just Joined
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2