fergus

Arrived yesterday at Faro. At UK check in they asked for fit to fly proof, checked the passenger locator form and boarding card. Used C19 testing (Google it), just £29 for a lateral flow test and you do it at home and email a photo. Got the certificate just one hour later. Well done to them!

At passport control in faro there were maybe 15 people sitting on their bags and busy on their phones in the arrivals hall (from a previous flight). None were trying to get past the booths. Passed them and went to booth and showed passport and the covid test. They were good with that but then asked for proof of vaccination. Fortunately, we had it in paper form and also in the NHS app. Had not expected this but breezed through with the paper certificates anyway.

Today had a good look at visit portugal web site and it states:

......Comply with 14 days of prophylactic isolation on arrival in Portugal, or
Have complete vaccination for 14 days, of a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

We had proof so fine. But so many people (nowadays) do not read everything they see (try sending to someone an email with three questions and you will find they reply to first and miss the rest!). So they may be caught out.

Perhaps that is why the people sat on travel bags in passport control in Faro were all under 30 years old. They had not read past the bit that says lateral flow within 48 hours if departure is okay for entry to portugal.

So please beware, you do need to prove you have had both jabs before you get let in!

riv

I suspect there was some other reason as how would they get through the departure airport in UK without showing both Certificates ( NHS and Fit to Fly ) ?

I understand airlines all need to check passengers have these two x docs before they allow them onto the 'plane.

fergus

At the uk airport there was no check on whether you had been vaccinated. They checked the fit to fly certificate and boarding pass and passenger locator form. But no question about vaccinations or check.

GrahamF

Apologies if this has been mentioned in other threads but good idea if you're registered at Centro de Saude to have your UK jabs registered in Portuguese system and download the app.

Score76

Yesterday I flew PT to UK and back again, thought I would update this thread with my experience.

So 10am from Faro to East Midlands, security was much busier than when I did the same journey at the end of July. Antigen test done the day before. Paperwork checks at the gate, wanting to see negative test cert, UK passenger locator form. Only about 30 people on the flight. At East Midlands it was very slow, checking paperwork again.

On way back a few hours later, wanting to see both negative test and vaccination certification. No one asked for Portuguese Passenger Locator. Plane about half full. A few groups on the flight with talk of being turned away from earlier flights through not having the right paperwork, tests not in the right time frame etc. Fairly slow back at Faro passport control, checking test and vaccination status, some people from other flights being sent back to an office up the stairs to get an test before being let through.

chislenko

Pardon my ignorance but I keep seeing two forms mentioned in these threads.

Yes I get having a double vac certificate and I understand the passenger locator form but is this "fit to fly" that is talked about above a third piece of paper you need?

riv

I think the reference to 'Fit to Fly' is a reference to the Document that the Lateral Flow Tester people will give you if when you test with them ( eg the day prior to your plane taking off ) you register as Negative for Covid.

They give you ( I am going from memory ) a Document which attests to the fact that you have tested Negative and ( again from memory ) it is headed 'FIT TO FLY '.

So it is ONE Document which states both that you are Negative for Covid ( this in the short timeframe prior to your plane taking off the runway ) and also that you are 'Fit To Fly'.

It may be that those three words are the ones which the airline staff at your departure airport , as also the immigration control persons at your arrival look for to save time.

But it is ONE Document.

riv

The Double Vac certificate ( from the NHS or from Portuguese / EU equivalent ) might date from several months prior to your travel, whereas the Fit To Fly Document relates to your Covid status in the 24 hour ( or whatever specified ) time period prior to your plane's taking off.

So FIT To FLY is completely separate from DOUBLE VACC .

macliam

Thanks, useful feedback on the midst of uncertainty

chislenko

Right, get it now.

So you do end up with three documents.

Double Vac Certificate
Fit To Fly Test Certificate
Passenger Locator Form.

Not forgetting your passport and ticket!!

I may need to buy a bum bag😃

riv

Or SIX if you duplicate them in both electronic and papyrus formats . LOL.

[ Remind me why you're even bothering to go ! ]

offthepiste

We were just commenting on what a palaver all this documentation is... and then reading the Portuguese email confirming the Passenger Location Form part of which states "A palavra passe que necessita para abrir o ficheiro pdf"

So I am guessing 'palaver' may originate from the Portuguese 'palaver'!

Score76

I think this has been said before but I can't now see where, but much better to go the old fashioned way and print everything. The only real delays at the gate with all the checks were passengers who hadn't printed things, flipping from one app to show boarding card, to another to find their test results and so on. The check in staff were just making them go to the side to let prepared passengers through.

chislenko

Totally agree, one of the reasons I don't use Ryanair as their policy of only printing with in three days of flying. Where as with Easyjet I can print off both before leaving UK.

NB. I assume Ryanair still have this policy. We don't have a printer in Portugal.

riv

Don't lets turn it into ' why I hate Ryanair'............I doubt there are enough electrons in the world ......

[ But another reason to long for the Ferry Newcastle ( or at a pinch S hampton ) to Porto. ].