The Overseas Report 30 November 2021 by Mike Evans

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/

For this overseas report we are doing things differently. As the Christmas holidays get closer and many people travel to see family and friends, we thought it would be useful to detail some of the countries where people travelling from Portugal can expect to have restrictions placed on them due to the latest wave of Covid 19 infections and especially the new variant that is now being seen across many countries.
Please be aware this is just a guide and as with so much in this pandemic the details can change daily so it is on the individual to check with the embassy of the country you are visiting beforehand to be certain that you are fully up to date with their requirements.

In no particular order we start with NORWAY –  Starting from yesterday, Travellers from France, Monaco, Portugal and Spain, alongside travellers from the region of Norra Savolax SVD in Finland and the regions of Gotland and Västernorrland in Sweden, will have to undergo quarantine upon arrival in Norway, The decision has been announced by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services in a press release issued on Friday, explaining that these four countries have been removed from the orange category and are now marked as red. The same notes that quarantine will be applied only to people who do not hold a verifiable Coronavirus certificate.

“The entry quarantine only applies to travellers from red, dark red and grey countries (countries and areas outside the EEA / Schengen and the United Kingdom) that do not have a valid, verifiable corona certificate. Children and young people under the age of 18 are exempt from entry quarantine regardless of where they come from,” the press release explains.

It further notes that the period of quarantine can be shortened if the traveller takes a PCR test no earlier than on the third day of isolation, and the same results in negative.

LITHUANIA – . allows restriction-free access to all persons holding a vaccination certificate or a recovery certificate regardless of the country that travellers arrive from. However, recently Portugal was added to the “orange” list which According to ECDC, are countries that have registered 75 to 200 infection cases and have had a test positivity rate of less than four per cent are placed on the orange list.Travellers who reach Lithuania from one of these countries/regions that are coloured orange are required to fill in an entry form within 48 hours before their arrival and provide the received confirmation to the responsible authorities.
The entry form must be filled in by everyone, regardless of their vaccination status. Unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers who reach Lithuania from one of the orange-listed countries are required to present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before arrival, or a rapid antigen test was taken within 48 hours before entry.

Moreover, arrivals from orange countries must take another COVID-19 test three to five days after arrival. The testing requirements apply to everyone over the age of 12. The testing requirements do not apply to those who hold one of the following documents:
A vaccination certificate: the document must indicate that 14 days have passed since the holder received the second vaccine dose. Accepted vaccines in Lithuania are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).
A recovery certificate that shows that the holder has previously tested positive. The certificate must not be older than 180 days from the date when the last positive test was received.

ESTONIA – , The Estonian authorities have announced that starting from Monday, November 29, Portugal, France, Finland, and Monaco will join the list of countries considered as highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have identified increased infection cases. In Portugal the COVID-19 situation has worsened and they have now been moved to the red list and will be subject to stricter entry rules.
Therefore, due to increased infection rates, unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers who reach the Baltic country from one of these areas will be required to take a COVID-19 test upon entry if they haven’t undergone testing previously, in addition, everyone who doesn’t hold a valid vaccination or recovery certificate will be required to stay self-isolated for ten days. However, the self-isolation period can be shortened by taking another Coronavirus test after the sixth day of quarantine.

“If a person has a negative test certificate, the test is not required when entering the country. If a person wishes to reduce the self-isolation time, a second test is required no earlier than the sixth day after the test on which the negative test certificate is based,” the Ministry explained.

On the other hand, the same has emphasised that the entry restrictions don’t apply to travellers from red-listed countries who have completed their vaccination process as well as those who have recovered from the virus.

CZECHIA – Unvaccinated Arrivals from Portugal must: Have the pre-arrival form Take an antigen or PCR test before entering the country and Isolate for 14 days, with the possibility to end the quarantine by taking a PCR test no earlier than day five.

ITALY – In order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infections from increasing, the Italian authorities have announced that stricter rules will apply from the first week of December. According to a press release issued by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, unvaccinated and unrecovered persons will no longer be allowed to access several public places and activities, such as bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, clubs, sporting events, and gyms, among others.
This is because starting from December 6, an updated form on the Italian Green Pass will enter into force. The new rules will require everyone to present valid proof of vaccination or recovery in order to be permitted access to most public places and activities.

Previously, unvaccinated and unrecovered Italian nationals, as well as foreigners, were able to attend different places by only presenting a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours. However, since the Italian authorities want to push more people to get fully immunised, the test rule will soon be abolished.
In addition, persons who hold a recent negative Coronavirus test will also not be permitted to use public transport from December 6. Previously, this rule applied only for those taking long-haul train rides and domestic flights.The same decree establishes that from December 15, the requirement to get immunised against the virus will be extended to include further categories.

Until now, the obligatory vaccine requirement has been applied to healthcare workers. However, from mid-December, the obligation to get vaccinated will apply to teachers, police forces, and those in the military. Moreover, the decree has approved that the validity of the Green Pass will be reduced to nine months. Up until now, vaccination and recovery certificates that fall under the Green Pass have been valid for 12 months.

AUSTRIA – Anyone not a citizen of Austria thinking of travelling to the country before the 13th December 2021 should think again! The Austrian authorities have imposed a nationwide lockdown after a spike in the number of cases not only in Austria but also further in Europe. The decision was announced by Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, who said that the lockdown would last for a period of 20 days from November 22 to December 13, though the same will be reviewed after ten days and removed if the situation improves.

At the same time, the country is set to impose a legal vaccination mandate from February 1, 2022, becoming the first country in the world to make vaccination mandatory.
The lockdown means that travel to Austria will not be possible for a period of 20 days unless for absolutely essential purposes. The decision follows a prior one by the Austrian authorities to no longer accept COVID-19 antigen tests for entering the country or having access to indoor areas.Moreover, the country has also decided to put an end to the validity of vaccination certificates, which means that from December 6, vaccination certificates that prove that the holder has taken two vaccine doses will be valid for nine months only. “Two-dose-vaccinations are valid for nine months only after the second dose from December 6 (previously: 12 months),” the Austrian authorities note.

As I have pointed out at the start of this report this is the latest information we have but there is a chance that these rules could change so please make sure you check with the Sovereign Country’s embassy before making your journey. We have a lot more details and information on our website at this link. https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/find-information/for-tourists/international-travel/

If you are travelling Stay Safe.