Portugal to be removed from travel ‘green list’

Portugal was the most high-profile holiday destination on the ‘green list’ when it came into effect in England on 17 May, with the classification meaning travellers returning to England did not have to self-isolate on their return.

But that will change from 4am on Tuesday 8 May, when Portugal will move to the ‘amber list’. It means anyone arriving into England or Northern Ireland from Portugal will be required to self-isolate for 10 days and take two additional Covid-19 tests. We don’t yet know if the same requirements will be extended to travellers returning from Portugal to Wales or Scotland, which have so far followed very similar ‘traffic light’ rules with identical green lists.

The change comes after a review of the traffic light lists for international travel, with the transport secretary Grant Shapps MP citing rising Covid-19 infection rates in Portugal and concern over a new mutation of a Covid-19 variant as the basis for the Government’s decision to strike Portugal from the green list.

The Government had previously said it would “not hesitate to act immediately” should the data show that countries’ risk ratings have changed.

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