Anyone who enters the country without a negative test pays a fine of 300 to 800 euros | Covid-19
Anyone traveling to Portugal without a negative covid-19 test (PCR or antigen) will have to pay a fine ranging from 300 to 800 euros, according to the diploma that regulates the new rules for combating the pandemic, published in Republic Diary not saturday night.
According to the law, which comes into force on December 1st, there may be yet another fine if a person in question refuses to undergo a screening test for the disease “before entering national territory”. The Government explains that the fines apply to those who travel without a test – except national citizens, holders of residence permits in Portugal and diplomats from Portuguese-speaking African countries – and to those who refuse to take the test on arrival in the national territory.
Thus, there will be an individual responsibility, while transport companies also face disaggregated diseases. As already announced Thursday by Prime Minister António Costa, as airlines or passenger ships see fines as rising to “20,000 to 40,000 euros for each passenger” who boards without presenting a test to covid-19. Currently, the administrative offense is punished with a fine of 500 to 2000 euros per passenger.
The same value can be applied to the airport managing entity, per day, in cases where it does not carry out tests following the infrared temperature control of passengers (when the temperature is equal to or greater than 38º).
In the case of citizens from non-Schengen countries and without residence in Portugal, who are prevented from entering the national territory for traveling without a test, the executive determines that they will be in charge of the airlines until their return to origin.
“The worsening of the epidemiological situation that affects the European continent” is the justification given by the Government to aggravate the administrative offense regime, which now also obliges ANA, the managing company of the airports, to implement a system of verification of health rules “through , namely, of professionals from the private security area allocated for this purpose”. Thus, the control is no longer carried out only by the SEF and the PSP, in random operations.
In the event of a recurrence by an air carrier, for example, and the seriousness of the situation in question, it may suffer an additional penalty, which includes having its license suspended for six months.
The Government is also demanding a test for all passengers, even those who have full vaccination recognized by the EU, a measure that will last, according to the diploma, at least until the 9th of January.