Portugal fines 100 travelers without Covid-19 test per day since December 1st
More than 600 passengers were fined in Portugal in first six days of the new rule requiring a negative Covid-19 test for entry into the country. The information was sent by the Ministry of Internal Administration to the now Europe this Wednesday (8), when the move completes one week.
According to Portuguese authorities, 591 travelers were fined at airports and 26 at land borders, where random inspections are carried out. Fines range from 300 to 800 euros for each passenger. Airlines, on the other hand, are also fined for each traveler who allows them to board without the exam. Also according to the ministry, 21 companies were fined in the same period, with values ranging from 20,000 euros to 40,000 euros.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not inform the nationality of the people who broke the rule. On the first day of inspection, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) reported that “several passengers” of a flight from Brazil arrived in Portugal without the test. The country accepts PCR tests valid for 72 hours or laboratory antigens performed within 48 hours prior to shipment.
In the case of travelers from outside the Schengen Area, who are supervised by the SEF, the possibility of taking a test at the airport is intended only for Portuguese citizens or foreigners legally resident in the country. Tourists who disembark without a negative certification are barred and sent back to their country of origin, according to the government.
All airports in Portugal are under reinforced supervision. The Lisbon Airport evaluation area was closed to a larger space dedicated to the control of travelers. The direction of the location is that those who are not going to travel avoid going to the airport.
The current rules, which allow passenger tourism in Brazil, remain in effect until January 9, 2022. The government does not anticipate the list of countries that will be authorized to travel after that date, as authorities periodically review health measures .
Since the reopening of non-essential passenger travel in Brazil, more than 128,000 Brazilians entered Portugal, with an average of 1,400 per day, according to data from the immigration agency. At the same time, about 500 travelers were denied entry permits. According to the SEF, the main reason for immigration refusals is “failure to confirm the purpose and conditions of the stay” in Portuguese territory.