According to the dispatch published in Diário da República, the measures that were in force until the end of last December extend to the end of January and the document can be revised “at any time, depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation”.

“The need to extend air traffic restrictive measures is maintained, duly aligned with the public health concerns of the moment,” says the Government. Thus, air traffic to and from mainland Portugal for all flights to and from countries that are part of the European Union will continue to be authorised, as well as countries associated with the Schengen Area (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland).

According to the document, essential journeys are those which allow the transit or entry or departure from Portugal of nationals of the European Union, nationals of States associated with the Schengen Area and members of their families and third-country nationals legally resident in a Member State. Member of the European Union. Third country nationals traveling for professional, study, family reunion, health or humanitarian reasons are also covered. The document also contemplates flights to support the return of national citizens or holders of residence permits in mainland Portugal, as well as those of a humanitarian nature and those intended to allow the return to the respective countries of foreign citizens who are in mainland Portugal, provided that "Be promoted by the competent authorities of such countries, subject to prior request and agreement and in compliance with the principle of reciprocity".

The order also allows flights “to and from countries and special administrative regions, whose epidemiological situation is in accordance with Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/2169, of December 17, 2020, regarding air connections with Portugal” and constant of a list attached to the document, as well as “the entry into Portugal of residents in countries that appear on the list, whenever they have only carried out international transits or transfers at airports located in countries that are not included in the list”. This list includes Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand and Uruguay and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. However, passengers on essential flights, with the exception of children who have not completed two years of age, only board with presentation of proof of laboratory testing (RT-PCR) for screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, with result negative, performed within 72 hours prior to departure.

Citizens who, exceptionally, disembark without proof of negative test must perform the test upon arrival in national territory, at their own expense, in a proper place inside the airport, where they will wait until the notification of the negative result. "Foreign citizens who board without the, or whose transit forces them to abandon airport facilities, must be refused entry into national territory, with the company being the object of the administrative offence", he adds.