Essential travel?

[richard winterbourn]

Forgive me if this is not the right place to post this question but as i generally comment through the Birmingham thread if have chosen this area to air my view.

Basically it is a the question of what is 'essential travel'. I have and continue to read information from the travel industry, the Government and other organisations which claim to either have an interest or claim to have expert knowledge.

My dilemma which i am sure i share with countless thousands of other people is knowing if i will be able to fly to, in my case, Portugal.

I am retired, i will not be going to study or to work, neither will i be going for hospital treatment and, most importantly, i am not Portuguese....

But, like many others, i own a house in Portugal and while i live in both the UK and Portugal, i only hold UK residency. But, although i do not hold Portuguese residency i have my fiscal card, pay rates for my property there, pay all my utility bills there, have a Portugese bank account and provide a modicum of employment to people who service my property. I also speak Portuguese and certainly by the end of April i will have had both of my Covid vaccinations.

So with all that what do people think, is it safe for me to book flights for, say, the end of May? And, will i be allowed back into the UK without have to quarantine in an hotel???

The airline and travel industry needs clarification fast. For the Portuguese tourism industry there is too much to lose without clear and precise guidelines - from both countries...

 

[Jerry]

So with all that what do people think, is it safe for me to book flights for, say, the end of May?

If you do book them then I'd make sure they were fully flexible as it's still quite uncertain whether we'd be able to travel abroad by then.

 

[markyp]

Hi Richard , we have a weeks holiday booked down by faro at the end of may, canx from last year , as of today , easyjet have only re-timed our flights but i dont think we will be going as portugal is still on the "naughty list" so to speak . best i can suggest is to try and get on the Government website and see what they say , also i suppose it depends on when you are planning on coming back

 

[KARFA]

I think at nearly 3 months away it is impossible to predict what restrictions may be in place by then. England does want to move to allowing leisure travel abroad by mid to late May, but that is certainly not set in stone. Beyond that I assume Portugal may still have restrictions on non EU citizens entering by then. Whether the UK still has enforced hotel quarantine and whether Portugal will still be on the list is another impossible question to give any clear answer on now. So much depends on what happens here and what happens in Portugal for vaccination, infections etc.

 

[Wrightfly73]

Well Portugal said yesterday that they will once again welcome vaccinated/immune brits or brits with a negative covid test from May so I'd try and hang on until the "non-essential" travel ban from UK ends. I think you can book Portugal for after 17th May with a high degree of confidence. Portugal seem to be doing well with their rate of infection and death rate is low so I don't see why any relaxation of rules wouldn't be reciprocal on the British side.

 

[JENNYJET]

Whatever is decided, I would maximise any insurance to cover any eventualities, not the usual shop sold policies but through a broker however the new status of UK as a third country complicates matters.

Not wishing to intrude on private matters but as a property owner with fiscal obligations, would a residency permit be a wise next step?

 

[IanFarquharson]

Yes Portugal very much still on the red list so compulsory hotel quarantine but things are moving fast and they are keen for Brits to go !
The issue the country has is its links to Brazil
I think May is optimistic
I hope I am wrong

 

[maazsafder]

Forgive me if this is not the right place to post this question but as i generally comment through the Birmingham thread if have chosen this area to air my view.

Basically it is a the question of what is 'essential travel'. I have and continue to read information from the travel industry, the Government and other organisations which claim to either have an interest or claim to have expert knowledge.

My dilemma which i am sure i share with countless thousands of other people is knowing if i will be able to fly to, in my case, Portugal.

I am retired, i will not be going to study or to work, neither will i be going for hospital treatment and, most importantly, i am not Portuguese....

But, like many others, i own a house in Portugal and while i live in both the UK and Portugal, i only hold UK residency. But, although i do not hold Portuguese residency i have my fiscal card, pay rates for my property there, pay all my utility bills there, have a Portugese bank account and provide a modicum of employment to people who service my property. I also speak Portuguese and certainly by the end of April i will have had both of my Covid vaccinations.

So with all that what do people think, is it safe for me to book flights for, say, the end of May? And, will i be allowed back into the UK without have to quarantine in an hotel???[INHERIT]Flight booking[/INHERIT]

The airline and travel industry needs clarification fast. For the Portuguese tourism industry there is too much to lose without clear and precise guidelines - from both countries...

Thank you for raising this — it’s a fair and well-considered question. Given your ties to Portugal, your travel does seem more essential than holiday-related. Sadly, current guidance remains vague. I’d suggest holding off on booking until mid-April when more clarity on travel rules and quarantine measures may emerge. The travel industry indeed needs urgent, consistent guidance from both governments.