UK holidaymakers travelling to Portugal in the coming months will be able to use automatic eGates on arrival to help speed up the security process at four of the nation's airports. The eGates are now open in Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal (Madeira), which will help to make it easier British passport holders entering the holiday hotspots.
The new system, featuring four eGates, will create faster and more effective border control for arrivals from the United Kingdom. Portugal is the first EU country to give Britons fast-access on arrival.
Following Brexit, UK citizens lost access to the EU’s airport passport e-gates system, meaning British passports had to be checked manually, increasing waiting times. It is hoped Portugal’s decision will influence other EU nations to follow suit otherwise sunseekers could potentially face longer waiting times to enter nations like Spain and Greece.
New statistics show the UK was the top market for room nights across Portugal in February and the second largest contributor to Portugal’s overall tourism revenue in January and February of 2022.
Luis Araujo, president of Turismo de Portugal, said: "We are delighted to continue welcoming British tourists to Portugal and are pleased that the eGates in the country’s main airports will provide increased accessibility for our valued British travellers, as we head into the busy summer period. We’re delighted to have made travel to Portugal even more seamless for those able to make the most of the new eGates."
UK visitors to mainland Portugal are no longer required to complete a Passenger Locator Form and masks are only mandatory on public transport (including taxis and aircraft) and when entering hospitals, care homes and similar services.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
