Portugal is reopening to tourists without a two-week quarantine

Portugal will be one of the first European countries opening their borders to tourists this summer, vowing to welcome overseas tourists as soon as June. Unlike many other countries, which require visitors to undergo a two-week quarantine upon arrival, Portugal is waiving that requirement, making it easier for people to travel to the country. Some health checks will nonetheless be introduced at airports.

On Friday, Augusto Santos Silva, the country's foreign minister, told Observador, "Tourists are welcome in Portugal."

TAP Airlines, Portugal's flagship carrier, resumed some international operations earlier this month, although flights to and from the European Union are still suspended until June 15. Spain's border with Portugal will also remain closed until then.

A big part of resuming Portugal's struggling tourism sector is the reopening of hotels and resorts. The NAU Hotels & Resorts hotel group announced that it will resume activity in the Algarve and Alentejo regions on May 31, reopening 10 hotels that had been closed due to the pandemic. Their occupancy, however, cannot exceed two-thirds.

Beaches in Portugal will reopen on June 6.