Q&A: We want to take a holiday with our two kids to Portugal this summer. Both are under 11 (4 and 8 years old). Do they need a pre-departure PCR test to return back to the UK?
Portugal is a fantastic family-friendly holiday hotspot where in July and August you can expect warm temperatures in the upper Twenties Celsius. Blue skies and fun are practically guaranteed, ideal for those long days by the sea. And to top it off it has the same time zone.
Now that this much-loved destination located on the Iberian Peninsula is on the green list all travellers will need to show is a negative test taken no more than three days before entering the UK. This could be a PCR test, loop-mediated amplification (lamp) or lateral-flow test. Quarantine is no longer a requirement.
Details can be found at gov.uk
However, children under 11 are currently exempt from having to take a PCR test before returning to the UK.
But before you let out a sigh of relief, children five years old or older will have to take a PCR once back in England. That means your eight-year-old will have to undergo a test.
If you are returning from a green country then ensure this is done on or before day two at home. If you are returning from an amber country another test will have to be taken on day eight.
Anyone returning from a red list country will have to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 11 nights at their own cost (£1750 per person plus the cost of testing).