LISBON (Reuters) – British holidaymakers are on tenterhooks as Portuguese authorities have yet to decide whether the country will allow them to visit from next week even after Britain’s government cleared them to go, prompting a surge in bookings.
Britain added Portugal to a “green” list of foreign destinations a week ago, allowing Britons to travel there from May 17 without needing to quarantine when returning home.
But Portugal has not made clear whether UK tourists will indeed be allowed to enter and under what conditions.
Current European Union rules prohibit non-essential travel from outside the bloc – leaving those who have already booked flights and hotels in limbo as to whether they could be turned away at the border.
A cabinet meeting on Thursday was widely expected to reach a decision on the matter but none was announced. A spokesperson for the interior ministry, which is responsible for border announcements, said the authorities were working on the issue and a decision would be announced when it was ready.
The British Embassy in Lisbon said it had no further information on…
