Portugal's Madeira Will Waive COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Vaccinated Travelers

Portugal's Madeira Will Waive COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Vaccinated Travelers

The local government is describing its decision to waive COVID-19 testing requirements as a "vote of confidence in this new phase the world is going through."

Madeira, an idyllic Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, is waiving COVID-19 testing requirements for vaccinated travelers, describing the decision as a "vote of confidence in this new phase the world is going through."

Foreign visitors to the gorgeous island paradise will need to show an official certificate that includes vaccination dates and details, the Spanish publication Euro Weekly News reported.

Madeira, which is courting digital nomads, is also exempting anyone who can prove they've recovered from COVID-19, and is working to ensure its own residents receive vaccinations.

Madeira — closer to the African coast than it is to Portugal — said it has already vaccinated more than 22,000 local residents and expects to have immunized 60 to 70% of its population by the end of the year.

According to official government data, Madeira has reported fewer than 7,500 confirmed cases and 64 deaths. Anyone traveling to Madeira is currently required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their flight, or to test on arrival and quarantine until those results become available.

U.S. citizens without EU residency are still banned from travel to Portugal.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.