Jonesy321

Hello, I hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread but I wondered if anyone can help me. My situation is a little complex but I am sure some knowledgeable people out there can help me. I live and work in the Middle East, though I am a British national; my home however is in Portugal.

I booked to return to my home in Portugal a while back however my flight was cancelled a few days ago. As I need to get back to sort out some issues, I really need to try and get back this summer. I have found flights to other European destinations and checked which flights are currently arriving in Lisbon. Amsterdam is looking like a possible route, because it has a transit hotel - airside - which is open. As our flight from the ME arrives in the afternoon and the next available flight leaves for Lisbon the next morning, we need a hotel - we are too old to slum it in an airport for 20 hours!

My question: Will Schipol allow us to board our flight to Lisbon given we are not Portuguese nationals, however we do have a home there. Would we need to prove we are travelling there to our home? We are aware that we will need to quarantine in our home for 14 days and this is not an issue. We just don't want to fly all the way to Amsterdam to find we are turned back.

Thank you in anticipation of your help.

Regards,

Jonesey

MSPeconomist

Can you be a bit more precise about "live and work" versus "my home." In particular, do you have an identity card showing your official residence or do you have some sort of a working permit with a residence permit, for instance in your passport?

Jonesy321

I have residency status in Qatar, I have a British passport and I have a home in Portugal and have a document from my local parish in Portugal proving proof of residence - that I have a home there. However, that document is in my house in Portugal. And there is the dilemma ....

Often1

Then you don't have such a document. Either find someone who can get it to you or make arrangements for a duplicate (if that is even possible).

Presuming that you are connecting at AMS, the issue might be that your xME carrier will deny boarding. Where in the ME and what carrier. With exact information, you may get better information here from others who have dealt with your specific situation.

Finkface

Owning a home (i.e. proof of owning a home) isn’t the same thing as residence. Anyone can own a home somewhere but that doesn’t mean one has residency there. I am not sure about Portugal but other European countries have specific documents that prove proof of residency in that country, So make sure what you have is what is officially needed to prove actual residency status in Portugal (not just home ownership).

Jonesy321

Thanks for your replies. Sounds like I’ll have to stay here for the summer as I have no access to my documents that prove I have a place in Portugal. Keep safe Flyertalk friends.

erik123

For Spain owning a home is not sufficient. I would ask the Portuguese authorities/consulate.

lhioseddy

Portugal does not have any entry bans in place. Neither does the UK. The main issue may be boarding denied by carrier in the middle east. Since you're a British citizen I would highly recommend booking two tickets. One to the UK (where there is no chance of denied boarding or entry) and then another from the UK to Portugal. There are flights arriving every day from the EU (and yes in Portugal, they consider the UK to still be EU) origins. Passengers are arriving at Lisbon airport from EU origins with no issues.. so getting on a flight from London to Lisbon is not going to be difficult. (perhaps some other members can chime in if there have been recent experiences?)

Immigration in Lisbon would be better equipped to assess your residential situation. The authorities in Portugal are not interested in turning away someone who is legitimately going to a home that they own and are going to self-quarantine for 14 days.