Latest UK travel advice for Portugal holidays including strict rules that could see kids barred

The UK Foreign Office's latest travel advice for includes strict rules on children, including actions that could get you blocked.

The FCDO website includes rules for each country, such as their particular entry and exit rules. For Portugal, there are particular rules about children coming into the country.

On the website it states: "Non-resident children travelling to Portugal — children aged 17 and under travelling to Portugal alone, or with a person who is not their parent or legal guardian, must either be met at the airport or point of entry by their parent or guardian or carry a letter of authorisation to travel from their parent or guardian. The parent/guardian’s signature must be certified by a solicitor or notary."

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It adds that the letter should include the child’s dates of arrival and departure, the address where they will be staying, the name of the adult in Portugal who will be responsible for them during their stay, the full names, dates of birth, passport numbers and contact details of the parent or guardian, their signature and the date of issue.

"If you bring a child to Portugal without a properly certified letter of authorisation, your entry will be delayed and may be refused," the site advice continues.

For teenagers aged 17-years-old and under who travel along or with friends of the same age and who are not being met, they may also be refused entry if they do not have a letter of authorisation.

For non-resident children leaving the country alone or with a person who is not their parent or guardian, they must have a properly certified letter of authorisation unless they are returning to their country of origin. Resident children aged 17-years-old and under must also carry a properly certified letter of authorisation if travelling without their parent or legal guardian.

Last week, the reported that Portugal's airports have hit an all-time high in January 2025, welcoming around 4.2 million passengers — a 5.9 per cent increase from the same month in 2024, according to the Portugal National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The number of commercial flights also increased, with 16,000 aircraft landing — a 1.6 per cent rise from the same period last year. Most of the arrivals were from international destinations, accounting for 1.6 million travellers — a 7.6 per cent rise from the same period last year. European visitors made up 63.2 per cent of arrivals, whilst 11.1 per cent came from the Americas.

In regard to individual airports, Lisbon Airport handled 56.9 per cent of all passenger traffic, reaching 2.4 million — a 6.9 per cent increase from the same period last year. Porto Airport saw 949,600 passengers, which was a 2.1 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. Funchal Airport recorded 330,000 passengers, overtaking Faro as Portugal’s third busiest airport. which then fell to fourth place, had 309,900 passengers.