Visiting Madeira - How does it work during the pandemic?

Visiting Madeira during the Covid-19 pandemic - How does it work?

Spontaneously my husband and I decided to get some sun while walking in Madeira. Why Madeira? Because it is currently one of the destinations that you can visit without much fear of COVID-19. The number of active corona cases is very low at the moment and since the island can only be reached by plane, the spread of corona can be controlled very well here.

How does the journey to Madeira work with a COVID-19 test 72 hours before travel?

Before entering Madeira, a health declaration must be submitted online. The form is provided by the airlines and by the regional government as an online form. You must also take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before you depart and upload the test results, which should obviously be negative.

How does the journey to Madeira work without a COVID-19 test before travel?

Although not the desired process, you can take a free test on arrival and go into quarantine until you receive the results. Even if you have not taken a test, you must submit your health declaration as an online form. Since we had booked at very short notice, the on-site test was our only choice. A large amount of the passengers (approx. 80 people), were doing the same thing us. We were very surprised at how well organized and fast everything went. Since we were already registered through the form, our registration number was quickly called up. Within about 20 minutes we had the whole procedure behind us and were on our way to the hotel. The staff were very friendly and courteous, and although there were a lot of daily tests, they were very patient. In the queue we were greeted with a small package of fruit and a beautiful flower.

In the hotel we were welcomed with a Corona welcome package. There were two masks and a small bottle of disinfectant. After check-in we were shown to our room. We only got a key card for the electricity and had to stay in quarantine in our room until the result of our test. Since we arrived early in the evening, this was no problem. We unpacked in a relaxed manner, had our dinner delivered to our room and ate comfortably on the balcony. Around midnight we already received our result by SMS - negative, of course. In the morning we could pick up our real key cards and have breakfast with the other guests.

What corona measures await me in Madeira?

The hotels and public areas are well equipped. There are sufficient disinfectant dispensers everywhere. It is mandatory to wear a mask in stores, hotels, restaurants and public transport. It is not necessary to wear the masks outdoors.

hiking in madeira