This measure is part of the second phase of Portugal's de-confinement plan which has been approved and officially announced by the Government.
New COVID mask rules in Portugal from September
New COVID mask rules in Portugal from September

The use of face masks in public outdoor spaces as a preventive measure to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal will no longer be mandatory from September 2021, except in situations of gatherings where social distancing cannot be maintained. This is according to Portugal's new lockdown easing plan 2021 which was initially presented by the Prime Minister António Costa on Thursday 29th July 2021. Let's find out more about this most recent update in Portugal's COVID restrictions.

This measure, meaning that the use of masks outdoors in Portugal will no longer be compulsory from September, is part of the second phase of Portugal's lockdown easing plan. This second phase of "de-confinement" will provisionally begin at the beginning of September 2021, when the Government anticipates that 70% of the Portuguese population will have be fully vaccinated.

"In this phase, in addition to the measures that already come into force in the first phase, it will be possible to relax mask rules and remove the rule of having to wear a mask outdoors, except in the case of a gathering where social distancing cannot be observed," explained the Prime Minister at a press conference at the end of the meeting of the Council of Ministers, at the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon. 

The use of masks continues in the case of gatherings

Do you have to wear a mask in Portugal at all? When asked if face masks still need to be used indoors in Portugal, the Prime Minister was adamant that they would. As well as masks still being compulsory indoors in Portugal, face masks must also be used outdoors when there are gatherings. On this topic, António Costa said it was only a "matter of common sense".

"If people are at a large gathering, it is clear that they have to wear a mask," he stressed, adding that, on the other hand, if people are alone or accompanied by people they live with, for example, masks may be removed if desired.