Portugal said it has updated its travel advice for the U.S. to reflect tighter entry conditions and changes around gender recognition. The Portuguese foreign ministry confirmed the changes in a statement to Newsweek.
It said the following paragraphs were added this week:
“Please note that possession of an ESTA or a visa does not constitute an automatic right of entry to the USA. The final decision is always made by the border agent upon arrival in US territory.
“To avoid misunderstandings in communication, it is recommended that travelers carry proof of return travel and avoid making false statements about the purposes of their stay (e.g. ESTA holders claiming to be traveling for tourism when they are actually carrying out some type of work activity).
“It is also recommended that anyone entering the US via ports or airports avoid crossing land borders with Canada and Mexico if they intend to leave the US afterwards, as their re-entry may be questioned.
“Please note that anyone entering the US by land must also be in possession of a visa or an ESTA.
“The existence of a criminal record in the US, or a violation of the maximum time of stay in US territory on a previous trip, may be grounds for denying entry into the country.
“For citizens who identify with a non-binary gender, the recommendation from US authorities is that they must fill out forms and provide a statement upon arrival with the gender with which they were identified at birth.”
This is a developing story and more information will be added shortly.
