HOLIDAY plans have been thrown into chaos for hundreds of travellers after the removal of summer hot-spot Portugal from the green list.
Quarantine-free travel ends from next Tuesday and anyone returning from the country to the north must self-isolate at home for 10 days.
Its demotion onto the amber list followed a meeting between the Westminster and devolved governments, as well as the Joint Biosecurity Centre.
The move is a huge blow for the travel industry, as the country was considered the only viable major tourist destination on the green list.
Of the dozen countries approved for non-essential travel since May 24 - including Australia, Iceland, South Georgia and Gibraltar - Portugal was the most popular, and easiest and cheapest to travel to.
Ryanair, which last operated out of Belfast City Airport 11 years ago, only resumed flights to Faro in the Algarve this week.
EasyJet and Jet2 also fly several times a week to Faro from Belfast International Airport.
People will still be able to fly in and out of Dublin unheeded.
The change comes less than a week after the Champions League final was hosted in Porto - a match attended by thousands of football fans from Britain and Northern Ireland.
Supporters returning have been told to self-isolate after multiple flights reported passengers testing positive.
Portugal's seven-day rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people stands at 37.2, up from 30.7 a week earlier.
Anyone arriving to Northern Ireland, either directly or indirectly from Portugal, after 4am on Tuesday June 8 will be legally required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test result taken up to three days before departure.
They must also book and pay for two post-arrival tests and complete a UK passenger locator form 48 hours before departure.
Many holidaymakers already in Portugal now face a scramble for flights home before the move is introduced.
Belfast International Airport said the decision was "incredibly disappointing for everyone affected".
"We understand and appreciate that safety comes first but this news is another devastating blow for our industry," it said.
The Department of Health last night said the status of international countries was reviewed every three weeks.
"However, if cases rise suddenly in a particular country, it may be removed from the green list or added to the red list without notice," the department said.
People returning from red list locations must stay in a quarantine hotel at a cost of £1,750 for solo travellers.
