Before heading to the airport for your holiday, it’s prudent to verify these three aspects: that your passport is current, your travel insurance remains active, and that you’re visiting a destination deemed safe by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Political turmoil, natural calamities, and safety issues are among the factors that cause the UK Foreign Office to suggest that British citizens avoid certain locations.
The FCDO has circulated numerous travel advisories, including warnings against “all travel” and “all but essential travel” to entire nations or regions within countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.
Out of 226 countries or territories with foreign travel advisory pages, 71 are presently marked as having restricted areas due to security concerns, health hazards, and legal disparities with the UK.
If you opt to proceed with your journey against FCDO guidance, your travel insurance could be nullified, and you may encounter limited consular assistance in case of an emergency abroad.
Here is the comprehensive list of nations included in the Foreign Office’s ‘do not travel’ list to review prior to organizing a trip.
FCDO advises against all travel
- Afghanistan – “The security situation is unstable”
- Belarus – “You face a considerable risk of arrest”
- Haiti – “Due to the unstable security situation”
- Iran – “British citizens are at considerable risk of arrest”
- Lebanon – “Due to risks linked to the ongoing conflict involving Israel, Lebanese Hizballah, and other non-state groups”
- Libya – “The local security status is precarious”
- Russia – “Due to the risks and threats stemming from its ongoing invasion of Ukraine”
- South Sudan – “Due to the threat of armed conflict and criminality”
- Syria – “Persistent conflict and unpredictable security conditions”
- Yemen – “Unpredictable security conditions”
FCDO advises against all travel to certain regions
- Algeria – all travel within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Tunisia
- Armenia – within 5km of the full eastern border with Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan – Nagorno-Karabakh and its adjacent areas, Azerbaijan-Armenia border
- Benin – Northern border areas
- Burkina Faso – advises against all travel except to the capital, Ouagadougou
- Burundi – Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces
- Cameroon – Bakassi Peninsula and within 40km of the Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria borders
- Central African Republic – advises against all travel except to the capital, Bangui
- Chad – Borkou, Ennedi Ouest, Ennedi Est, and Tibesti provinces, Kanem Province, including Nokou, Lake Chad area, and within 30km of all of Chad’s other borders
- Congo – Republic of Congo-Central African Republic border area in the Likouala Region, districts in the Pool Region, and Mouyondzi District in the Bouenza Region
- Côte d’Ivoire – borders with Burkina Faso and Mali and Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia border
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – DRC-Central African Republic border, Eastern DRC, Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province, and areas in the Kinshasa Province
- Djibouti – Djibouti-Eritrea border
- Egypt – Egypt-Libya border, North Sinai, and Western Desert
- Eritrea – within 25km of Eritrea’s land boundaries
- Ethiopia – areas near international borders, Tigray region, Amhara region, Afar region, Gambella region, Oromia region, Somali Regional State, and Benishangul-Gumuz region
- Georgia – South Ossetia and Abkhazia
- India – within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and Jammu and Kashmir
- Indonesia – Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, Mount Sinabung, Mount Marapi, Mount Semeru, Mount Ruang, Mount Ibu
- Iraq – advises against all travel except to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
- Israel – against all travel to Gaza, The West Bank, and Northern Israel. All but essential travel to the remainder of Israel
- Jordan – within 3km of the border with Syria
- Mali – advises against all travel except to Bamako
- Mauritania – Eastern Mauritania, Mauritania-Western Sahara border, Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Gharbi, Assaba, and Guidimaka provinces
- Moldova –Transnistria
- Mozambique – Cabo Delgado Province, all but essential travel to the rest of Mozambique
- Myanmar (Burma) – Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing and Magway regions, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State North, North Mandalay Region
- Niger – against all travel except to the capital city of Niamey
- Nigeria – Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State
- Philippines – Western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
- Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia-Yemen border and Abha International Airport
- Somalia – eastern Somaliland and Western Somaliland
- Sudan– against all journeys except to Hala’ib Triangle
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories – against all journeys to Gaza, The West Bank, and Northern Israel. All but crucial travel to the remainder of the OPTs
- Togo – Togo-Burkina Faso frontier
- Tunisia – Western Tunisia, encompassing the Tunisia-Algeria border and Southern Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Libya boundary
- Turkey – within 10km of the Turkey-Syria frontier
- Ukraine – Crimea and within 50km of the border with Belarus
- Venezuela – within 80km of the Venezuela-Colombia boundary, within 40km of the Venezuela-Brazil frontier, Zulia State
- Western Sahara – within 30km of ‘the Berm’ demarcation and south and east of the Berm boundary
FCDO recommends against all but necessary travel
Regarding the interpretation of ‘necessary travel’, the FCDO mentions: “Whether your trip is necessary or not is a matter for you to decide. You may have pressing family or business obligations that require your attention. Only you can arrive at an informed choice based on your personal circumstances and the associated risks.”
- New Caledonia – “Considering ongoing tensions”
- North Korea – “The security landscape can alter rapidly without prior notice”
- Mayotte – Cyclone Chido
FCDO advises against all but necessary travel to certain areas
- Angola – Cabinda Province, border regions in Lunda Norte Province
- Bangladesh – Chittagong Hill Tracts
- Bolivia – Chapare region
- Brazil – Amazonas State
- Colombia – borders, Pacific coast, northern and central Colombia
- Ecuador – seven coastal provinces and within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia boundary
- Ghana – Bawku Municipality
- Guatemala – within 5km of the Mexican border and the towns of Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista, and La Democracia
- Kenya – Kenya-Somalia border and northern parts of the eastern coastline
- Kosovo – Zvečan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic, along with the northern portion of the city of Mitrovica
- Laos – Xaisomboun Province
- Malaysia – Eastern Sabah coastal islands
- Mexico – Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, Chiapas
- Papua New Guinea – Hela and Southern Highlands provinces
- Peru – within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border and The Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro River
- Tanzania – Mtwara Region along the Tanzania-Mozambique boundary
- Thailand – areas of the south, adjacent to the Thailand-Malaysia border
- Uganda – Queen Elizabeth National Park and Semuliki National Park
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