Countries on the Foreign Office 'Do Not Travel' List

Key Considerations Before Traveling

When planning a holiday, it's essential to take several precautions before heading to the airport. These include verifying that your passport is valid, ensuring your travel insurance is still active, and checking if your destination is considered safe by official sources. One of the primary authorities providing such guidance is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which regularly updates its recommendations based on current conditions.

The FCDO issues various travel warnings, including advising against all travel or only essential travel to certain countries or regions. This is due to factors like political conflicts, natural disasters, and safety concerns. The office has issued alerts for numerous locations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Of the 226 countries or territories with foreign travel advice pages, 74 are currently flagged as having no-go zones due to security issues, health risks, and legal differences with the UK.

If you choose to travel despite these warnings, your travel insurance may be invalid, and there could be limited consular support in case of an emergency. Below is a comprehensive list of countries and regions where the FCDO advises against all travel.

Countries Advised Against All Travel

• Afghanistan – "The security situation is volatile"
• Belarus – "You face a significant risk of arrest"
• Burkina Faso – "Due to the threat of terrorist attacks and terrorist kidnap"
• Haiti – "Due to the volatile security situation"
• Iran – "British nationals are at significant risk of arrest"
• Russia – "Due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine"
• South Sudan – "Due to the risk of armed violence and criminality"
• Syria – "Ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions"
• Yemen – "Unpredictable security conditions"

In addition to entire countries, the FCDO also advises against all travel to specific parts of other nations:

• Algeria – All travel within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Tunisia
• Armenia – Within 5km of the full eastern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Azerbaijan – Along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border
• Benin – Northern border regions
• Burundi – Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces, Kayanza province, and Bujumbura Rural province
• Cameroon – Bakassi Peninsula and within 40km of the Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria borders
• Central African Republic – Against all travel except to the capital, Bangui
• Chad – Borkou, Ennedi Ouest, Ennedi Est, and Tibesti provinces, Kanem Province, including Nokou, Lake Chad region, and within 30km of all Chad’s other borders
• Congo – Within 50km of the Republic of Congo-Central African Republic border in Likouala Region
• Côte d’Ivoire – Borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, and the Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia border
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – Areas in Kinshasa Province, DRC-Central African Republic border, Eastern DRC, Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province, and the province of Kasaï Oriental
• Djibouti – Djibouti-Eritrea border
• Egypt – Egypt-Libya border and North Sinai
• Eritrea – Within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
• Ethiopia – International border areas, Tigray region, Amhara region, Afar region, Gambela region, Oromia region, Somali region, Central, Southern, Sidama and South West regions, 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, and Mount Ibu
• Iraq – Parts of Anbar province, Basra province, Diyala province, Kirkuk province, Ninawa province, Salah al-Din province, Sadr City, and within 30km of federal Iraq’s borders with Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait
• Israel – Against all travel to Gaza, parts of the West Bank, and Northern Israel
• Jordan – Within 3km of the border with Syria
• Lebanon – Areas in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Governorate, the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates, the Beqaa Governorate, the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, the Akkar Governorate, the city of Tripoli, and Palestinian refugee camps
• Libya – Against all travel to Libya except for the cities of Benghazi and Misrata
• Mali – Against all travel except to Bamako
• Mauritania – Eastern Mauritania and Mauritania-Mali border
• Moldova – Transnistria
• Mozambique – Cabo Delgado Province
• Myanmar (Burma) – Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing and Magway regions, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State North, and North Mandalay Region
• Niger – Against all travel except to the capital city of Niamey
• Nigeria – Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Kaduna State, Katsina State, Zamfara State, and the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states
• Pakistan – Within 10 miles of the border with Afghanistan, areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and the Balochistan Province
• Philippines – Western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
• Rwanda – Rubavu district and Rusizi district
• Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia-Yemen border
• Somalia – Eastern Somaliland and Western Somaliland
• Sudan – Against all travel except to the Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid
• The Occupied Palestinian Territories – Against all travel to Gaza, The West Bank, and Northern Israel
• Togo – Togo-Burkina Faso border
• Tunisia – Western Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Algeria border, and Southern Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Libya border
• Turkey – Within 10km of the Turkey-Syria border
• Ukraine – All regions of Ukraine with the exception of some western regions
• Venezuela – Within 80km of the Venezuela-Colombia border, within 40km of the Venezuela-Brazil border, and Zulia State
• Western Sahara – Within 30km of ‘the Berm’ boundary line and south and east of the Berm boundary line

Countries Advised Against All But Essential Travel

The FCDO defines “essential travel” as travel required for urgent family or business commitments. Here are some destinations where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel:

• New Caledonia – "Given ongoing tensions"
• North Korea – "The security situation can change quickly with no advance warning"
• Mayotte – "Cyclone Chido"

Regions Advised Against All But Essential Travel

• Angola – Cabinda Province and border areas in Lunda Norte Province
• Bangladesh – Chittagong Hill Tracts
• Bolivia – Chapare region
• Brazil – Amazonas State
• Cambodia – Within 50km from the border with Thailand in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces
• Colombia – Borders, the Pacific coast, and parts of central Colombia
• Ecuador – Seven coastal region provinces and within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border
• 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 east coast
• Kosovo – Zvečan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic, and the northern part 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 border
• Thailand – Parts of the south, near the Thailand-Malaysia border, and within 50km of the border from Cambodia
• Uganda – Queen Elizabeth National Park, the area immediately south-west of Kasese town, and Semuliki National Park