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    Louise Thomas

    Louise Thomas

    Editor

    When planning a holiday, it’s wise to check these three things before you leave for the airport: your passport is in-date, travel insurance is still valid and you’re travelling to someplace safe according to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

    Political conflicts, natural disasters and safety concerns are among the reasons the UK Foreign Office will recommend British nationals steer clear of certain destinations.

    The FCDO has issued various travel warnings, including advice against “all travel” and “all but essential travel” to entire countries or parts of countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

    Of 226 countries or territories with foreign travel advice pages, 68 are currently flagged as having no-go zones due to security issues, health risks and legal differences with the UK.

    If you choose to make the journey against FCDO advice, travel insurance will be invalidated, and there may be a lack of consular support in the event of an emergency overseas.

    Here is the full list of countries on the Foreign Office’s do not travel list to check before you plan a trip.

    FCDO advises against all travel

    1. Afghanistan – “The security situation is volatile”
    2. Belarus – “You face a significant risk of arrest”
    3. Burkina Faso – except to the capital, Ouagadougou
    4. Central African Republic – except to the capital, Bangui
    5. Haiti – “Due to the volatile security situation”
    6. Iran – “British nationals are at significant risk of arrest”
    7. Iraq – except to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
    8. Lebanon – “Due to risks associated with the ongoing conflict between Israel, Lebanese Hizballah and other non-state actors”
    9. Libya – “The local security situation is fragile”
    10. Mali – except to Bamako
    11. Niger – except to the capital city of Niamey
    12. Russia – “Due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine”
    13. South Sudan – “Due to the risk of armed violence and criminality”
    14. Sudan – “Ongoing military conflict in Khartoum”
    15. Syria – “Ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions”
    16. Ukraine – “Ongoing risk of harm to British nationals from Russian attacks across all of Ukraine”
    17. Yemen – “Unpredictable security conditions”

    FCDO advises against all travel to parts

    1. Algeria – all travel to within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Tunisia
    2. Armenia – within 5km of the full eastern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan
    3. Azerbaijan – Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas
    4. Benin – Northern border regions
    5. Burundi – Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces
    6. Cameroon – Bakassi Peninsula and within 40km of Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria borders
    7. 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  
    8. 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
    9. Côte d’Ivoire – borders with Burkina Faso and Mali and Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia border
    10. Democratic Republic of the Congo – DRC-Central African Republic border, Eastern DRC, Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province and areas in Kinshasa Province
    11. Djibouti – Djibouti-Eritrea border
    12. Egypt – Egypt-Libya border, North Sinai and Western Desert
    13. Eritrea – within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
    14. Ethiopia – international border areas, Tigray region, Amhara region, Afar region, Gambella region, Oromia region, Somali Regional State and Benishangul-Gumuz region
    15. Georgia – South Ossetia and Abkhazia
    16. Indonesia –Mount Sinabung, North Sumatra, Mount Marapi, West Sumatra, Mount Semeru, East Java, Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi, Mount Ibu, North Maluku
    17. Israel – Gaza, The West Bank and Northern Israel
    18. Jordan – within 3km of the border with Syria
    19. Mauritania – Eastern Mauritania, Mauritania-Western Sahara border, Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Gharbi, Assaba and Guidimaka provinces
    20. Moldova –Transnistria
    21. Mozambique – Cabo Delgado Province, Nampula Province
    22. 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
    23. Nigeria – Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State
    24. Philippines – Western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
    25. Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia-Yemen border and Abha International Airport  
    26. Somalia – eastern Somaliland and Western Somaliland
    27. The Occupied Palestinian Territories –Gaza, Areas near Gaza, The West Bank and Northern Israel
    28. Togo – Togo-Burkina Faso border
    29. Tunisia – Western Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Algeria border and Southern Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Libya border
    30. Turkey – Turkey-Syria border, Sirnak city and Hakkari Province
    31. Venezuela – within 80km of the Venezuela-Colombia border, within 40km of the Venezuela-Brazil border
    32. Western Sahara – south and east of the Berm boundary line

    FCDO advises against all but essential travel

    In regards to the definition of ‘essential travel’, the FCDO says: “Whether travel is essential or not is your own decision. You may have urgent family or business commitments which you need to attend to. Only you can make an informed decision based on your own individual circumstances and the risks.”

    1. Bangladesh – “There has been widespread violence across Bangladesh”
    2. New Caledonia – “Given ongoing tensions”
    3. North Korea – “The security situation can change quickly with no advance warning”

    FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts

    1. Angola – Cabinda Province, border areas in Lunda Norte Province
    2. Brazil – Amazonas State
    3. Colombia – borders, Pacific coast, northern and central Colombia
    4. Ecuador – Coastal Region and within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border
    5. Ghana – Bawku Municipality
    6. Guatemala – within 5km of the Mexican border
    7. Kenya – Kenya-Somalia border and northern parts of the east coast
    8. Kosovo – Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, and the northern part of the city of Mitrovica
    9. Laos – Xaisomboun Province
    10. Malaysia – Eastern Sabah coastal islands
    11. Mexico – Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, Chiapas
    12. Papua New Guinea – Hela and Southern Highlands provinces
    13. Peru – within 20km south of the Peru-Colombia border and The Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro River
    14. Tanzania – Mtwara Region along the Tanzania-Mozambique border
    15. Thailand –parts of the south, near the Thailand-Malaysia border
    16. Uganda– Queen Elizabeth National Park and Semuliki National Park

    For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

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    en English
    af Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicar Arabichy Armenianaz Azerbaijanieu Basquebe Belarusianbn Bengalibs Bosnianbg Bulgarianca Catalanceb Cebuanony Chichewazh-CN Chinese (Simplified)zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)co Corsicanhr Croatiancs Czechda Danishnl Dutchen Englisheo Esperantoet Estoniantl Filipinofi Finnishfr Frenchfy Frisiangl Galicianka Georgiande Germanel Greekgu Gujaratiht Haitian Creoleha Hausahaw Hawaiianiw Hebrewhi Hindihmn Hmonghu Hungarianis Icelandicig Igboid Indonesianga Irishit Italianja Japanesejw Javanesekn Kannadakk Kazakhkm Khmerko Koreanku Kurdish (Kurmanji)ky Kyrgyzlo Laola Latinlv Latvianlt Lithuanianlb Luxembourgishmk Macedonianmg Malagasyms Malayml Malayalammt Maltesemi Maorimr Marathimn Mongolianmy Myanmar (Burmese)ne Nepalino Norwegianps Pashtofa Persianpl Polishpt Portuguesepa Punjabiro Romanianru Russiansm Samoangd Scottish Gaelicsr Serbianst Sesothosn Shonasd Sindhisi Sinhalask Slovaksl Slovenianso Somalies Spanishsu Sudanesesw Swahilisv Swedishtg Tajikta Tamilte Teluguth Thaitr Turkishuk Ukrainianur Urduuz Uzbekvi Vietnamesecy Welshxh Xhosayi Yiddishyo Yorubazu Zulu