There are places in the world where British tourists risking being killed or detained (Image: Getty)
Brits heading abroad have been warned not to travel to 11 countries around the world. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly updates its advice for people travelling overseas, including places where it believes it is too dangerous to go. There are currently 11 countries where the Government advises against all travel, with several more where the warning covers large parts of the country.
The reasons range from wars and terrorism to kidnapping, violence and the risk of being detained. The Government also warns that travelling against FCDO advice could invalidate your travel insurance. Some of the countries will come as little surprise, while others may be less well known to British tourists.
Have a look at the map below to see what the FCDO says about each country.
Russia is one of the countries on the list following its invasion of Ukraine. The FCDO advises against all travel to the country due to the risks associated with the ongoing war. These include drone attacks and air defence activity, while there are also limited flight options for people trying to return to the UK.
The Government also warns that British nationals face an increased risk of being detained in Russia.
Afghanistan is another country where Brits are told not to travel. The FCDO describes travelling there as “extremely dangerous” and warns of terrorism, kidnapping and the risk of detention. This applies even to people considering travelling to Afghanistan as part of an organised tour.
Brits are also told not to travel to Iran, where British and British-Iranian nationals face a significant risk of being arrested, questioned or detained.
The FCDO says having a British passport or connections to the UK can be enough for someone to be detained by the Iranian authorities.
Syria is also on the list due to unpredictable security conditions and the threat of terrorist attacks. The Government cannot provide consular assistance from inside the country.
Nearby Yemen is another country where Brits are told not to go because of unpredictable security conditions. British Embassy services in Sana’a are currently suspended and diplomatic and consular staff have been withdrawn.
Several African countries are also on the list. The FCDO advises against all travel to Mali, where there is a risk of terrorist attacks, kidnapping and crime.
It also warns against visiting neighbouring Niger following a rise in terrorist and criminal kidnappings of foreign nationals. The country has faced political instability since a military coup in July 2023 and there is also a risk of terrorist attacks.
Burkina Faso is another country Brits are advised not to visit, with terrorist groups operating across the country and a risk of kidnapping.
South Sudan is also covered by the warning because of armed violence and crime, with the security situation able to change quickly.
Russia is one of the countries on the list following its invasion of Ukraine (Image: Getty)
Haiti is the only country in the Caribbean on the list. The FCDO advises against all travel there because of the volatile security situation, while the UK’s ability to provide help to British nationals in the country is severely limited.
The final country is Belarus, where Brits face a significant risk of arrest if they have previously taken part in activities which are now considered illegal by the Belarusian authorities.
The FCDO also says there is a low risk that direct conflict linked to the war in neighbouring Ukraine could spread to Belarus.
However, these are not the only countries where the Foreign Office tells Brits not to travel.
There are a number of others where the warning only covers part of the country, although in some cases, this includes most of it.
One of these is Libya, where the FCDO advises against all travel to most of the country. Tripoli, Misrata and some areas around Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Derna are excluded from the strongest warning, but the Government still advises against all but essential travel to these places.
Most of Somalia is also covered because of the threat from terrorist groups and continuing violence. The FCDO advises against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland, apart from the regions of Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil. Brits are still advised against all but essential travel to these three regions.
Almost all of Sudan is also covered due to the ongoing military conflict. The only exceptions are the Hala’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid, although the FCDO advises against all but essential travel there.
In the Central African Republic, Brits are told not to travel anywhere outside the capital, Bangui. Even in Bangui, the advice is to only travel if it is essential.
Large parts of Ukraine are also covered by the strongest warning because of the continuing Russian invasion. This includes Crimea, most regions of the country and some areas close to the Belarusian border. Several regions in western Ukraine are instead covered by advice against all but essential travel.
Travelling against FCDO advice could mean your travel insurance is invalidated (Image: Getty)
Myanmar has large areas where Brits are told not to go because of the ongoing conflict and the risk of the security situation changing at short notice. These include Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon and Rakhine states, as well as Sagaing and Magway and parts of several other regions.
The FCDO also advises against all travel to large parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in the east, where there has been fighting.
There are warnings covering large areas of Ethiopia, too, because of conflict and insecurity in different parts of the country.
Pakistan is another country where a large amount of land is covered by the strongest advice. Brits are told not to travel anywhere in Balochistan Province, as well as a number of districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas close to the Afghanistan border.
In Nigeria, the FCDO advises against all travel to several states in the north-east and north-west, with terrorism, kidnapping and violent crime among the risks.
Large parts of northern Chad are also covered, along with the Lake Chad region and areas close to the country’s borders.
The rest of Chad, including the capital N’Djamena, is covered by advice against all but essential travel.
Mauritania has a large area in the east where the Government advises against all travel, with the FCDO warning about military zones, the risk of terrorist groups crossing over from Mali and serious organised crime.
There are also parts of Iraq and Lebanon where Brits are advised not to travel because of security risks.
And in Mozambique, the warning covers most of Cabo Delgado in the north of the country, as well as several districts in Nampula and Niassa.
The FCDO says no travel can be guaranteed safe and advises Brits to check the latest information for their destination before going abroad.
Full FCDO list
FCDO advises against all travel:
- Russia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Syria
- Yemen
- Mali
- Niger
- Burkina Faso
- South Sudan
- Haiti
- Belarus
FCDO advises against all travel to parts:
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Benin
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Georgia
- Iraq
- India
- Indonesia
- Israel and the Palestinian Territories
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Moldova
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Western Sahara
FCDO advises against all but essential travel:
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts:
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Kosovo
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Papua New Guinea
- Peru
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Thailand
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
