The holiday checklist goes something like this: think about your budget, Google the weather, and check that your passport and travel insurance are in date.
But it’s also important to consider the safety of your destination, and what the latest advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is.
The FCDO shares guidance on 266 countries or territories. Of these, 73 are currently flagged as having ‘no-go’ zones. The FCDO might advise against all travel, or all but essential travel to parts or all of an area.
Iran is top of mind for many ‘danger tourists; this week, after British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman were detained by Iranian authorities on espionage charges.
After staying in Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan, they never reached their hotel in Kerman. The couple said they were choosing to ignore travel advice.
From the threat of terrorism to unstable political climates and natural disasters, there are many reasons why the FCDO may advise Brits to avoid certain places.
While British nationals make around 50 million trips each year – most of which are trouble-free – it’s important to check the FCDO before you pack your suitcase. Your insurance might be invalid if you travel against their advice.
Here is the current list for February 2025, according to the FCDO website.
FCDO advises against ‘all travel’
FCDO advises against ‘all travel’ to parts
- Algeria: areas within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Tunisia.
- Armenia: areas within 5km of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
- Azerbaijan: Nagorno-Karabah, the districts of Zengilan, Jabrayil, Qubadli, Lachin and Kelbajar on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border. The western areas of Khojavand, Fuzuli and Aghdam. Any travel within the 5km border with Armenia.
- Burundi: Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces, Kayanza Province, Melchior Ndadaye International Airport to Cibitoke, Bujumbura Rural Province.
- Benin: Northern border regions, Eastern Benin.
- Burkina Faso: everywhere apart from the capital, Ouagadougou, where it advises against all but essential travel.
- Chad: Borkou, Ennedi Ouest, Ennedi Est and Tibesti provinces, Kanem Province, including Nokou, Lake Chad region, within 30km of all Chad’s other borders. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Chad.
- Côte d’Ivoire: borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia border.
- Cameroon: Bakassi Peninsula, borders with Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, the Far-North, North-West, North, South-West and Adamawa regions, Limbé and Maroua.
- Central African Republic: against all travel except to the capital, Bangui.
- Congo: some distrcits in Pool region, border with Central African Republic in Likouala region, Mouyondzi District in Bouenza region.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: border with Central African Republic, Eastern DRC, areas in the Kinshasa Province, Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province, Kasaï Oriental, Kasaï, Kasaï Central.
- Djibouti: border with Eritrea.
- Eritrea: within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders.
- Egypt: border with Libya, North Sinai, northern part of South Sinai, Western Desert, Hala’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid, Eastern part of Ismailiyah Governorate.
- Ethiopia: border areas, Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Gambela, Oromia, Somali, Central, Southern, Sidama, South West and Benishangul-Gumuz regions.
- Georgia: South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
- Indonesia: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, East Nusa Tenggara, Mount Sinabung, North Sumatra, Mount Marapi, West Sumatra, Mount Semeru, East Java, Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi, Mount Ibu, North Maluku.
- Iraq: Federal Iraq (see FCDO website for specific areas).
- Israel: Gaza, The West Bank, Northern Israel.
- India: border with Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur.
- Jordan: border with Syria.
- Myanmar: States of Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, regions of North Mandalay and East of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway in Bago region.
- Mali: advises against all ravel except to Bamako.
- Mauritania: Eastern Mauritania, borders with Mali and Western Sahara, Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Gharbi, Assaba, Gorgol and Guidimaka provinces.
- Moldova: Transnistria.
- Mozambique: Cabo Delgado, all but essential travel to the rest of Mozambique.
- Nigeria: areas of North East, North West, South East and South Nigeria.
- Niger: everywhere except Niamey.
- Pakistan: border with Afghanistan, provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories: Gaza, areas near Gaza, the West Bank, Northern Israel.
- Philippines: Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.
- Saudi Arabia: border with Yemen and Abha International Airport.
- Somalia: Eastern and Western Somaliland.
- Sudan: everywhere apart from Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid, where all but essential travel is advised.
- Tunisia: Western Tunisia
- Togo: border with Burkina Faso.
- Turkey: border with Syria.
- Ukraine: Crimea, within 50km of Belarus, everywhere else in Ukraine.
- Venezuela: within 80km of the border with Colombia, within 40km of the border with Brazil, Zulia state.
- Western Sahara: areas within 30km north and west of ‘the Berm’ boundary line, and areas in the territory south and east ‘the Berm’ boundary line.
FCDO against against ‘all but essential travel’
- Mayotte
- New Caledonia
- North Korea
FCDO advises against ‘all but essential’ travel to parts
- Angola: Cabinda Province (except Cabinda city), areas within 1km of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Linda Norte (except for official border crossings and their access roads).
- Bangladesh: Chittagong Hill Tracts.
- Bolivia: Chapare region.
- Brazil: Amazonas State.
- Burundi: Rusizi National Park.
- Colombia: the Pacific Coast, northern Colombia, the borders with Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, southern Colombia and central Colombia.
- Ecuador: coastal region, areas within 20km of the border with Colombia.
- Eswatini: the border with Mozambique.
- Ghana: Bawku Municipality.
- Guatemala: within 5km of the Mexican border, Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia in the department of Huehuetenango.
- Iraq: Kurdistan Region of Iraq (see FCDO website for specific areas).
- Kenya: border with Somalia.
- Kosovo: Zvečan, Zupin Potok and Leposavic, and areas of Mitrovica north of the river Ibar.
- Laos: Xaisomboun Province.
- Mexico: States of Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, Chiapas.
- Mayanmar: Shan State South and East, Mandalay Region, Tanintharyi Region south of Tanintharyi township, the rest of Bago region.
- Malaysia: Eastern Sabah coastal islands.
- Nigeria: North Central and the Federal Capital Territory.
- Papua New Guinea: Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.
- Peru: within 20km of the Colombia border, Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers.
- Tanzania: within 20km of the Tanzanian border with Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique.
- Tunisia: areas north and west of Ghardimaou, within 30km of the Algeria border, Kasserine Governorate, within 10m of the Tunisia border, within 10k of Mount Mghila, Mount Orbata, Southern Tunisia
- Thailand: parts of the south, near the border with Malaysia, Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line.
- Ukraine: western Ukraine, parts further than 50km from the border with Belarus.
- Uganda: Queen Elizabeth National Park, area south-wesdt of Kasese town, Semuliki National Park.
- Venezula: all areas apart from those listed above.
This article has been updated and was originally published on January 16.
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