The countries on the UK's 'do not travel' list

Right now, 73 countries have some kind of warning in place. These range from ‘avoid all travel’ to ‘only travel if it’s essential’, and in some cases, the warning applies to just certain parts of the country.

For example, they advise against all travel to places like Haiti, Russia, Belarus and Afghanistan, while there are warnings for parts of countries like Thailand, Mexico and Turkey.

So what exactly counts as essential travel? Well, according to the FCDO:

"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."

Fair enough.

⚠️ FCDO advises against all travel to:

• Afghanistan – 'The security situation is volatile'

• Belarus – 'You face a significant risk of arrest'

• Haiti – 'Due to the volatile security situation'

• Iran – 'British nationals are at significant risk of arrest'

• Israel & Occupied Palestinian Territories – all travel to Gaza, the West Bank and northern Israel

• Russia – 'Due to risks linked to its invasion of Ukraine'

• South Sudan – 'Armed violence and criminality'

• Syria – 'Ongoing conflict and unstable security'

• Ukraine – 'Risk of Russian attacks across the country'

• Yemen – 'Unpredictable security conditions'

⚠️ FCDO advises against all travel to specific areas in these countries:

(We won’t list all 70+ here or we’ll be here all day, but here are a few that might be more relevant to UK travellers:)

• Turkey – within 10km of the Syria border

• Thailand – parts of the south near the Malaysia border

• Mexico – certain states like Sinaloa, Guerrero and Colima

• Egypt – North Sinai and the Libya border

• India – parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and near the Pakistan border

• Indonesia – around active volcanoes like Mount Marapi and Mount Semeru

• Philippines – parts of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago

• Nigeria – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states

We know it’s not exactly the most fun bit of travel prep, but checking the FCDO site before you book is a small step that could save you a massive headache later. You’ll find up-to-date safety advice, entry requirements, and local info for every country.

You can find all the current travel warnings on the official FCDO website (and yes, it’s actually quite a helpful one).

Stay safe out there, Pirates 🏴‍☠️✈️