Brits warned about 70 countries and territories on Foreign Office ‘do not travel’ list as insurance could be invalidated

Brits have been advised to avoid travelling to a large number of countries in an update to the government travel advice.

The UK has a list of different gradations for various locations around the world, ranging from the relatively safe all the way up to the most severe where it advises against all travel.

Even for countries where there is no more severe warning in place there is usually useful information advising people of anything which may cause disruption to their visit.

The lists are also continually updated to take account of ongoing developments in any given country which may make travel more or less advisable.

Factors like this may of course include political unrest, war, or risk of arrest, which affects a lot of the countries on the no travel list, but may also include things like natural disasters which may result in someone running into difficulty while travelling abroad.

A recent change has been in Saudi Arabia, where Abha and Khamis Mushait are now covered by advice against all but essential travel.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website says: "British people make around 50 million trips abroad during an average year. Almost all of these trips are trouble-free.

There are a number of countries Brits shouldn't travel to (Getty Stock Photo)

"But every year the FCDO helps tens of thousands of British nationals who have got into difficulty abroad. In many cases, these difficulties could have been avoided."

You can still attempt to travel to countries with 'do not travel' advisories if you wish, but the information is there to lay out the risks and dangers you may encounter.

If you travel to a country or region despite FCDO advice this could invalidate insurance and restrict the consular support available to you.

There are 11 countries where the UK warns against all travel in the whole country, and two where it advises against 'all but essential' travel throughout.

Meanwhile, some countries may have parts which are very dangerous, while others are relatively safe.

For example, most of India is considered relatively safe to travel, but there is a warning against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir due to political tensions.

Some countries with partial warnings are themselves popular tourist destinations, such as Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, and Tunisia.

In the case of these countries the warning is only in specific areas.

Haiti is on the list (Getty Stock Photo)

In addition to certain regions in some countries, others also have advisories in place for travelling within a certain distance of the border with a certain country.

Jordan has an advisory to not travel within 3km of the country's border with Syria, for example.

Other countries have advisories which advise against 'all but essential travel'.

In terms of what precisely defines '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.”

Here is a list of the countries in each of the categories, along with why they are there.

The FCDO advises against travel to certain countries (Getty Stock Photo)

FCDO advises against all travel throughout

1. Afghanistan – 'The security situation is volatile'
2. Belarus – 'You face a significant risk of arrest'
3. Burkina Faso – 'threat of terrorist attacks and terrorist kidnap'
4. Haiti – 'volatile security situation' and 'there are currently no British consular officials in Haiti'
5. Iran – 'British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention'
6. Mali – 'unpredictable security conditions', and 'if you’re in Mali, you should leave immediately by commercial flight'
7. Niger – 'rise of reported terrorist and criminal kidnappings of foreign nationals'
8. Russia – 'risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine'
9. South Sudan – 'risk of armed violence and criminality'
10. Syria – 'ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions'
11. Yemen – 'unpredictable security conditions'

FCDO advises against all travel to parts

Other parts of these countries may also have warnings in place for 'all but essential travel' in addition to the 'all travel' warnings here. Please see the FCDO website for more details.

1. Algeria – all travel to within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Tunisia
2. Armenia – within 5km of the full eastern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the M16/H26 road between the towns of Ijevan and Noyemberyan
3. Azerbaijan – within 5km of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border
4. Benin – the Parc du W National Park and the hunting zones of Mékrou and Djona
5. Burundi – Mugina, Cibitoke, Bukinyayana, Bubanza and Mpanda communes, parts of Ntahangwa commune
6. Cameroon – Bakassi Peninsula, within 40km of the border with Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria, Far-North Region, North-West region, South-West Region
7. Central African Republic – against all travel except to the capital, Bangui
8. 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
9. Congo – within 50km of the Republic of Congo-Central African Republic border in Likouala Region
10. Côte d’Ivoire – within 40km of the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, Northern Zanzan and Savanes provinces, Comoé National Park
11. Democratic Republic of the Congo – provinces in Eastern DRC and the Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province, within 50km of the border with the Central African Republic
12. Djibouti – Djibouti-Eritrea border
13. Egypt – within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border and the North Sinai Governorate
14. Eritrea – within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
15. Ethiopia – international border areas to varying degrees, the Tigray region, Amhara region, Afar region, Gambela region, Oromia region, Somali region, Central, Southern, Sidama, and South West regions, and Benishangul-Gumuz region
16. Georgia – South Ossetia and Abkhazia
17. Iraq – parts of the Anbar province, Diyala province except for Baqubah City, Kirkuk province, Ninawa province, Salah al-Din province, Jurf al-Sakr town in Babil province, Sadr City, part of Baghdad province, within 5km of areas that border Iran in Wasit, Maysan and Basra provinces and within 5km of Iraq’s borders with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
18. India – within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and Jammu and Kashmir
19. Israel – Gaza, within 500m of border with Gaza, Tulkarm Governorate, Jenin Governorate, Tubas Governorate, Northern Israel, and the Occupied Golan Heights
20. Jordan – within 3km of the border with Syria
21. Kenya – Wajir County within 60km of Kenya’s border with Somalia, Mandera County, Tarbaj and Wajir East constituencies in Wajir County, except for Wajir Town, Garissa County, Lamu County
22. Lebanon – south 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
23. Libya – advises against all travel to Libya except for the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata
24. Mauritania – Eastern Mauritania and within 25km of the Malian border
25. Moldova – Transnistria
26. Mozambique – Cabo Delgado province, parts of Nampula province and Niassa province
27. 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, East of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway in Bago region
28. Nigeria – Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Katsina State, Zamfara State and the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states
29. Pakistan – within 10 miles of the border with Afghanistan, areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and the Balochistan Province
30. Palestine – Gaza, Tulkarm Governorate, Jenin Governorate, Tubas Governorate, Northern Israel, and the Occupied Golan Heights
31. Philippines – western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago
32. Saudi Arabia – within 10km of the border with Yemen
33. Somalia – everywhere except for Awdal, Maroodijeh, and Sahil, which are advised against all but essential travel
34. Sudan – everywhere except Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid, which are advised against all but essential travel
35. Togo – within 30km of the border with Burkina Faso, except for the city of Dapaong
36. Tunisia – Chaambi Mountains National Park, Mount Salloum, Mount Sammamma, Mount Mghila, the Tunisia-Algeria border and Southern Tunisia, including the Tunisia-Libya border
37. Turkey – within 10km of border with Syria
38. Ukraine – all regions of Ukraine except some areas in the west including Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, and Lviv, which are all but essential travel
39. Venezuela – all border areas, the Orinoco Mining Arc, south of the Orinoco river, and the Zulia state, remaining areas are all but essential travel
40. Western Sahara – within 40km of ‘the Berm’ boundary line and areas south and east of the Berm boundary line

FCDO advises against all but essential travel throughout

1. Cuba – protests, power outages, fuel shortages, travel disruption, international cards no longer accepted
2. 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 except Cabinda city, and border areas in Lunda Norte Province
2. Bangladesh – Chittagong Hill Tracts
3. Bolivia – Chapare region of Cochabamba Department
4. Brazil – four river areas towards the west of Amazonas State – along the Amazon River and its tributaries west of the town of Codajás and east of the town of Belém do Solimões, the Itaquaí River, the Japurá River and along the Rio Negro and its tributaries north or west of the town of Barcelos
5. Cambodia – within 20km of the land border with Thailand
6. Colombia – within 5km of borders and parts of northern, central, and southern Colombia and the Pacific Coast
7. Ecuador – seven coastal region provinces and within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border
8. Ghana – Bawku Municipality
9. Guatemala – within 5km of the Mexican border and the towns of Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia
10. Laos – Xaisomboun Province
11. Malaysia – all islands and dive sites off the coast of eastern Sabah from Sandakan to Tawau, including Lankayan Island
12. Mexico – cities of Tijuana and Tecate in Baja California with exception of some highways, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero, and Chiapas
13. Papua New Guinea – Hela and Southern Highlands provinces, Enga Province in the Highlands except Wabag District
14. Peru – within 20km south of the Putumayo River and the border between Peru and Colombia, the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers, also known as the VRAEM region
15. Rwanda – parts of Rusizi District within 10km of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo
16. Tanzania – within 20km of the Tanzanian border with the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique
17. Thailand –parts of the south near the Thailand-Malaysia border, and within 20km of the land border with Cambodia

If you want more specific information on different regions and countries the FCDO website has a search engine where you can check the name of the country.