The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) offers regularly updated travel guidance for British citizens heading overseas. It's essential to review the most recent advice from the FCDO before your trip, as it may impact your vacation plans and travel insurance coverage.

Opting to travel despite FCDO warnings can void your travel insurance. You might also find limited consular assistance available if you encounter an emergency. On its travel advice page, the government agency says: "No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide."

To ensure the safety of British citizens travelling abroad for work or leisure, the FCDO provides current travel advice for every country worldwide. It's crucial to review this guidance before each trip.

If the FCDO deems a situation hazardous, it may recommend avoiding all travel or only essential travel to a specific country or certain areas within it. Alongside travel warnings, the FCDO offers valuable information such as entry requirements, crime rates, local laws and customs, and details about any planned strikes or industrial actions that might impact your vacation.

It's crucial to understand that if the FCDO issues a warning against all travel or all but essential travel to your holiday destination before your arrival, your travel insurance is unlikely to cover you. As a result, any claims you submit will probably be denied.

Travel insurance is intended to protect you from unexpected and unforeseen risks. However, travelling to a location that the FCDO has deemed dangerous presents a significantly different risk than going on holiday to a generally considered safe country.

If the FCDO issues a warning while you are already in a region affected by such advice, you will still be covered under the medical and personal accident sections of your travel insurance policy, provided you adhere to the latest guidance from the FCDO for British nationals in that area.

While most travel insurance policies typically do not provide coverage for trips taken against official advice, there are a few exceptions. These specific policies were originally created to protect individuals travelling to high-risk areas for work, like journalists and aid workers. However, they are now being adopted by leisure travellers who want to continue their journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Political unrest, natural calamities, and safety issues are some factors that can trigger a FCDO warning. The FCDO has released multiple travel advisories, recommending against "all travel" and "all but essential travel" to certain countries or regions within Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.

Out of the 226 countries listed on the FCDO's travel advice page, certain ones are currently flagged as 'do not travel' zones due to various issues that 'can not guarantee safety', such as security problems, health risks, and legal differences with Britain.

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the FCDO regarding the following countries:

Afghanistan

You should not travel to Afghanistan. The security situation is volatile. Travel throughout Afghanistan is extremely dangerous and border crossings may not be open.

There is a heightened risk of British nationals being detained in Afghanistan. If you are a British national and you are detained in Afghanistan, you could face months or years of imprisonment. FCDO’s ability to help you is extremely limited and support in person is not possible in Afghanistan. For more details about the risks in Afghanistan, see Safety and security.

Belarus

FCDO advises against all travel to Belarus. You face a significant risk of arrest if you have at any time engaged in any activity now considered illegal by the Belarusian regime. There is also a low risk that direct conflict linked to the war in Ukraine may spread to Belarus

Haiti

FCDO advises against all travel to Haiti due to the volatile security situation. There are currently no British consular officials in Haiti and our ability to provide consular assistance is severely limited and cannot be delivered in person in Haiti. British nationals may get consular services assistance at our diplomatic mission in the Dominican Republic. If you choose to travel to or stay in Haiti against FCDO advice, try to avoid all crowds and public events, and take appropriate security precautions.

Iran

FCDO advises against all travel to Iran. British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.

Lebanon

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the FCDO. Consular support is also severely limited where FCDO advises against travel. FCDO advises against all travel to the following neighbourhoods, excluding Route 51 from central Beirut to the airport:

• Tariq el Jdideh
• Bir Hassan (excluding the Rafiq Hariri hospital and the Ministry of Public Health)
• Ghobeiry
• Chiayah (south of the Rizkallah Semaan road and west of (but not including) the Old Saida road)
• Haret Hraik
• Burj Al Barajneh
• Mraije
• Laylake

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: the area of Mount Lebanon Governorate south of (but not including) the road from Khiam El Damour in the west (and extending to the Mediterranean Sea), through Mghayreh, Kfar Him, Deir El Qamar, Maaser Beit Ed Dine, Batloun, Barouk and Maaser El Chouf, to where the Barouk-Joub Jannine Road crosses the Mount Lebanon-Beqaa Governorate boundary in the east.

Libya

FCDO has advised against all travel to Libya since 2014. The local security situation is fragile and can quickly deteriorate, with intense fighting starting without warning. Any travel to, from or within Libya is at your own risk. If you are a British national in Libya, we strongly advise you to consider leaving.

Russia

FCDO advises against all travel to Russia due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine, including:

• security incidents, such as drone attacks, and Russian air defence activity
• lack of flights to return to the UK
• limited ability for the UK government to provide support

There is also a high likelihood terrorists will try to carry out attacks, including in major cities.

South Sudan

FCDO advises against all travel to South Sudan due to the risk of armed violence and criminality. If you are in South Sudan and judge it safe to do so, you should leave now. The political and security situation remains unpredictable. Political tensions are high and the security situation across the country could deteriorate rapidly and unpredictably.

If the unstable security situation deteriorates, routes into and out of South Sudan may be blocked. Juba airport may close or be inaccessible. Flights may be cancelled at short notice.

Syria

FCDO advises against all travel to Syria due to the ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions. If you are a British national in Syria, leave by any practical means.

If you are affected by escalated hostilities in Syria, shelter in place until you can identify safe means to leave. Some curfews may be imposed in affected areas. Follow local advice and exercise caution.

Yemen

FCDO advises against all travel to the whole of the Yemen due to the unpredictable security conditions. If you’re in Yemen, you should leave immediately.

Support for British people is severely limited in Yemen. British Embassy services in Sana’a are suspended, and all diplomatic and consular staff have been withdrawn. The UK government cannot help British nationals leaving Yemen. There are no evacuation procedures in place.