Parts of India and Pakistan have become the latest places to be added to the 'no travel' list for Britons as the threat of conflict increases in the region. Indian missiles killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens more on Tuesday, according to Pakistani officials.
The weapons were fired into Pakistani-controlled territory in Kashmir with India saying it was targeting infrastructure used by militants linked to last month’s massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India says 10 people have been killed in Pakistani shelling in the last 24 hours as tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations soar.
Last month's attack left 25 Indians and one Nepali national dead. In response, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for the region, warning against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India-Pakistan border, 10 miles of the Line of Control (the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries) and the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
A statement said: "On the night of 6 May (UK Time), the Indian Ministry of Defence stated it had struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In response, there are reports of Pakistani artillery fire across the Line of Control.
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"On the night of 6 May (UK Time) Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority indicated that it was closing Pakistan airspace for at least 48 hours. There are reports of flights being diverted. British nationals should contact their airline for up-to-date information.
"We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities." In an updated statement on Wednesday, it said: "Addition of information following military activity by India and Pakistan on 6 May in and around Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Line of Control, potential disruption to flights to/from India, the Government is reportedly holding Civil Defence mock drills on 7 May".
The Foreign Office also warns against all travels to certain areas within Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan and parts of Sindh on the Indian border. Travel to Kashmir was also already advised against while in India, the FCDO was already advising against all but essential travel to the state of Manipur after civil unrest in 2023.
Britons are warned against travel to dozens of countries or parts of countries around the world - including 12 where the entire country is considered off limits (in some cases with the exception of the capital). Failure to follow the Foreign Office advice could invalidate travel insurance not to mention put you at risk.
Here are the 12 countries were the entire nation is considered too dangerous to visit
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burkino Faso - apart from the capital Ouagadougou (essential travel only)
- Central African Republic - apart from the capital Bangui (essential travel only)
- Haiti
- Iran
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Russia
- South Sudan
- Yemen
- Syria
Ukraine is almost entirely covered by a no travel warning, including the capital Kiev, due to the Russian invasion, although some western parts are considered safe for essential travel. There are also many more countries were only essential travel is advised or parts of the country are covered by warnings. These include:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Brazil
- Israel
- Uganda
- Moldova
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Sudan
- Mali
- Philippines
- Ecuador
- Western Sahara
- Bangladesh
- New Caledonia
- North Korea
- Egypt
- Chad
- Congo
- Ethiopia
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Mauritania
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Papua New Guinea
- Peru
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Venezuela
- Thailand
- Mozambique
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Georgia
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Laos
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- Togo
- Malaysia
- Jordan
- Iraq
- India
- Pakistan
The level of threat varies from country to country, as does the reason for the warning with some such as Israel being related to war and others, such a Colombia, because of disease. Some countries like Sudan are entirely covered by 'no travel' or 'essential travel' only warnings, while in others only a small part if impacted. Check the UK Foreign Office website before travelling to see travel advice for your destination.
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