Travelling against Foreign Office advice means any normal travel insurance will be invalidated, so it is vital to check and be prepared ahead of time. UK Government warning not to travel to these 25 countriesThese are the places which the UK Government advises against all travel for, for all or large parts of the country, at the time of writing:Middle EastIranIraqIsraelLebanonPalestineSyriaYemenEuropeBelarusRussiaUkraineAfricaBurkina FasoCentral African RepublicChadEthiopiaLibyaMaliMauritaniaNigerSomaliaSouth SudanSudanAmericasHaitiVenezuelaAsiaAfghanistanMyanmarSeveral other countries also have smaller areas that the Foreign Office advises against travel to. If you have concerns, it is important to check the Foreign Office advice before travelling, with all the latest advice available on the Foreign Office website. Many Emirates flights already in the air were diverted, while others waiting to take off were cancelled. Have you or anyone you know seen their flights affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East?

Source: The Times March 17, 2026 09:01 UTC