The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against travel to some or all parts of 66 countries deemed "too dangerous". The list includes
Syria,
Russia,
Lebanon and 63 other nations, as well as areas of popular tourist destinations including
Turkey and Thailand. Eight new countries have been added to the FCDO's 'red list' or 'black list', including Russia,
Ukraine,
Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Israel, Belarus and the Palestinian territories. These warnings come ahead of the spring and summer holiday season, reports Birmingham Live . In some cases, travel is advised against for an entire country, in others it is just certain areas of a country. It is always worth checking the latest updated information for your intended destination on the FCDO website , which lists 226 countries and territories. Often, travelling to a country where it is advised against will invalidate your travel insurance. The 24 'black list' destinations that the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel include:
Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Haiti, Iran,
Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger,
North Korea, the Palestinian territories, Russia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine,
Venezuela and
Yemen. Meanwhile, the 42 'red list' destinations that the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel include: Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador,
Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia,
India,
Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Laos,
Malaysia, Mauritania,
Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique,
Myanmar (Burma), Nigeria,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Congo,
Saudi Arabia, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara. The Foreign Office website says to "get advice about travelling abroad, including the latest information on
Coronavirus , safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings". It also says travellers should "get appropriate travel insurance as soon as you book. Check that it covers the places you will visit, the duration of your visit and any planned activities such as adventure sports". It added: "Tell your insurance company about any medical conditions, including undiagnosed conditions which are being investigated, and check that your policy will cover these."