The UK Now Says Avoid All but Essential Travel to Eritrea, and Your Travel Insurance Can Go Void Too

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) page for Eritrea, updated on 9 October 2026, advises against all but essential travel to the whole country, and against all travel within 25km of Eritrea's land borders. If you travel against that advice, your travel insurance could be invalidated. That second sentence is the one that costs travellers money.

What does the FCDO advice for Eritrea actually say?

It draws two lines. Within 25km of any land border the advice is against all travel. In the rest of the country it is against all but essential travel. The page cites high tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia and warns that a crisis could change your ability to move around the country or leave it. It tells visitors to be ready to arrange their own departure. I could not confirm from the sources I opened what the level was before the 9 October update, so check the page for the change note.

Why can your travel insurance stop working?

Many policies exclude trips to places the FCDO advises against, and the FCDO itself warns that cover could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. The exact wording sits in your policy, so read the exclusions list before you fly. Cover bought months ago was priced for a different risk picture. If your trip is booked, ring your insurer, ask in writing whether Eritrea is now excluded, and ask what happens to cancellation cover.

The FCDO also says to buy cover that includes your itinerary, planned activities and emergency expenses. In a country where the British Embassy may not be able to help you in person, an insurer's assistance line may be the only practical route to medical evacuation.

What is it like on the ground for visitors?

Even before this update, travelling in Eritrea took planning. The FCDO says foreigners need an advance permit to travel outside the Asmara province, and applications take several days and are not always approved. Checkpoints outside Asmara check permits. Photographing government buildings and military installations is illegal. Internet access is highly restricted, there is no 3G, and phone networks are unreliable. The page also reports conscription surges and reservist mobilisation, with possible security measures around Asmara.

What should you do if you have a trip booked?

Call your insurer first, because the answer decides everything else. Then ask your airline or tour operator for a refund or a date change; a government advisory does not automatically entitle you to one. Do not assume the airline will cancel for you. If you are already in Eritrea, the FCDO says to keep essential supplies, follow local restrictions such as curfews, and monitor local media. Register for updates on the GOV.UK page so you see changes the moment they happen.

Is this a one-off, or a pattern?

It is part of a wider picture of regional tension in the Horn of Africa. The FCDO's Ethiopia advice already separates border zones and the Tigray region, and it states that civilian flights to and from Tigray have been suspended since 29 January 2026. The practical lesson for any traveller is to read the advice for the country next door as well as your destination, since border tensions reach transit routes first.

Planning a trip where altitude, remoteness and rescue cover matter? Our Everest Base Camp trek briefing explains exactly what insurance we require and why.

Cover photo: EritreanPost via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5). Section photos: Anthony Beck via Pexels (Pexels licence); Francesco Ungaro via Pexels (Pexels licence); Marta Branco via Pexels (Pexels licence); Buğra TELCİ via Pexels (Pexels licence); Josh Withers via Pexels (Pexels licence).