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

Safety & Advisories The FCDO page, updated 9 October, advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Eritrea. Going anyway can invalidate your insurance. By Kevin Crow · Oct 10, 2026 Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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