Data tracker

Where UK travel insurance is usually void, right now

FCDO data, checked 19 July 2026

Standard UK travel insurance is usually void if you travel against FCDO advice. Private Health Compass tracks the live gov.uk data: as of 19 July 2026, the FCDO advises against all travel to 11 countries and against all but essential travel to 2 more, so 13 countries carry a whole-country warning. Another 58 have warnings for parts of the country. That is 71 of 226 countries with some advisory in place.

11 Advise against all travel (whole country)
2 Against all but essential travel
58 Warnings for parts of the country
155 No warning in place

FCDO advice by level

Every country and territory with an FCDO travel advice page (226 in total), grouped by the level of warning in place on 19 July 2026.

The 13 whole-country warnings

These are the countries where the FCDO advises against travel to the entire country. Standard travel insurance is usually void for the whole of each one.

Advise against all travel (11)

  • Afghanistan
  • Belarus
  • Burkina Faso
  • Haiti
  • Iran
  • Mali
  • Niger
  • Russia
  • South Sudan
  • Syria
  • Yemen

All but essential travel (2)

  • Cuba
  • Korea, DPR (North Korea)

A further 58 countries have warnings for specific regions only. Check the FCDO page for your exact destination, because a partial warning can still void cover for the affected area.

Recent FCDO changes

The most recent updates to travel advice pages with a live warning. A change can add or lift a restriction, so it can change whether your cover is valid.

  • 2026-07-17 Democratic Republic of the Congo. Addition of information about protests planned in Kinshasa on 22 July ('Safety and security' page).
  • 2026-07-17 Pakistan. Updated information about the situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, wider regional tensions, and attending the Wagah border ceremony. New information about property disputes
  • 2026-07-16 Mexico. Removal of information on the match between England and Mexico on 5 July, 2026.
  • 2026-07-16 Cuba. New information on levels of crime and updated information about power outages ('Warnings and insurance' and 'Safety and security' pages).
  • 2026-07-15 Bangladesh. Addition of information about flooding ('Warnings and insurance' page).
  • 2026-07-15 Philippines. Information about typhoon season (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
  • 2026-07-13 Saudi Arabia. Updated information about regional tensions ('Warnings and insurance' page).
  • 2026-07-13 Nigeria. Updated information that all passengers need to complete online Health Declaration Form before entering Nigeria (see ‘Health screening’ on the ‘Entry requirements’ page).

Travelling somewhere with a warning, or want cover you can rely on?

Read our travel insurance guide Compare health cover

Frequently asked questions

Does travel insurance cover countries the FCDO advises against?

Usually not. Most standard UK travel insurance policies are void if you travel to a country, or part of a country, that the FCDO advises against travelling to. There are specialist insurers that cover higher-risk destinations, and cover can be reinstated if the FCDO lifts a warning. Always check your own policy wording against the current FCDO advice for your exact destination.

How many countries does the FCDO currently advise against travelling to?

As of 19 July 2026, the FCDO advises against all travel to 11 countries and against all but essential travel to 2 more, so 13 countries carry a whole-country warning. A further 58 countries have warnings for parts of their territory. That is 71 of 226 countries and territories with some FCDO advisory in place.

Where does this data come from?

Directly from the gov.uk foreign travel advice Content API, the same source that powers the official FCDO travel advice pages. We read every country page and group it by its published advice level. The figures are dated, and we link the FCDO source for each country so you can check it yourself.

Method and source

We read every country page from the gov.uk foreign travel advice Content API and group each one by its published alert_status: advise against all travel, advise against all but essential travel, a warning for parts of the country, or no warning. Counts cover all 226 countries and territories with an FCDO advice page. Figures were retrieved on 2026-07-19 and reflect that snapshot. FCDO advice can change at any time, so always confirm the current advice for your destination before you rely on it. Source data is Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence.

This tracker is independent and informational only. Whether a specific policy pays a claim depends on that policy's wording. Confirm cover with your insurer and the current FCDO advice before you travel. Last reviewed: July 2026.