Eritrea
Warnings and insurance
Areas where FCDO advises against travel
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice.
Within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders
FCDO advises against all travel to within 25km of all of Eritrea’s land borders.
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high. The security situation in Eritrea could change with little notice.
Support for British nationals in Eritrea
Consular support is severely limited in parts of Eritrea. Staff at the British Embassy in Asmara cannot offer support in person in areas of Eritrea where FCDO advises against travel. Diplomats at the British Embassy require travel permits from the Eritrean government to travel outside Asmara, which means the Embassy cannot always provide consular assistance in person in parts of Eritrea.
The Eritrean authorities may not inform the British Embassy if a British national is in need of help. There have been instances where the Eritrean authorities have refused to give the Embassy consular access to detained foreign nationals.
If you’re in Eritrea and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked or arrested, or someone has died) please get in touch using the numbers below.
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During office hours, please call the British Embassy Asmara on +291 787 1517. Office hours are Monday-Thursday between 08:00 and 16:30 or Friday between 08:00 and 12:30.
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For out of hours support, please call the British Embassy Addis on +251 116 170 100 or the Foreign Office in London on +44 207 008 5000.
British-Eritrean dual nationals
If you are a British-Eritrean dual national or are of Eritrean origin, the Eritrean authorities consider you to be an Eritrean national. You may therefore be subject to obligations including taxes and national service. This may apply if you hold identity documents issued by Eritrea’s Department of Immigration and Nationality, including out of date documents, or if you do not hold these documents but are of Eritrean origin. The British Embassy is unable to offer consular assistance to dual nationals in Eritrea.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
- see general advice for women travellers
- read our guide on disability and travel abroad
- see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
- read about safety for solo and independent travel
- see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
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