Personal Travel Guidance

If you are travelling abroad this year, please check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website before you go. The purpose of FCO travel advice is to provide objective information and advice to help you make better-informed decisions about your intended destination.

Each year British people make around 50 million trips abroad. The majority are trouble-free, but every year the FCO help tens of thousands of British nationals who have got into difficulty overseas. In many cases, these difficulties can be avoided by keeping up-to-date with threat levels and any other issues the FCO have deemed causes of concern.

TRAVEL TO COUNTRIES OF SECURITY CONCERN

If you plan on travelling to a country of security concern, it is imperative to prepare yourself before you travel. Particular countries actively target British nationals for different reasons; this could be for intelligence gathering, diplomatic leverage, in response to international pressure or many other reasons.

BEFORE TRAVEL

Before arrangements for personal travel are made, regardless if you intend to travel using a commercial airline such as British Airways or a private jet hire such as Jettly, advice should be sought on security, threats and actions you could take to mitigate risks. Such threats exist from individuals trying to gain information from building social relations and electronic eavesdropping. These threats may involve acts of violence.

VETTING

If you hold any level of vetting through your employer, you may have to inform them of any planned or intended travel to particular countries BEFORE booking. Some organisations may remove your vetting for failing to notify them of such travel, resulting in loss of employment. It also has the potential to cause issues achieving vetting in the future. Different organisations will have different rules, so seek advice from your employer.

POST TRAVEL

If you have been a victim of a crime or you believe you have witnessed suspicious behaviour against you or other foreign nationals, you should report it to the FCO as soon as practicable; this aids the FCO in providing the most current and up-to-date information to other travellers.