Foreign & Commonwealth Office News
Foreign Office assistance sees Brits coming home for Christmas
Foreign & Commonwealth Office staff across the world saved Christmas for more than 1,000 people last year, and have already helped hundreds more this yuletide season. New figures released by the FCO show that in the fortnight before Christmas 2015, staff at its embassies around the world came to the aid of 1,242 Brits stuck overseas after losing their passports or letting them expire.
British travellers warned over ‘balconing’
British travellers to Spain have been warned not to take undue risks jumping from balconies when visiting the country. In advice many would hopefully consider, holidaymakers have been warned falling from a hotel room could cause serious injury.
Euro 2016: FCO launches travel tips for Euro 2016 football fans
With three home nation teams taking part in Euro 2016 next summer, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is launching ‘Be on the Ball’, a campaign providing advice and information to British football fans. With hundreds of thousands of supporters expected to travel to France to cheer on their team and enjoy the atmosphere, the FCO is encouraging all fans to plan ahead to enjoy a safe and stress-free tournament.
Tunisia urges British government to relax travel warnings
Officials from Tunisia have urged the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office to relax travel advice warning against all but essential travel to the destination. The move comes following a near total cessation of travel following the deaths of 30 British holidaymakers in the Mediterranean town of Sousse during a terror attack last year. The FCO currently advises against all travel to the Chaambi Mountain National Park area, the Tunisia-Algeria border crossing points at Ghardimaou, Hazoua and Sakiet Sidi Youssef, and the militarized zone south of, but not including, the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba.
British travellers warned over Beijing Christmas travel
The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has warned of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day. The moves comes after the British Embassy Beijing received information of a possible incident.
British Foreign Office updates Paris travel advice
British travellers in Paris have been advised to “exercise caution” in public places during travel in France following recent terrorist attacks. On Friday a number of terrorist incidents took place in capital Paris resulting in widespread casualties. French authorities have heightened security measures due to a risk of further attacks.
Kenya Tourism Board welcomes FCO travel advice
The Kenya Tourism Board is delighted at the decision made by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to remove the travel advisory for further areas of the Kenya coast to include Malindi, situated northeast of Mombasa. The lifting of the advisory for this section of the coast means the area from Malindi to the Tanzanian border is an advisory-free zone and visitors can now access the coast via Malindi Airport in addition to Mombasa’s Moi International Airport and Ukunda Airport in Diani.
FCO offers supporting hand to Brits around world
British Foreign & Commonwealth consular staff helped 46 people a day around the world in needed of serious assistance in 2014/2015 new figures have revealed. The figure is set against some 60 million trips overseas by British nationals last year, alongside the five million Britons who live overseas.
Brits warned against all travel to Tunisia as terror threat rises
The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has changed its level of advice to Tunisia and now advises against all but essential travel to the country. The decision comes as a result of the ongoing investigation into the events that took place in Tunisia on June 26th, with a further attack believed to be “highly likely”.
UK travellers warned over fake Turkish visas
ABTA, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Get Safe Online are warning travellers to Turkey to only obtain e-visas from the official Republic of Turkey website. The warning is being issued after up to a hundred UK holidaymakers purchased fake e-visas which were only discovered on arrival in Turkey.
Kenya welcomes FCO decision to lift coastal travel warning
The Kenya Tourism Board has welcomed the removal of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel advisory for Mombasa and the entire stretch of the Kenya coast from Watamu to the border with Tanzania. While the south coast has always remained open for business, tourists will now be able to once again enjoy the majority of the Kenya coast, with the only exclusion now being Malindi and areas further north, including Lamu County.
Value your passport urges Foreign Office in UK
The Easter holidays are fast approaching and, according to recent research by the travel association ABTA, millions of British nationals are planning to travel overseas this April. In light of this, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office have launched a social media campaign asking British travellers #WhereDoYouKeepYours to promote the value of the passport by asking Britons to keep it safe and be aware of where it is at all times.