Western Sahara travel advice
A summary of the UK government’s (FCDO) travel advice for Western Sahara, last updated by the FCDO on 29 June 2026. The full advice on GOV.UK is the authoritative version.
FCDO status
FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the country
Latest FCDO update (29 June 2026): FCDO now advises against all travel to areas in Western Sahara within 40km North and West of 'the Berm' boundary line, including the city of Es Semara ('Warnings and insurance' page).
Warnings (from the FCDO, word for word)
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Areas where FCDO advises against all travel
FCDO advises against all travel to:
- Areas in Western Sahara within 40km North and West of ‘the Berm’ boundary line, including the city of Es Semara
- Areas in Western Sahara the territory south and east of ‘the Berm’ boundary line
Western Sahara is a disputed territory. The Berm is the militarised boundary between Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara and territory to the east controlled by the Polisario Front. Cross border rocket fire has occurred which cannot be ruled out in the future.
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.
Passport validity
Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
From FCDO: entry requirements. Written for British passport holders.
Recent FCDO updates
- 29 June 2026: FCDO now advises against all travel to areas in Western Sahara within 40km North and West of 'the Berm' boundary line, including the city of Es Semara ('Warnings and insurance' page).
- 10 December 2025: New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).
- 10 June 2024: This travel advice has been rewritten to make it easier to read and understand.
Plan your trip
This page shows the FCDO’s headline status and quotes its text word for word; we don’t reword safety advice. It refreshes automatically, so it can lag GOV.UK by up to a day. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: FCDO foreign travel advice on GOV.UK. FCDO advice is written for British nationals; other nationalities should also check their own government’s advice.