As of 2026-05-15, official advice for Eritrea is restrictive: seven governments advise avoiding all travel or use equivalent highest-level warnings for Eritrea or specific areas, especially land borders.
What Is Being Advised
Avoid Eritrea trips that depend on land borders, border regions, or leaving quickly if the security situation changes. Multiple official advisories warn against travel within 25 km of Eritrea's land borders, including areas near Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti.
Postpone non-essential travel to Eritrea. Country-level advisories that use softer language still cite tensions and conflict with neighboring countries. They leave overland movement and border-area travel in the highest-risk category.
If you are already in Eritrea, check your government's latest advisory before moving between regions. Several notices tell travelers to monitor reliable information, follow local instructions, and allow for transport options to change quickly.
Where exactly this applies
Official advisories flag these areas and scopes:
- Within 25 km of Eritrea's land borders.
- Border areas with Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti.
- The Eritrea-Ethiopia border area, where several advisories cite high tension.
- The Sudan border area, with Germany noting the border has been closed since Sudan's war began.
- Southern Red Sea-Dankalia and the Assab area.
- Northern Red Sea region, including Afabet/Sahel.
- Gash-Barka region and areas northwest of Nafka, Agordat, and Barentu.
- Sudan border areas including Tesseney.
Organizations issuing warnings
- Auswartiges Amt, Germany
- Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom
- Global Affairs Canada
- Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres, France
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Italy
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand
Why The Warnings Are Severe
Border risk is the recurring hard line. Canada and the UK advise against all travel within 25 km of Eritrea's land borders; Ireland also warns against all travel within 25 km of those borders. Germany warns against travel to Eritrea's border areas with neighboring states.
Ethiopia is the clearest regional trigger. The UK says tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high and warns that a crisis could quickly affect internal travel or departure from Eritrea. Germany also cites tension near the Ethiopian border regions.
Sudan gets separate treatment. Germany cites the closed Sudan border after Sudan's war began, and Italy flags areas near the Sudan border, including Tesseney, for particular caution.
The Red Sea appears in the official risk picture too. Germany cites maritime insecurity linked to the Red Sea and Houthi context, while Italy flags Southern Red Sea-Dankalia, the Assab area, and the Northern Red Sea region around Afabet/Sahel.
How The Advisories Differ
Japan uses the hardest language in parts of its Eritrea advice. Level 4 tells travelers to evacuate and avoid travel. Level 3 tells travelers to avoid travel. Its listed notices were updated on 2024-04-04 and checked on 2026-05-14.
New Zealand advises avoiding non-essential travel to Eritrea and says not to travel within 25 km of specified border areas. Its destination page was updated on 2024-11-28 and checked on 2026-05-14.
Australia and Ireland advise avoiding non-essential travel at country level. Australia updated its Eritrea destination entry on 2026-01-22; Ireland updated its page on 2025-08-08 and also warns against all travel within 25 km of Eritrea's land borders.
Italy's notices are regional. Its 2026-01-14 Viaggiare Sicuri entries flag specific border and Red Sea areas for particular caution and tell travelers to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
Source Notes
The latest update in the supplied official inputs is Germany's 2026-05-14 Eritrea travel warning. Canada updated its Eritrea page on 2026-05-04, the UK on 2026-04-27, France on 2026-04-15, Switzerland on 2026-02-09, Australia on 2026-01-22, Italy on 2026-01-14, Ireland on 2025-08-08, New Zealand on 2024-11-28, and Japan on 2024-04-04. All listed inputs were checked on 2026-05-14.
Border travel gets the hardest warnings. Multiple governments also discourage country-level travel. Verify the current official page for your passport country before booking or moving inside Eritrea.
Official source notes
Official source notes used for this article. Native government labels are preserved when available.
- Auswartiges Amt (de) (avoid all travel; native label: Teilreisewarnung; updated 2026-05-14; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: Teilreisewarnung. Germany warns against travel to Eritrea’s border areas with neighboring states. The page cites tension near the Ethiopian border regions, the closed Sudan border after Sudan’s war began, and maritime insecurity linked to the Red Sea/Houthi context.
- Global Affairs Canada (ca) (avoid all travel; native label: Avoid all travel; updated 2026-05-04; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: Border areas - Avoid all travel. Avoid all travel to within 25 km of all border areas due to territorial conflicts, military activity and crime.
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gb) (avoid all travel; native label: FCDO advises against all travel; updated 2026-04-27; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: FCDO advises against all travel. Areas where FCDO advises against travel 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. If a crisis develops in Eritrea, the situation could change quickly, including your ability to travel within Eritrea or leave the country.
- Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (fr) (avoid all travel; native label: Zones formellement déconseillées (en rouge sur la carte); Zone déconseillée sauf raison impérative (en orange sur la carte); Zones de vigilance renforcée (en jaune sur la carte); updated 2026-04-15; checked 2026-05-14): Erythrée - Conseils aux voyageurs: security zones. France Diplomatie currently places parts of Erythrée above ordinary baseline travel advice. Native severity labels are preserved as: Zones formellement déconseillées (en rouge sur la carte); Zone déconseillée sauf raison impérative (en orange sur la carte); Zones de vigilance renforcée (en jaune sur la carte). The official page describes the affected zones in the excerpt.
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (ch) (avoid all travel; native label: regional — von Reisen in die Grenzregionen wird abgeraten; Von Reisen ins eritreisch-äthiopische Grenzgebiet wird abgeraten; Von Reisen in die dschibutische Grenzregion wird abgeraten; ...; updated 2026-02-09; checked 2026-05-14): FDFA travel advice for Eritrea. The FDFA advises against travel to/in border regionen. The current FDFA update note was published on 2026-02-09.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (nz) (avoid all travel; native label: Avoid non-essential travel; Do not travel; updated 2024-11-28; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: Avoid non-essential travel. Avoid non-essential travel in Eritrea due to the unpredictable security situation which has the potential to deteriorate with little warning should tensions between Eritrea and neighbouring countries escalate (level 3. Do not travel within 25 kilometres of the border areas with:.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (avoid all travel; native label: レベル4：退避してください。渡航は止めてください。（退避勧告）（継続）; updated 2024-04-04; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: レベル4：退避してください。渡航は止めてください。（退避勧告）（継続）. Japan MOFA keeps Eritrea in the listed area at レベル4：退避してください。渡航は止めてください。（退避勧告）（継続）; travelers should evacuate and not travel. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (avoid all travel; native label: レベル3：渡航は止めてください。（渡航中止勧告）（継続）; updated 2024-04-04; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: レベル3：渡航は止めてください。（渡航中止勧告）（継続）. Japan MOFA keeps Eritrea in the listed area at レベル3：渡航は止めてください。（渡航中止勧告）（継続）; travelers should not travel. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.
- Global Affairs Canada (ca) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: Avoid non-essential travel; updated 2026-05-04; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea - Avoid non-essential travel. Avoid non-essential travel to Eritrea due to ongoing tensions and conflict with neighbouring countries.
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (au) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: Reconsider your need to travel; updated 2026-01-22; checked 2026-05-14): Smartraveller advisory for Eritrea: Reconsider your need to travel. Australia Smartraveller lists Eritrea at "Reconsider your need to travel" on its current destinations index. The destination entry was updated on 2026-01-22.
- Department of Foreign Affairs (ie) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: Avoid Non-Essential Travel; updated 2025-08-08; checked 2026-05-14): Ireland DFA: Avoid non-essential travel - Eritrea. Ireland DFA currently advises avoiding non-essential travel to Eritrea. advise against all travel within 25km of Eritrea’s land borders.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）; updated 2024-04-04; checked 2026-05-14): Eritrea: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）. Japan MOFA keeps Eritrea in the listed area at レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）; travelers should avoid non-essential travel. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-01-14; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Aree di confine tra Etiopia ed Eritrea in Eritrea for above-baseline travel caution due to border risk. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-01-14; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Regione Mar Rosso Meridionale-Dancalia orientale e area di Assab in Eritrea for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-01-14; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Regione del Mar Rosso Settentrionale - Afabet (Sahel) in Eritrea for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-01-14; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Regione del Gash Barka e zone a nord-ovest delle città di Nafka, Agordat e Barentù in Eritrea for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-01-14; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Aree di confine con il Sudan, compresa città di Tesseney in Eritrea for above-baseline travel caution due to border risk. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.