Official advisories for Sudan still say avoid all travel as of 2026-05-15, with armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces continuing since April 2023 in Khartoum and other regions.
What Is Being Advised
Avoid all travel to Sudan. If you are already there, leave only if you can do so safely; official notes say evacuation flights have ended for at least one country and at least one embassy in Khartoum is closed.
Do not plan around a ceasefire holding. Official advisories cite repeated broken ceasefires, suspended Khartoum airport operations, flights through Port Sudan, armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism, kidnapping, and a volatile security situation.
Check the latest official advisory before any border, Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, or overland decision. The practical read is nationwide avoid-all-travel, with a few source-specific exceptions and route notes that still do not make Sudan a normal transit option.
Where exactly this applies
- Sudan nationwide is covered by avoid-all-travel or equivalent advice from most official advisories in this packet.
- The UK excludes the Hala’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid from its all-travel warning, but still advises against all but essential travel there.
- France names the Darfur states, Kordofan, the Djebel ‘Aouînât region, the Ethiopia border, terrorism risk, and separate Red Sea / Bab-el-Mandeb maritime-security advice.
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
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Union Europea y Cooperacion, Spain
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Italy
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand
Why The Advice Is This Severe
Germany’s 2026-05-14 advisory cites heavy fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, fighting in Khartoum and other regions, suspended Khartoum airport operations, Port Sudan flights, broken ceasefires, and the closure of the German embassy in Khartoum.
The UK’s 2026-05-11 update also advises against all travel because of ongoing military conflict in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan. Its source note says several ceasefires have been agreed and regularly broken, which is the operational problem for travelers: plans that depend on a quiet road, open airport, or stable crossing can fail without much warning.
Canada’s 2026-05-04 advisory says to avoid all travel because of armed conflict, civil unrest, and the volatile security situation. It also says Canadian evacuation flights have ended, while advising people already in Sudan to leave if they can do so safely.
New Zealand’s 2024-11-29 advisory puts Sudan at level 4 of 4 because of armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism, and kidnapping. Japan keeps Sudan at level 4, telling travelers to evacuate and not travel.
Source Differences To Notice
Most advisories reach the same practical answer: do not go. The differences are in geography, route notes, and native government labels.
France’s security map uses red-zone language for formally discouraged areas and names Darfur, Kordofan, Djebel ‘Aouînât, the Ethiopia border, and terrorism risk. France also has active notes on Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb maritime security and the security situation in Sudan.
Italy’s Viaggiare Sicuri entry is softer in the packet, marking Sudan as an area of particular caution due to security risks and advising travelers to follow local authority instructions. That softer entry does not change the travel decision when Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Japan, Spain, and New Zealand are at avoid-all-travel or equivalent.
Spain’s 2025-02-28 wording discourages travel to Sudan under any circumstances and says any travel is at the traveler’s own risk.
Official Source Notes
Use the official advisory pages for current wording before making any decision. The source dates in this article run from 2024-11-29 to 2026-05-14, and security advice can change faster than article updates.
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: Reisewarnung; updated 2026-05-14; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: Reisewarnung. Germany warns against all travel to Sudan and urgently calls on German nationals to leave. It cites heavy fighting between the SAF and RSF since April 2023, fighting in Khartoum and other regions, suspended Khartoum airport operations, Port Sudan flights, broken ceasefires, and closure of the German embassy in Khartoum.
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gb) (avoid all travel; native label: FCDO advises against all travel; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: FCDO advises against all travel. Areas where FCDO advises against travel FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing military conflict in Khartoum and other parts of the country. This does not include the Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid where FCDO advises against all but essential travel. There have been several ceasefires, but these have been regularly broken.
- Global Affairs Canada (ca) (avoid all travel; native label: Avoid all travel; updated 2026-05-04; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan - Avoid all travel. Avoid all travel to Sudan due to armed conflict, civil unrest and the volatile security situation. The Government of Canada evacuation flights have ended. However, you should leave the country if you can do so safely.
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (au) (avoid all travel; native label: Do not travel; updated 2026-05-01; checked 2026-05-14): Smartraveller advisory for Sudan: Do not travel. Australia Smartraveller lists Sudan at "Do not travel" on its current destinations index. The destination entry was updated on 2026-05-01.
- Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (fr) (avoid all travel; native label: Zones formellement déconseillées (en rouge); updated 2026-04-15; checked 2026-05-14): Soudan - Conseils aux voyageurs: security zones. France Diplomatie currently places parts of Soudan above ordinary baseline travel advice. Native severity labels are preserved as: Zones formellement déconseillées (en rouge). Named areas/routes/borders include: États du Darfour, État du Kordofan, Région du Djebel ‘Aouînât, Frontière avec l’Éthiopie, Risque terroriste.
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (ch) (avoid all travel; native label: general — Von Reisen in den Sudan wird abgeraten; updated 2026-02-11; checked 2026-05-14): FDFA travel advice for Sudan. The FDFA advises against travel to/in Sudan. The current FDFA update note was published on 2026-02-11.
- Department of Foreign Affairs (ie) (avoid all travel; native label: Do Not Travel; updated 2026-02-10; checked 2026-05-14): Ireland DFA: Do not travel - Sudan. Ireland DFA currently rates Sudan as Do Not Travel. Ireland DFA strongly advises against all travel to Sudan at this time.
- 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）（引き上げ）; updated 2025-05-14; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: 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）（引き上げ）. Japan MOFA keeps Sudan 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）（引き上げ）; 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 2025-05-14; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: 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 Sudan nationwide 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.
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Union Europea y Cooperacion (es) (avoid all travel; native label: SE DESACONSEJA EL VIAJE A SUDÁN BAJO CUALQUIER CIRCUNSTANCIA; updated 2025-02-28; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: travel discouraged under any circumstances. Spain discourages travel to Sudan under any circumstances and says any travel is at the traveler's own risk.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (nz) (avoid all travel; native label: Do not travel; updated 2024-11-29; checked 2026-05-14): Sudan: Do not travel. Do not travel to Sudan due to armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism and kidnapping (level 4 of 4).
- Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (fr) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: Dernières minutes; updated 2026-03-04; checked 2026-05-14): Soudan - Sécurité maritime en Mer Rouge et dans le détroit de Bab-el-Mandeb. France Diplomatie has an active 'Dernières minutes' update for Soudan, titled 'Sécurité maritime en Mer Rouge et dans le détroit de Bab-el-Mandeb'. The update concerns a current travel-advice update; the original French excerpt is included for exact official wording.
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2025-12-29; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Sudan for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
- Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (fr) (heightened caution; native label: Dernières minutes; checked 2026-05-14): Soudan - Situation sécuritaire au Soudan. France Diplomatie has an active 'Dernières minutes' update for Soudan, titled 'Situation sécuritaire au Soudan'. The update concerns security or civil disruption; the original French excerpt is included for exact official wording.