Active conflict or extreme danger; travel is strongly discouraged. Civil liberties are tightly restricted and political expression can carry risk.
Regional breakdown
Both official advisories warn against all travel to every part of Yemen. There are no zones treated as lower risk. The warning covers the whole territory. From the capital Sana'a in the north to Aden on the southern coast and the Hadhramaut region in the east. Sana'a sits under Houthi control. The international Embassy there closed in 2015 and all diplomatic staff left. The US Embassy shut its doors the same year. Neither government can help travellers on the ground. Aden, used by the internationally recognised government, also carries the top warning. Fighting, air strikes and armed groups make movement between cities risky. Outlying areas face their own dangers. Marib and Taiz have seen heavy ground fighting. Al Bayda and Shabwah host Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cells. Socotra island, often treated as calmer, still falls under the blanket warning because routine flights and consular help are not available. Landmines and unexploded bombs are spread across former front lines in provinces like Hodeidah.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance last updated its Yemen guidance on 9 March 2026. It warns against all travel to the whole country and tells travellers already there to leave right away. The March update added new information about entering Saudi Arabia for people holding emergency travel documents or passports with less than six months of validity. The official advisory guidance also flags that wider regional tension is causing travel disruption across the area. The official advisory guidance reissued its Yemen advisory on 19 December 2025. It stayed at Level 4, Do Not Travel, with no change to the risk indicators. The summary was refreshed to highlight the Houthi movement's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, alongside the continued presence of AQAP and ISIS-linked groups. The US warns of a high kidnapping risk, especially for travellers and dual nationals. And repeats that those already in Yemen should leave straight away.
What travellers should know
Travel insurance is very likely to be void for any trip to Yemen that goes against official advisory guidance advice. That means medical bills, evacuation costs and lost belongings would fall on the traveller. Private medical evacuation from Yemen is hard to arrange and very expensive because airspace and ports open and close without warning. Neither the UK nor the US can offer in-country help. The international Embassy in Sana'a is closed and consular staff have been withdrawn. The US Embassy has been shut since February 2015. travellers needing urgent help can call official advisory guidance 24-hour line on 020 7008 5000. But no staff are based inside Yemen to respond in person. Health risks are high. Cholera, polio and measles are all active. Hospitals are short of staff, medicine and power. Landmines and unexploded ordnance remain in many former front-line areas. Kidnapping for ransom is a known tactic used by armed groups, and foreign nationals are seen as high-value targets. Anyone who remains in Yemen despite the warnings is told to keep movements to a minimum, avoid crowds and protests. And watch local security news closely.