Foreign travel advice
Western Sahara
Warning
FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Western Sahara.
Regional risks
This section has safety advice for regions of Western Sahara. It only covers regions where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has specific advice.
You should also read FCDO’s overall travel advice and safety and security advice.
Landmines and unexploded weapons
A militarised boundary known as ‘the Berm’ separates the Moroccan-administered part of Western Sahara from the rest of the territory. There are 30km militarised zones either side of the Berm containing landmines. There have been many fatalities in these zones.
FCDO advises against all travel to:
- within 30km of the Berm boundary line
- the territory south and east of the Berm boundary line
The eastern side of the Berm is sparsely populated with no diplomatic presence from any country. There are other types of unexploded weapons in this area.
In remote areas:
- keep to main roads and stay alert
- if you drive off the main roads, keep to clearly identifiable tracks
- do not touch any metal or plastic objects