The Foreign Office offers an email service that you can sign up to for travel advice and FCO news. Here’s the latest travel advice sent out for Iraq, offered unedited and without comment:

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with an amendment to the Summary. The overall level of the advice has not changed.

We advise against all travel to Baghdad and the adjacent provinces of Al Anbar, Salah Ad Din, Diyala, Wasit and Babil. We advise against all but essential travel to all other parts of Iraq. We urge all British nationals in Iraq to consider whether their presence in Iraq is essential at this time. Even essential travel to Iraq should be delayed, if possible.

There may be an increase in the number of attacks in the period around the announcement of election results. Insurgents may also be planning attacks in the period leading up to festival of Ashura, due to take place on 19/20 February. The Government of Iraq has announced that borders will be closed between 17-22 February.

The security situation is dangerous. There continue to be widespread outbreaks of violence and kidnappings of foreign nationals, and targets have included hotels, civilian vehicles and aircraft. Any British nationals in Iraq should, as a matter of urgency, review their security arrangements and protection and seek professional advice on whether they are adequate.

The threat to British nationals remains high. Since the beginning of March 2004, at least 18 British civilians have been killed and several others seriously injured in terrorist incidents. There is a specific threat to the Baghdad and Sheraton Hotels. There is also a potential Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) threat against vehicles in the area. As of 8 February 2005, we have also received information that insurgents may currently be planning Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks in the Haifa Street area of Baghdad and mortar and rocket attacks on the Iraqi Army complex within the International Zone.

An IED was discovered on a commercial flight inside Iraq on 22 November 2004. The British Embassy currently advises its staff against travel by commercial airlines in Iraq. The road between Baghdad and Baghdad International Airport and the Abu Ghraib-Ramadi corridor are considered to be particularly dangerous. With effect from 28 November the British Embassy ceased all movements on the BIAP road.

The Iraqi Government declared a 60 day state of emergency on 7 November 2004, covering all areas of Iraq except those run by the Kurdistan Regional Governments. Curfews have been implemented in Baghdad, Fallujah and Ramadi. Curfew times in Baghdad are 2230-0400. There is an indefinite curfew in Fallujah and Ramadi.

There have been numerous kidnappings of foreign nationals across Iraq. Some of those kidnapped have been killed by their captors. There is a direct threat of kidnap to foreign nationals in northern Iraq and we believe that British nationals may be targeted. There is also a threat of kidnap against foreign nationals in Baghdad, including journalists.

The British Embassy in Baghdad will only be in position to offer limited consular assistance for the foreseeable future. There are also very limited consular facilities in Basra.