Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is the United Kingdom's foreign ministry. It was created by merging the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Department for International Development. The department leads British diplomacy, manages development policy and runs the overseas consular network that supports British nationals.

The FCDO also publishes country travel advice based on security, health and entry risks. Those pages are government risk assessments rather than guarantees of safety, and they can change quickly when conditions move. Travellers, employers and insurers use the advice when deciding whether a journey remains practical. Through embassies, high commissions and other posts, the department represents the UK abroad and coordinates official responses to crises affecting British nationals. The names Foreign Office, UK Foreign Office and FCDO commonly refer to the same current department.