Red lineEveryday mannersIndia
India: some states ban alcohol completely
- Before visiting Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland or Lakshadweep, learn the alcohol rules
- Drinking or carrying alcohol in a dry area
- Drinking in parks and other public places
Drinking or possessing alcohol in a dry state can lead to arrest without bail and 5 to 10 years in prison.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: India travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersUzbekistan
Uzbekistan: change money only at official outlets
- Change money at official exchange points, and get cash in big cities before heading to smaller places
- Changing money on the black market
Black-market currency exchange is illegal.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Uzbekistan travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersUzbekistan
Uzbekistan: always carry your passport
- Carry your original passport at all times
- Leaving your passport at the hotel
The law requires you to carry it; police check often, and you may be fined or arrested if you don't.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Uzbekistan travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersJordan
Jordan: no drinking in the street
- Drink in bars, hotels or private homes
It is illegal.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Jordan travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersJordan
Jordan: don't stay in Petra outside opening hours
- Enter and leave at the park's set hours
- If you have questions about ticket prices or extra charges, ask at the visitor centre first
- Staying in Petra Archaeological Park after closing
You may be arrested and prosecuted; visitors have been locked in the park overnight.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Jordan travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersMorocco
Morocco: don't proselytise
- Respect the local Islamic faith
- Trying to convert Muslims to another religion or handing out missionary material
- Publicly criticising Islam (including online)
Proselytising can mean a fine or up to 3 years in prison; publicly criticising Islam can mean up to 2 years.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersUnited Arab Emirates
UAE: no kissing in public
You can be arrested for it.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: United Arab Emirates travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersUnited Arab Emirates
UAE: swearing and rude gestures are illegal
- Be polite when dealing with police and officials
- Swearing or making rude gestures (including online)
Treated as an obscene act; can lead to prison or deportation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: United Arab Emirates travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersTürkiye
Türkiye: you must carry photo ID
- Carry your passport and cooperate with police checks
- Going out without any photo ID
Not carrying photo ID is illegal; checks are common in Istanbul and elsewhere.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersChina
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersChile
Chile: no drinking in public places
- Drink in restaurants and bars
- Drinking in streets, squares, seafront promenades and other public places
It is illegal.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Chile travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersBolivia
Bolivia: carrying any amount of drugs is treated as trafficking
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Carrying any amount of drugs
The minimum sentence is 8 years; sniffer dogs check passengers leaving on international flights.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Bolivia travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersArgentina
Argentina: even small amounts of drugs can mean prison
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing even a tiny amount of drugs
Can lead to a long prison sentence.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Argentina travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersPeru
Peru: carry ID at all times
- Carry your passport or a valid ID document
You must show it when police ask, or you may be taken to the nearest police station.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Peru travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersPhilippines
Philippines: carry ID
- When your passport is in the safe, carry a copy of its photo page
You must show ID when police ask for it.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersPhilippines
Philippines: zero tolerance for drugs
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing even a small amount of drugs
Even small amounts of drugs bring mandatory prison sentences.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersCambodia
Cambodia: drugs, including cannabis, are a serious crime
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing or trafficking any drugs
Can lead to a long prison sentence, up to life imprisonment.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Cambodia travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersSweden
Sweden: drugs, including cannabis, are strictly prohibited
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing, using or carrying drugs, even in small amounts
Up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Sweden travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersPortugal
Albufeira, Portugal: code of conduct in public places
- Behave appropriately in public
- Behaving inappropriately in streets and squares
On-the-spot fines of €150–1,800.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Portugal travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersAustria
Austria: be ready to show your passport
- Assuming your driving licence counts as ID
The law requires you to be able to show your passport at all times; Austria does not accept a UK driving licence as official ID.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Austria travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersNetherlands
Netherlands: cannabis is tolerated only in designated places
- Understand that 'tolerated' does not mean legal
- Smoking cannabis in public places
- Buying or possessing drugs outside designated places
Using it in public is illegal; buying or possessing it outside designated places can mean prison.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Netherlands travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersNetherlands
Netherlands: everyone over 14 must be able to show ID
€100 fine for those over 16, €50 for those aged 14–15.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Netherlands travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersGreece
Greece: drunken rowdiness and indecent behaviour lead to arrest
- Behave appropriately in public
- Drunken rowdiness and indecent exposure
- Wearing costumes that may be seen as offensive
Police will arrest you, and courts usually impose heavy fines or prison.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersItaly
Italy: don't buy from unlicensed street vendors
- Buying from unlicensed street vendors
It is illegal, and local police may stop and fine you.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Italy travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersItaly
Italy: rules around monuments and fountains
- Keep the area around monuments clean and quiet
- Going into or splashing in public fountains (Florence, Rome and elsewhere)
- Swimming in Venice's canals
- Eating and drinking next to major churches, monuments and public buildings
- Sitting on monument steps, littering, or scratching or writing on monuments
All are local offences; urinating in public can bring a fine of up to €10,000.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Italy travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersSpain
Spain: show photo ID when police ask
- Ignoring a direct instruction from the police
Police can take you to a station until your identity is confirmed; ignoring a direct instruction from the police can count as 'disobedience'. Real police check documents only and will not ask to see your wallet.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersSpain
Spain: drinking in the street is banned in some areas
- Drink in bars and restaurants
- Walking around drinking in the street
Illegal in some areas; you can be fined on the spot.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersFrance
France: carry your ID
- Carry your passport or official photo ID
- Leaving all your documents at the hotel
You must show ID on the spot when police ask, or at a police station within 4 hours.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: France travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersAustralia
Uluru: climbing is not allowed
- Walk the base track around Uluru and learn about Anangu culture
The climb closed permanently on 26 October 2019; climbing breaks the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and is punished.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: climb closure
Red lineEveryday mannersItaly
Rome's Spanish Steps: no sitting, eating or drinking
- Walk up the steps and keep moving after your photo
- Sitting, resting, eating or drinking on the steps
Banned by Rome's urban police regulations since 2019; media report fines of €250, rising to €400 for dirtying or damaging the steps.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: ANSA: Rome bans sitting on the Spanish Steps (2019)
Red lineEveryday mannersIndonesia
Nyepi in Bali: a whole day of island-wide silence
- Stay in your accommodation all day, lights off and quiet
- Adjust flights and check-in or check-out dates in advance
- Going out into the street or to the beach
- Booking flights in or out of Bali on that day
Everyone on the island, including tourists, must comply; I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport closes for the whole day.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Indonesia travel advice
Red lineEveryday mannersThailand
Never insult the Thai royal family
- Treat portraits of the royal family and related topics with respect and care
- Posting or sharing any criticism of, or jokes about, the royal family, online included
The lèse-majesté law is interpreted very broadly and can bring long prison sentences; it applies to past and present members of the royal family.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Thailand travel advice
TabooEveryday mannersMorocco
Morocco: avoid public displays of affection
- Show restraint near religious sites and in tourist areas
- Kissing or hugging in public
It causes offence; same-sex intimacy can be prosecuted in Morocco.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
TabooEveryday mannersMorocco
Morocco: during Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public by day
- Check opening hours during Ramadan
- Dress according to local custom
- Eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum or swearing in public during the day
It offends people who are fasting.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
TabooEveryday mannersTürkiye
Türkiye: during Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public by day
- During Ramadan, check shop opening hours and be patient with people who are fasting
- Eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public during the day (including in a car)
- Playing loud music, dancing or swearing
It offends people who are fasting.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Turkey travel advice
TabooEveryday mannersPhilippines
Philippines: avoid too much intimacy in public
- Behave appropriately in public
- Overly intimate behaviour in public
It may be treated as 'grave scandal', punishable by a fine or 6 months in prison.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
TabooEveryday mannersMalaysia
Malaysia: pass things and eat with your right hand
- Use your right hand to eat with your fingers, to pass and receive things, and to shake hands
- To point the way, make a loose fist and point with your right thumb
- Pointing at people or things with your index finger
Not illegal, but seen as rude.
Not yet verifiedSource: Tourism Malaysia: travel guide
TabooEveryday mannersJapan
Take off your shoes when you see a genkan (entrance step)
- Take off your shoes at the entrance of homes, some restaurants, temples and hot-spring facilities
- If unsure, look for a shoe rack or slippers at the entrance
- Stepping onto tatami or indoor wooden floors in shoes
It is seen as very rude.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
Good mannersEveryday mannersGermany
Germany: most shops close on Sundays
- Shop for food and essentials on Saturday
- If you need to shop on Sunday, go to shops at railway stations, airports or petrol stations
- Planning a shopping trip for Sunday
There is no penalty — you will just find everything closed. Sunday is protected as a day of rest by the constitution, and each state allows only a few 'open Sundays' a year.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Library of Congress law blog: Germany's shop opening laws
