Winter sun holidays from the UK: entry rules and climate for 10 destinations

Ten winter sun holidays work for British travellers from December to March: the Canary Islands, Madeira, Morocco, Cape Verde, Egypt, Dubai, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Goa and Zanzibar. Daytime highs run from 19.1°C in Funchal in January to 33.8°C in Phuket in March, according to national weather services.

Entry rules shape the choice as much as the weather. The Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco need no visa for a British passport holder, and nor does Cape Verde, which asks for an online form before you fly. Dubai gives a free visa on arrival, Thailand waives the visa for 30 days, Sri Lanka asks for a free electronic travel authorisation, and Egypt, India and Tanzania need a visa or, in one case, a free entry stamp.

On the figures below, Phuket has the warmest days in January (32.4°C), Goa and Hurghada are the driest that month (0.2 mm and 0.6 mm), and Lanzarote has the most sunshine of the Canary Islands (841 hours from December to March).

We kept the destinations for which GOV.UK publishes an entry page and a national weather service publishes climate figures. Every rule and figure below was read on 30 October 2026. Where an official service gives no figure we print none, which is why this guide has no flight times and no holiday prices: neither comes from a source we can quote.

Lanzarote, with 841 hours of sunshine across the four months at its airport weather station, ahead of Tenerife Sur (809), Fuerteventura (799) and Gran Canaria (783). Those totals add up the monthly figures of AEMET, Spain's national weather agency, for the four airport stations we checked.

The gap between the top and the bottom is 58 hours over 121 days, so sunshine alone will not settle the choice. Temperature separates the islands even less: daytime highs sit between 20.6°C (Fuerteventura in January) and 23.1°C (Tenerife Sur in March), and nights between 14.0°C (Lanzarote in January) and 16.5°C (Tenerife Sur in December). March is the sunniest month at all four stations, with 226 to 241 hours, and December the least sunny at three of them (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria).

Rain is rare: at Tenerife Sur, AEMET counts an average of 1.8 days of 1 mm of rain or more in January and 3.5 in December. The entry rules are the Spanish ones. The GOV.UK entry page for Spain has no separate rule for the islands. It says British passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, that the passport must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and expire at least 3 months after you leave, and that overstaying can lead to a ban of up to 3 years.

The EU's Entry/Exit System is now being rolled out, so you may be asked for fingerprints and a photo on arrival. It is free, the record lasts 3 years, and GOV.UK warns that border queues can be longer. A passport renewed before 1 October 2018 may carry an issue date more than 10 years old, which makes it invalid for entry even if the expiry date is still months away. The FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of Spain.

Cape Verde is the warmest and driest, Madeira the mildest and wettest, and Morocco sits between them. In January the island of Sal averages a daytime high of 24.0°C and 5.3 mm of rain, Agadir 21.1°C and 31.6 mm, and Funchal 19.1°C and 102.7 mm, according to each country's national weather service via the WMO. The reference periods differ, so read the gaps as a guide rather than a measurement.

Madeira

Funchal has the coolest days of the beach stations in our tables: highs of 20.0°C in December, 19.1°C in January and February and 19.5°C in March, with nights between 12.8°C and 13.9°C. The same normals record 99.9 mm of rain in December and 102.7 mm in January, spread over 13 and 12 rainy days, so expect showers between sunny spells. These are 1961 to 1990 normals supplied by Portugal's Instituto de Meteorologia, among the oldest in our set.

Madeira follows the Portuguese entry rules. The GOV.UK entry page for Portugal says you can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Portugal, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with the same passport tests as Spain, and it has no Madeira-specific entry rule. The FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of Portugal, Madeira included. Its high wildfire risk is April to October, outside the winter window.

Morocco

Agadir, on the Atlantic coast, averages daytime highs of 22.1°C in December, 21.1°C in January, 22.0°C in February and 23.4°C in March, with January nights as low as 8.4°C. Marrakech is cooler: 19.1°C by day and 5.9°C at night in January. The figures are 1991 to 2020 normals from Morocco's national weather directorate. Pack a jumper if your trip includes the city.

British citizens can visit Morocco without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism, according to the GOV.UK entry page for Morocco. A longer stay needs an extension requested at a Moroccan police station. On passport validity, GOV.UK says on 30 October 2026: "To enter Morocco, your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the date you arrive." The FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of the country.

Cape Verde

The Sal weather station records daytime highs of 25.2°C in December, 24.0°C in January, 24.1°C in February and 24.8°C in March, with only 1.3 to 5.3 mm of rain a month from January to March (1961 to 1990 normals). It publishes no night-time minimum, only monthly means of 21.1°C to 22.7°C.

Cape Verde asks for a form before you fly. The GOV.UK entry page for Cape Verde says you can stay up to 30 days without a visa, that your passport must expire at least 6 months after arrival, and that you must pre-register on the official traveller platform at least 5 days before you arrive and pay the airport security fee (TSA). Since 1 July 2026, arriving without that pre-registration means paying double the fee at the border. GOV.UK gives no amount for the fee, so we print none. Children aged one and under are exempt. The FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of Cape Verde.

For Egypt, a visa or a free Sinai stamp; for Dubai, a free visa on arrival. Both countries want a passport that expires at least 6 months after the day you arrive, and Egypt also wants one blank page. The rest of the detail differs.

Egypt

British passport holders normally need a visa for Egypt, according to the GOV.UK entry page. The exception is a free entry stamp when you arrive by air at Sharm El-Sheikh and stay under 15 days in Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba. For anything else you can apply online for an e-visa on the official Egyptian portal, valid for up to 3 months (GOV.UK gives no fee for it), or buy a visa on arrival at approved airports for $30 (about £23), cash only, valid for up to 30 days. Since 1 August 2026, Cairo airport sells a digital visa for $36 (about £27), which includes a $6 digital service fee, by card only.

Our Egypt visa guide goes through the three routes in more detail. On the climate side, Egypt's meteorological authority records daytime highs of 21.7°C to 25.4°C at Hurghada and 21.9°C to 25.8°C at Sharm El-Sheikh between December and March, with almost no rain: 0.6 mm in January and none in February at Hurghada. Hurghada's nights drop to 11.2°C in January, against 13.5°C at Sharm.

Read the FCDO warnings for Egypt before choosing a region. It advises against all travel to the North Sinai Governorate and to within 20km of the Libyan border, and against all but essential travel to the northern part of the South Sinai Governorate, the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, much of the Western Desert, and the Hala'ib Triangle and Bir Tawil. Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El-Sheikh are not named, and Luxor and Aswan are listed as exceptions to the Western Desert warning. A separate section on regional tensions still applies to the whole country.

Dubai

A visitor visa is issued free of charge on arrival in the United Arab Emirates, according to the GOV.UK entry page. It allows up to 90 days in any 180-day window, counted from your first entry, and overstaying brings fines that add up daily. The UAE's National Center of Meteorology reports daytime highs of 26.2°C in December, 24.0°C in January, 24.6°C in February and 27.9°C in March, with nights from 13.7°C to 17.0°C.

The FCDO names no area of the UAE that it advises against, but its page says: "The context in the Middle East remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high." It tells travellers to be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption. Read it again the week you fly.

Thailand needs no visa for 30 days, Sri Lanka needs a free ETA valid for 30 days, and India needs a visa that you may be able to apply for online as an e-visa. All three want a passport that expires at least 6 months after arrival.

Thailand

Since 15 September 2026, British citizens can stay up to 30 days in Thailand for tourism without a visa, according to the GOV.UK entry page. You must also complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before you arrive, and you can register up to 3 days ahead on the official TDAC site. Your passport needs one blank page. At Phuket, the Thai Meteorological Department records daytime highs of 31.5°C in December rising to 33.8°C in March, with nights near 24°C, and 61.9 mm of rain in December against 23.3 mm in January.

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the far south near the Malaysian border (the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and four districts of southern Songkhla) and to areas within 20km of the Cambodian land border. Phuket is not among them.

Sri Lanka

You need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before you travel, issued free of charge and valid for 30 days, according to the GOV.UK entry page. Apply on the official ETA portal; the same portal handles extensions. Our Sri Lanka visa guide walks through the application. The FCDO travel advice does not advise against any part of the island, but it warns that heavy rain in the inter-monsoon season has increased the risk of flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka.

The weather figures explain why. Colombo averages 175.3 mm of rain in December and 128.0 mm in March against 58.2 mm in January and 72.7 mm in February (1961 to 1990 normals from Sri Lanka's National Meteorological Centre), with daytime highs of 30.3°C to 31.7°C. Colombo is a west-coast city, so treat it as a guide to the south-west beaches rather than the east coast.

Goa

India needs a visa for British passport holders unless they hold an Overseas Citizen of India card, according to the GOV.UK entry page. You may be able to apply for an e-visa, but check its restrictions on airports and entry points first. The passport needs 6 months' validity and two blank pages. Our India visa guide lists the visa types and fees. The FCDO advises against all travel within 10km of the Pakistan border and to Jammu and Kashmir, and against all but essential travel to Manipur. Goa is not named.

Goa is almost rain-free from January to March, although December still sees some. The India Meteorological Department records 16.7 mm of rain in December, 0.2 mm in January, 0.1 mm in February and 1.2 mm in March, with daytime highs of 31.5°C to 32.4°C and January nights at 19.6°C.

Yes: British passport holders need a tourist visa for Tanzania, which includes Zanzibar. The GOV.UK entry page says you can apply for an e-visa before travel or get a single-entry visa on arrival at main ports of entry, where you may need to show proof of your return journey. GOV.UK lists no fee. Your passport needs at least 6 months' validity and one blank page, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk. Our Tanzania and Zanzibar visa guide covers the application.

The FCDO advice advises against all but essential travel within 20km of the border with Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, because of attacks by Islamic extremist groups. It does not mention Zanzibar. The Tanzania Meteorological Agency's figures for Zanzibar give daytime highs of 31.4°C in December and 32.8°C in February, with nights near 23°C (1971 to 2000 normals). We cannot tell you when Zanzibar is driest: we show no rainfall for it, because no reliable official series could be confirmed on 30 October 2026.

January or February is the driest of the four months at seven of the nine stations with a rainfall figure in the tables below, and December is the wettest month at Colombo and Phuket. The exceptions to the dry-winter pattern are Funchal and Sal, where March is the driest. Zanzibar is left out of the rainfall count.

That makes December the month to avoid for Sri Lanka and Phuket, while from January to March Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh and Goa are almost dry. For the Canary Islands, sunshine peaks in March. For a view of the year beyond these four months, see our holiday ideas hub.

Check your passport first, because the rule changes from one destination to the next. Our entry requirements hub keeps the full rules for British passport holders, and the GOV.UK page on travelling to the EU and Schengen area covers the Spanish and Portuguese destinations.

• Issue date
  For the Canary Islands and Madeira, the passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive. Passports renewed before 1 October 2018 can fail this test.
• Expiry date
  At least 3 months after you leave for the Canary Islands and Madeira, at least 3 months after the date you arrive for Morocco, and at least 6 months after you arrive for Cape Verde, Egypt, Dubai, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Zanzibar.
• Blank pages
  One for Egypt, Thailand and Tanzania, two for India.
• Online forms
  The Cape Verde EASE form at least 5 days ahead, the Thailand TDAC card before you arrive, the Sri Lanka ETA before you travel, and an e-visa for India or Tanzania if you choose it.
• Entry/Exit System
  Expect fingerprints and a photo on your first entry to the Spanish or Portuguese destinations, free of charge, and allow extra time at the border.
• FCDO advice
  Read the warnings page of your country again in the week you fly: Egypt, Dubai, Thailand, India and Tanzania each carry a warning of some kind.

We cannot give flight times for these routes: they vary by airport and season, and no official source publishes them. Check the timetable of your own departure airport. According to GOV.UK, the entry rules above changed this year for Cape Verde (1 July 2026), Egypt (1 August 2026) and Thailand (15 September 2026), so read the entry page of each country the day before you travel.

• Do I need a visa for the Canary Islands?

  No. British passport holders can visit Spain without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The passport must be issued less than 10 years before arrival and expire at least 3 months after you leave, according to GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.

• Which winter sun destinations need no visa for British passport holders?

  The Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco need no visa, and nor does Cape Verde for up to 30 days, although it asks for an online EASE form at least 5 days before arrival. Thailand waives the visa for 30 days and Dubai issues one free on arrival, according to GOV.UK.

• How much is the Egypt visa on arrival?

  It costs $30 (about £23), cash only, at approved airports, and is valid for up to 30 days. At Cairo airport a digital visa costs $36 (about £27), card only, since 1 August 2026, according to GOV.UK. A free stamp applies to short stays in the Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba area.

• Does the FCDO advise against travel to Egypt's Red Sea resorts?

  Not on 30 October 2026. Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El-Sheikh are not named in the FCDO warnings, which name North Sinai, the Libyan border, the northern part of South Sinai, the Western Desert and other areas. The page also carries a regional tensions section.

• Do I need a visa for Thailand?

  No, not for tourism of up to 30 days, from 15 September 2026, according to GOV.UK. You must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before you arrive, and your passport needs 6 months’ validity and one blank page.

• What is the Cape Verde EASE form?

  It is the pre-registration on the official traveller platform that GOV.UK says you must complete at least 5 days before arrival, with payment of the airport security fee. Since 1 July 2026, arriving without it means paying double the fee at the border.

• How warm is Madeira in winter?

  Funchal averages daytime highs of 19.1°C to 20.0°C from December to March and nights of 12.8°C to 13.9°C, with about 100 mm of rain in December and January, according to 1961 to 1990 normals supplied by Portugal’s national weather service.

• Which winter sun destination is driest?

  Goa and the Red Sea resorts of Egypt. Goa averages 0.2 mm of rain in January and 0.1 mm in February, Hurghada 0.6 mm and 0.0 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department and the Egyptian Meteorological Authority.

• Is a visa needed for Zanzibar?

  Yes. Tanzania requires a tourist visa, which includes Zanzibar: you can apply for an e-visa before travel or get a single-entry visa on arrival at main ports of entry, according to GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.

• How long must my passport be valid for winter sun?

  At least 3 months after you leave for the Canary Islands and Madeira, at least 3 months after the date you arrive for Morocco, and at least 6 months after you arrive for Cape Verde, Egypt, Dubai, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Tanzania. For Spain and Portugal it must also be less than 10 years old.

• Which winter sun destination is warmest in January?

  Phuket, with an average daytime high of 32.4°C in January, ahead of Zanzibar (32.1°C), Goa (31.6°C) and Colombo (30.9°C). The Canary Islands run from 20.6°C to 21.7°C and Funchal in Madeira averages 19.1°C, according to national weather services.

• Do I need a visa for Dubai?

  No visa in advance: British passport holders get a free visa on arrival for up to 90 days in any 180, according to GOV.UK on 30 October 2026.