When planning your next trip, there’s one important thing you should do before you buy your plane ticket—check the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory for your destination. The State Department provides important safety and security information about every country in the world so that travelers can make informed decisions about where to visit.
“We issue a Travel Advisory for each country of the world largely based on safety and security conditions that could affect the lives and interests of U.S. citizens abroad,” says the State Department. “This analysis is undertaken without regard to bilateral political or economic considerations.”
These warnings offer information about dangers in destinations that could impact your trip.
What do Travel Advisory Levels Mean?
The State Department says it considers several factors when setting the Travel Advisory for each country, including crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, the likelihood of a natural disaster, and current events.
This is how the State Department defines its different Travel Advisory levels:
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. This is the lowest Travel Advisory level for safety and security risk. There is some risk in any international travel. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and may change at any time.
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides more advice for travelers to these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 4: Do Not Travel. This is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of lifethreatening risks. The U.S. government may have very limited ability to provide assistance, including during an emergency. The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so. We advise that you write a will prior to traveling and leave DNA samples in case of worstcase scenarios. See Travel to HighRisk Areas.
Varying Levels: Levels of advice may vary for specific locations or areas within a country. For instance, we may advise U.S. citizens to “Exercise increased caution” (Level 2) in a country, while also advising them to “Reconsider travel” (Level 3) to an area within the country.
Countries With Current Travel Advisories
Travel Advisories are reviewed regularly. Level 1 and 2 Travel Advisories are reviewed at least every 12 months. Level 3 and 4 Travel Advisories are reviewed at least every six months. These are the countries that currently have Travel Advisories in place.
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Argentina
- Australia
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Bonaire
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- British Virgin Islands
- Cabo Verde
- Canada
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Curacao
- Dominica
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French West Indies
- Georgia
- Greece
- Grenada
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Malaysia
- Micronesia
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Palau
- Paraguay
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
- Samoa
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Seychelles
- Sint Eustatius
- Sint Maarten
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Suriname
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- The Kyrgyz Republic
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cabo Verde
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Curacao
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Oman
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Level 3: Reconsider Travel
- Bangladesh
- Burundi
- Chad
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Ethiopia
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Macau
- Mauritania
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- New Caledonia
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
Level 4: Do Not Travel
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Central African Republic
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
- Russia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Other
In addition to the four Travel Advisory levels, there is a non-specific “other” category for destinations with unique situations. For these areas, you will need to read the specific Travel Advisory for the destination to understand the risks fully.
These destinations are:
- Mexico
- Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
- China
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