Summer will soon be upon us, so you may be planning an international vacation. But before you finalize your itinerary, you should check if any travel advisories exist for your intended destination.
Currently, the United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, deems 21 nations unsafe for U.S. citizens to travel to, placing those countries on the Level 4: “Do Not Travel” list.
We’ll explain how travel advisories work, share which countries you should avoid and discuss what these advisories really mean for your travel plans.
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How travel advisories work
The U.S. government publishes and regularly updates a list that classifies other countries based on their level of risk. The information in the list can help you decide whether or not to travel to a particular nation.
Countries can be classified as follows:
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. The nation is generally safe, but you should stay alert and aware of your surroundings, just as you would at home.
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. The nation is safe overall, but there may be crime or political unrest in your area, requiring extra vigilance.
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel. The nation is unsafe overall due to a high level of crime or terrorism. You may want to visit a safer country.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel. The nation is very dangerous and may have armed conflict. Tourists may be targeted, so you’re advised to avoid traveling there.
The government factors in many criteria when classifying each country, such as crime rate, risk of wrongful detainment or kidnapping, presence of terrorism, armed conflict, or civil unrest and access to healthcare.
Country | Advisory Reason |
|---|---|
North Korea | Long-term and wrongful detention |
Burkina Faso | Terrorism, crime and kidnapping |
Yemen | Kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, crime, health reasons, armed conflict and landmines |
Iran | Terrorism, wrongful detention, civil unrest and kidnapping |
South Sudan | Crime, kidnapping and armed conflict |
Syria | Kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, hostage taking, armed conflict and wrongful detention |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Armed conflict, crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism |
Afghanistan | Crime, civil unrest, terrorism, wrongful detention, kidnapping and limited healthcare facilities |
Lebanon | Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, landmines and armed conflict |
Central African Republic | Armed conflict, crime, civil unrest and kidnapping |
Belarus | Arbitrary law enforcement, wrongful detention, civil unrest and involvement in the Russia/Ukraine war |
Iraq | Terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict and civil unrest |
Ukraine | War with Russia |
Venezuela | Wrongful detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary law enforcement, crime, civil unrest and limited healthcare |
Haiti | Kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and limited healthcare |
Libya | Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, landmines, kidnapping and armed conflict |
Somalia | Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, piracy and health issues |
Russia | War with Ukraine |
Burma (Myanmar) | Civil unrest, armed conflict, landmines, arbitrary law enforcement, wrongful detention and limited healthcare |
Mali | Crime, terrorism and kidnapping |
Sudan | Armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism and kidnapping |
You can read more about travel advisories on the U.S. Department of State website.
Potential impact on your international travel plans
(Image credit: Getty Images)
While the government can strongly encourage you not to travel to a particular country, you can decide to ignore the warning and go anyway.
However, due to the risks, flights may not be allowed to enter a nation’s airspace, limiting your travel options. You may also need a special visa validation to cross certain borders.
If you do plan to travel to a dangerous country, you should stay abreast of any developments by paying attention to global news and government alerts. You should also contact local authorities and the embassy for additional information.
A sobering reality: If you experience an emergency in some of these countries, the U.S. government may be unable to help you, leaving you stuck in a potentially life-threatening situation.
You’re encouraged to update your will and obtain appropriate insurance coverage, including travel insurance, before starting your journey.
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