A Travel Advisory is a report from the U.S. Department of State that describes the risks and recommended precautions for U.S. citizens—not foreign nationals—in a foreign destination. The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas.  Information contained in these advisories reflects an assessment of threats only insofar as they may impact U.S. citizens, nationals, and legal residents.  

Find your destination and explore the Travel Advisory map before you go. 

Enroll in STEP
Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive email updates from the local U.S. embassy or consulate. 

Global Events Affecting Travel
Review safe travel preparation tips for global events and crisis situations that occur abroad. 

International travel advisory map
The international Travel Advisory map provides an overview of the level of advisory in different destinations. Select “explore full map” to zoom in on the detailed safety and security risks. 

Travel Advisories by destination
Sort destinations by name, advisory level, or date issued 

About Travel Advisories

Levels 1-4
We review Travel Advisories on a regular basis.  

• Levels 1 and 2: Every 12 months.  
• Levels 3 and 4: At least every 6 months.  

A Travel Advisory will also be updated any time conditions change substantially. This includes when the U.S. government changes its staffing levels or restrictions in a country due to security concerns. 

Conditions in any destination may change at any time.

The Travel Advisory appears at the top of each destination page, with a color corresponding to each level:

1 - Exercise normal precautions
This is the lowest advisory level for safety and security risks. There is some risk in any international travel, and conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States.  

2 - Exercise increased caution
Be aware of increased risks to safety and security. Specific risks are described in the Travel Advisory.

3 - Reconsider travel
Reconsider your travel to the destination due to serious risks to safety and security. Specific risks are described in the Travel Advisory. 

4 - Do not travel
This is the highest advisory level due to life-threatening risks. Specific risks are described in the Travel Advisory. The U.S. government may have very limited or no ability to help, including during an emergency. We advise that U.S. citizens do not travel to the country, or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.

Risk indicators

We review many factors to determine the Travel Advisory level for each destination. These include the risk indicators described below. Each Travel Advisory identifies any specific risks that are present.

CRIME (C) 
There is increased risk of U.S. citizens being the victim of violent or organized crime. Should a crime a occur, local law enforcement may not be able to help. 

TERRORISM (T) 
Specific terrorist threats exist, or attacks have recently occurred. U.S. citizens or the spaces foreigners visit may be the target of an attack. 

UNREST (U) 
U.S. citizen safety may be threatened by political, economic, religious, or other instability and violence. Demonstrations, protests, or armed conflict may threaten your physical safety and prevent you from accessing help or evacuating the area. 

HEALTH (H) 
U.S. citizen health or ability to receive lifesaving care is at risk due to poor medical infrastructure, outbreak of disease, or other health crisis. Should you need medical help in an emergency, hospitals, doctors, ambulances, and medical supplies may be low quality or unavailable.

NATURAL DISASTER (N) 
There is risk to safety and security due to the aftermath of a natural disaster or because of ongoing risk of natural disasters such as active volcanos, consistently dangerous hurricanes/typhoons, frequent earthquakes, etc.

TIME-LIMITED EVENT (E) 
A short-term event, such as elections, sporting events, or other incidents that may pose elevated safety risks. 

KIDNAPPING AND/OR HOSTAGE-TAKING (K) 
Criminals or terrorists may kidnap or take U.S. nationals hostage to compel someone (usually the U.S. government in the case of hostages) to do something as a condition of release. If kidnapped or taken hostage, captors may threaten to kill or injure victims and may keep victims for an extended time.

WRONGFUL DETENTION (D) 
U.S. nationals are at risk of wrongful detention by the destination’s government. Detention may be wrongful as determined by the Secretary of State and may be due to a range of factors, including but not limited to, the fact that the detention is arbitrary, due to U.S. citizenship or connection, in response to exercising fundamental rights, or for the purpose of influencing U.S. government policy or action.  

OTHER (O) 
Your safety is threatened by other potential risks not covered above. Review the Travel Advisory for details. 

Important travel advice before you go

High-Risk Areas
Essential safety advice and tips for traveling to high-risk areas. 

Scams
Protect yourself from scams or forced acts against you. 

Learn about your destination

Select your destination to review the Travel Advisory and specific travel information and tips from the U.S. embassy.

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