With international travel in full bloom post-pandemic and lots of people on the move (to the point of, at times, creating overtourism issues), it is important to read up about your destination before you actually get there. A simple Google search can go a long way, especially when it comes to government-issued travel advisories.
Among these, the US government recently reissued a Level 2 travel advisory for Italy. Travelers are encouraged to “exercise increased caution due to terrorism,” reads the advisory. “Terrorist attacks are possible in Italy,” it continues. “Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They may target tourist spots, transport hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of religious importance, parks, major sporting and cultural events, schools, airports, and other public areas.”
This is not, however, the only active advisory right now. While it might not seem like it, at any given time, many countries worldwide have warnings in place for American travelers. To help you navigate international travel more seamlessly and to provide you with a better understanding of how the different types of advisory may impact your travel, we have put together a handy guide of the countries that the US State Department issued new (or updated) travel advisories in August and September. This guide will be regularly updated as more advisories are issued.
Each advisory in the list below is categorized under a different degree, highlighting the level of danger assessed by the department. Level 1 is the lowest degree and suggests you “exercise normal precautions.” Level 2 warns travelers to “exercise increased precautions.” Levels 3 and 4 are the highest levels, and they respectively tell travelers to “reconsider travel” and “do not travel.”
For more information and to see a complete list of active travel advisories for Americans, you can visit the Department of State’s website. To stay updated on travel advisories that might impact your next international trip, you can also register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Read on for more details on the new travel advisories for Americans as of the last three months:
The Department of State is encouraging travelers to exercise increased caution in Algeria due to terrorism and kidnapping.
Additionally, authorities are advising travelers to not travel to some areas, including:
- Areas near the eastern and southern borders
- Areas in the Sahara Desert
According to the authorities, travelers should exercise increased caution in Angola due to crime and health.
As the travel advisory points out, health facilities in the country are “under-resourced and may not have adequate facilities or supplies of basic vaccines or medications, especially outside of large cities,” so travelers should “always travel with required medicines, including a written prescription for any prescription medicine.”
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Anguilla.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Antigua and Barbuda.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions when traveling to Argentina. Additionally, they should exercise increased caution in the City of Rosario (Santa Fe province).
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Aruba.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Austria.
Travelers should exercise increased caution in Bahrain due to terrorism.
According to the authorities, travelers should reconsider travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism.
Additionally, visitors should not travel to some areas, including the Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban Hill Tracts districts (collectively known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts).
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Barbados.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Bonaire.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in the British Virgin Islands.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Bulgaria.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Cabo Verde. Additionally, they should exercise increased caution in Praia due to crime.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in the Cayman Islands.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Croatia.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Curaçao.
Travelers should exercise increased caution in Denmark due to terrorism.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Dominica.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Finland.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in the French West Indies, which includes the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Greece.
Travelers should reconsider travel to Guyana due to crime.
Authorities are advising travelers to not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Hungary.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Iceland.
Authorities are advising citizens to not travel to Iran due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of US citizens, and wrongful detentions.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Ireland.
Travelers should exercise increased caution when traveling to Italy due to terrorism.
The Department of State is advising travelers to exercise increased caution in Jordan due to terrorism.
Additionally, authorities are advising travelers to not travel to some areas, including:
- Within 3.5 km of the Jordan-Syria border and east of the town of Ruwayshid in the direction of the Iraq border
- Designated Syrian refugee camps in Jordan
- Zarqa, Rusayfah, and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha
Travelers should also reconsider travel to Ma’an City and some areas of Ma’an Governorate.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Kazakhstan.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Latvia.
Authorities are encouraging travelers to not travel to Lebanon due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines, and the risk of armed conflict.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Lithuania.
Due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict, authorities are advising travelers to not travel to Libya.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Mauritius.
The Department of State is advising travelers to the following practices:
Do not travel to:
- Colima state
- Guerrero state
- Michoacan state
- Sinaloa state
- Tamaulipas state
- Zacatecas state
Reconsider travel to:
- Baja California state
- Chiapas state
- Chihuahua state
- Guanajuato state
- Jalisco state
- Morelos state
- Sonora state
Exercise increased caution when traveling to:
- Aguascalientes state
- Baja California Sur state
- Coahuila state
- Durango state
- Hidalgo state
- Mexico City
- Mexico State
- Nayarit state
- Nuevo Leon state
- Oaxaca state
- Puebla state
- Queretaro state
- Quintana Roo
- San Luis Potosi state
- Tabasco state
- Tlaxcala state
- Veracruz state
Exercise normal precautions when traveling to:
- Campeche state
- Yucatan state
Due to unresolved conflict between the breakaway region of Transnistria and the central government, travelers should exercise increased caution in Moldova.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Montserrat.
Travelers should exercise increased caution when traveling to the Netherlands due to terrorism.
Authorities are advising travelers to reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism.
Additionally, travelers should not travel to some areas, including:
- Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
- The immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Palau.
Travelers should exercise increased caution in Panama due to crime and potential for civil unrest.
Additionally, authorities are advising visitors to not travel to some areas, including:
- Parts of the Mosquito Gulf
- Parts of the Darién Region
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Romania.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Saba.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Saint Lucia.
The Department of State is advising travelers to exercise increased caution in Saudi Arabia due to the threat of missile and drone attacks from Yemen and terrorism.
Additionally, visitors should not travel to the following locations:
- Within 20 miles of the Saudi-Yemen border, including the city of Najran
- Qatif in the Eastern Province and its suburbs, including Awamiyah
Travelers should exercise normal precautions when traveling to Sao Tome and Principe.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Seychelles.
Citizens heading to Sierra Leone should exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and limited circulation of poliovirus.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Sint Eustatius.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions in Sint Maarten.
Travelers heading to Tanzania should exercise increased caution due to crime, terrorism, and targeting of LGBTQI+ persons.
Additionally, travelers should reconsider travel to the Mtwara Region in southern Tanzania.
According to the authorities, travelers should exercise increased caution in the United Kingdom due to terrorism.
Travelers should exercise normal precautions when traveling to Uzbekistan.
The Department of State is advising travelers to not travel to Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detentions, terrorism, kidnapping, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure.
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