The US has issued its highest travel advisory, Level 4: “Do Not Travel,” for more than two dozen countries, advising American citizens to steer clear of travel there due to serious extreme safety and security issues. This warning comes from the U.S. State Department and reflects serious concerns about conditions that could threaten life and limit the government’s ability to assist citizens in emergencies.Travel advisories are made to allow the US citizens to make informed decisions about travelling abroad, and provide them information regarding any changing conditions affecting their safety. They are regularly reviewed and reissued whenever substantive changes happen on ground.
Travel Gov took to X to share the following, “We issue Travel Advisories with Levels 1 – 4. Level 4 means Do Not Travel. We assign Level 4 based on local conditions and/or our limited ability to help Americans there. These places are dangerous. Do not go for any reason. “What is a Level 4 warning?Level 4 — ‘Do Not Travel’ is the most severe of four travel advisory levels issued by the State Department. It indicates locations where there are likely life-threatening risks and where the US Government may have very limited ability to provide assistance, including in medical emergencies.
A Level 4 classification may be because of a combination of the following:
- Armed conflict or war
- Terrorism
- Widespread violent crime
- Civil unrest or instability
- Threats of kidnap or hostage taking
- Risks of wrongful detention
- Severe health emergencies
- Natural disasters or services deprivation
These factors make travel to and staying in these countries dangerous for American citizens.Read more: 2026 travel list: 8 visa-free countries for Indian passport holdersIn many Level 4 destinations, local healthcare, emergency response systems, and security infrastructure are severely under-resourced or non-functional, compounding the danger and reducing the U.S. government’s ability to help.Level 4: Do Not TravelThese are the countries to which travel should be avoided, as of now, because of a various reasons like armed conflict, crime, and more.As of the beginning of 2026, the following countries are currently listed as Level 4: Do Not Travel by the US State Department due to significant safety and security issues:
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Central African Republic
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- North Korea
- Russia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Several of these countries are engaged in armed conflicts, experiencing political instability, or plagued by one or more forms of civil unrest and violence that threaten the safety of local residents and foreign visitors.Read more: What is U.S. visa bond? US expands visa bond programme to 38 more countries, including Bangladesh and BhutanWhat travelers should knowThe Level 4 advisory extends to Americans considering travel and those already in affected countries. The advisory also indicates that those already in Level 4 destinations, those US citizens are urged to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.As conditions can change quickly, the State Department’s recommendations for all US travellers are as follows:Do take take of all official travel advisories, and check official sites before making bookings or continuing with travel plans.Sign up for STEP to receive travel and security updates from the US Government, as well as country-specific informationRemain informed about local events, such as security issues, civil unrest, health or climate threatsThese precautionary steps will enable Americans to stay informed and obtain easier consular support in case situations deteriorate.
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