How the US State Department's travel advisory system works

Observer

23-05-2025

The deadly terrorist attack in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir on April 22 prompted the US State Department to issue an alert for the area, which was already under its highest-level travel advisory, urging travelers to avoid the area until it is deemed safe.
Jammu and Kashmir, along with several other areas in India, is under a 'Do Not Travel' advisory, alongside such countries as Ukraine and South Sudan on the US list of destinations with the highest security risks. India as a whole, meanwhile, is under a Level 2 advisory, which encourages travelers to be aware of risks and exercise greater caution.
Here is an overview of the travel advisory system and how it works:
What the Advisories Convey
The State Department regularly updates the advisories, which assign safety rankings for every country. The advisories include entry and exit instructions, safety risks in the country, health conditions and documentation requirements.
Each country's page also tells travelers if they need vaccines or tourist visas to enter, passport validity deadlines, and any restrictions on how much cash they can carry in.
Some countries, like India, have regional or state-level advisories that may differ from the country as a whole. The Philippines, for example, has different advisory levels by island or province.
Any country's status can change suddenly from one day to the next.
'Global factors such as climate change, health crises including diseases and pandemics, and shifting global power dynamics have contributed to an increasingly unpredictable world,' said Frank Harrison, regional security director of the Americas for the travel security company World Travel Protection. 'Risk ratings are evolving at a rapid pace.'
Countries including Canada, France, Britain, Norway, and others have their travel advisory pages organized by country. Mexico, which has its own advisory system, issued a travel warning for the U.S. and Canada in April after a jump in measles cases in Mexico was linked to an outbreak in Texas.
The Numerical Rankings
Every country's travel advisory is ranked from Level 1 to Level 4, with the highest indicating the most extreme conditions.
Level 1,
labeled Exercise Normal Precautions, means the destination is generally considered safe. Travelers should still be careful, just as they would at home, because there's always some risk when traveling abroad.
As of May, countries including Canada, Grenada, Zambia, and Fiji were in this group.
Level 2,
Exercise Increased Caution, considers the country to have some safety risks, but it's still usually safe to visit if you stay alert and follow local advice. Level 2 warnings often arise from concerns about crime, terrorism, protests, or illness.
For example, the Netherlands is under a Level 2 advisory because, reads the advisory, '[t]errorists continue plotting possible attacks in the Netherlands.' Dutch officials in December 2024 maintained their terrorist threat assessment level at 4 out of 5, the same level it had been at for a year, because of factors including the war in the Gaza Strip, incidents involving burning of the Quran, and jihadi network activity.
Most countries on the U.S. travel advisory list fall under Level 1.
Level 3,
Reconsider Travel, is used when serious safety concerns like civil unrest, high crime or poor infrastructure are present.
For example, Colombia is in this category because some areas of the country are experiencing high rates of crime, terrorism, conflict between armed groups, and the risk of detention by authorities or other parties. The U.S. Embassy in Colombia issued an alert on April 28, encouraging Americans to reconsider travel to Valle del Cauca, a coastal area, because of violent crime.
Level 4,
Do Not Travel, is issued because of extreme risks, such as war, terrorism or a collapsed health care system. The U.S. government says it might be unable to help travelers in these places if something goes wrong. This classification is assigned to the fewest countries.
The State Department advises leaving such countries as soon as it is safe to do so.
'We advise U.S. citizens who decide to travel to a country with a Level 4 Travel Advisory to write a will, have custody arrangements for children, prepare security contingency plans, and have plans if taken hostage or detained,' the department said in an email.
About 20 countries fall under this advisory, including Russia, Haiti, and Iran.
Americans can travel to Level 4 countries, except for North Korea, but it is discouraged. U.S. citizens can travel to North Korea only for limited humanitarian and other purposes, and travelers can apply to the State Department for a special passport that allows entry.
Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza — which the department lists as one country — and Mexico are the only listings labeled 'Other' and do not have numerical rankings. This is because of evolving issues like organized crime, regional conflict, or other fast-moving security considerations that don't fit traditional classifications.
How Advisories Are Compiled
The State Department compiles the list from sources including U.S. government security and intelligence experts, embassies and consulates, and other federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diplomatic missions abroad monitor local conditions and send updates to Washington based on information from local officials, news outlets, law enforcement, and health authorities.
Advisories also consider terrorism threats, civil unrest, weather patterns, natural disasters, political stability, local infrastructure, and entry or exit requirements.
The State Department did not respond to a question about the potential impact on the advisory system of its recently proposed overhaul, which would entail cuts affecting the work of embassies and consulates overseas. Diplomats and civil service employees expect closures of diplomatic missions and layoffs.
Harrison said the changes could have some impact, but he said that the advisory system could endure the cuts because it does not rely solely on Washington.
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