Is It Safe to Travel Right Now?

What Counts as an Official Advisory Change

Each agency logs advisory updates differently. The US Department of State assigns one of four tiers, from exercising normal precautions up to advising travelers not to travel.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not publish numbered tiers. Instead, the UK FCDO names the areas it advises against all travel to, or against all but essential travel to.

The Government of Canada issues updates using four distinct levels, ranging from normal security precautions to avoiding all travel. Canada also flags countries that have regional advisories.

Why an Advisory Reissue Is Not Always a Level Change

A published government update does not always mean the risk level changed. A government can reissue its advisory with new text and the same level, so check whether the level on your destination’s page moved before you change plans.

We map national verdicts against the US tiers, and substitute Canadian rankings whenever a territory like Puerto Rico lacks an independent US rating. When a country’s level changes after a guide was written, our page displays a note stating the change until the editorial text is revised.

If an automated government feed encounters a technical fault on any given day, our system retains and marks the previous day’s recorded values. That safeguard ensures the live verdict panel never goes blank while you evaluate every country.

Where Global Risk Sits Across Active Ratings

At the time of writing, across 232 countries and territories, 99 sit at the lowest risk tier, 83 require increased caution, 26 prompt travelers to reconsider travel, and 24 carry a complete warning against travel. You can inspect the safest places to identify destinations where governments advise only routine precautions.

At the time of writing, the US State Department’s strictest advisory, Do Not Travel, covers 24 destinations: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine, West Bank, and Yemen.

These public advisories describe average visitor safety rather than municipal crime rates. Safe to Go does not publish crime rates.

What to Do if Your Destination Advisory Changes

When an advisory escalates for a country on your itinerary, review regional boundaries before canceling flights.

You can compare destinations to evaluate whether nearby alternative spots carry fewer government cautions.

Take concrete precautions before departure if an advisory shifts toward higher caution. American citizens can register trip details through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive urgent security notices and stay reachable by local embassy staff.

• Open your destination’s page and check whether the alert covers the entire country or only some regions.
• Verify your insurance terms, because the UK FCDO warns that travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against official advice.
• Download our free travel safety checklist before departing.