As of mid-January, 2026, the U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for 22 countries and territories.
The Department of State’s Level 4 – Do Not Travel, is their highest level. This level is for countries where the risk to Americans is severe. This might be due to active warfare, widespread crime, terrorism, or the absence of U.S. government support. Traveling to Level 4 countries can also affect your travel insurance coverage.
Level 4 Countries (Do Not Travel)
- Afghanistan – armed conflict and terrorism
- Belarus – political instability and risk of arbitrary detention
- Burkina Faso – terrorist threats and violent crime
- Burma (Myanmar) – civil unrest and armed conflict
- Central African Republic – widespread violence
- Gaza – ongoing conflict and security instability
- Haiti – extreme crime and civil unrest
- Iran – risk of wrongful detention and terrorism
- Iraq – armed conflict and terrorism
- Lebanon – ongoing conflict and terrorism
- Libya – civil unrest and armed conflict
- Mali – terrorism and kidnapping
- Niger – terrorism and kidnapping
- North Korea – risk of arrest and long-term detention
- Russia – armed conflict and risk of wrongful detention
- Somalia – terrorism and piracy
- South Sudan – armed conflict and violent crime
- Sudan – armed conflict and civil unrest
- Syria – armed conflict and terrorism
- Ukraine – armed conflict
- Venezuela – civil unrest and crime (escalated to “depart immediately” status)
- Yemen – armed conflict and terrorism
Important Notes
- The Department of State strongly urges any Americans currently in Level 4 destinations to depart as soon as safe travel options become available. In many of these locations, the U.S. government has very limited or no ability to assist American citizens during emergencies.
- Venezuela is particularly noteworthy as it recently received an escalated warning telling Americans to “depart immediately” following significant developments in late 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
- If you ignore the Level 4 warning and travel to one of those 22 countries, you are putting yourself at risk.
- You are subject to the local laws of the country you are visiting.
- If you violate that country’s laws, you could be arrested and prosecuted, even if your actions would not have been against the law in the United States.
- Some countries have a known elevated risk for the wrongful and arbitrary detention of U.S. nationals. This is even when the same action would not be considered a crime in the United States.
- Review the Department of State’s High Risk summary here: DoS High Risk Areas.
- You can always review the Department of state’s Travel Advisories Map to assess the risk: Travel Advisories Map.
Buddy and I value our lives and do not like taking chances with local laws and police authority. We strongly advise anyone considering travel to a Level 4 country to reconsider. Wait for a better time to visit that country. There are so many other countries out there to explore that are much less riskier.
Buddy and Jordan