The US has updated its list of travel advisories, advising Americans to steer clear of 21 countries at this time. These countries have landed on the US Do Not Travel list.
The US Department of State has assigned them the highest level of caution possible — Level 4. The federal government advises against traveling to countries due to safety and freedom concerns. A lot of the countries listed make a certain amount of sense. Several of them are war zones or areas of unrest. Other countries have freedom concerns like North Korea.
Of North Korea, the US wrote, "Because the U.S. government does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, it cannot provide direct help to U.S. citizens in North Korea in emergencies. Sweden serves as the U.S. protecting power in North Korea through its Embassy in Pyongyang and provides limited consular services to U.S. citizens. Additionally, the North Korean government has often delayed or denied Swedish officials access to U.S. citizens who are detained. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR)."
US Travel Concerns
Check out the full list below of states on the US do not travel list.
- North Korea
- Burkina Faso
- Yemen
- Iran
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Afghanistan
- Lebanon
- Central African Republic
- Belarus
- Iraq
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Haiti
- Libya
- Somalia
- Russia
- Burma
- Mali
- Sudan
Meanwhile, the US has issued a travel advisory for certain parts of Mexico as well. They list concerns about violent crimes and kidnappings in the country.
The advisory reads, "Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities."
The US advisory also continues, "U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel. State-specific restrictions are included in the individual state advisories below. U.S. government employees may not travel between cities after dark, may not hail taxis on the street, and must rely on dispatched vehicles, including app-based services like Uber. And regulated taxi stands. U.S. government employees should avoid traveling alone, especially in remote areas. U.S. government employees may not drive from the U.S.-Mexico border to or from the interior of Mexico, except daytime travel within Baja California and between Nogales and Hermosillo on Mexican Federal Highway 15D, between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey on Highway 85D and between Ciudad Juarez and interior cities as noted in the Chihuahua section."
