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International Travel > Before You Go > Our Consular Safety and Security Messaging
We have made it easy for you to get clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information about every country in the world and access it at home or on the go via our mobile-friendly website, travel.state.gov.
Take Us With You Wherever You Go Abroad
The mission of the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is to protect the lives and serve the interests of U.S. citizens abroad. We provide information to help you assess for yourself the risks of international travel and what steps to take to ensure your safety when you decide to go abroad.
Before You Go
You can access all of our safety and security information on one country page. So before you travel, check our Travel Advisory and Alerts for your destination(s) at travel.state.gov/destination. Be sure to read further country-specific details on the same page that could affect your travel, such as entry/exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, transportation, and other relevant topics.
We issue a Travel Advisory for each country of the world. Travel Advisories follow a consistent format and use plain language to help U.S. citizens find and use important security information. Travel Advisories apply up to four standard levels of advice, describe the risks, and provide clear actions U.S. citizens should take to help ensure their safety.
To see a complete list of Travel Advisories for every country in the world, see travel.state.gov/traveladvisories. Click on our color-coded world map at travelmaps.state.gov for a global view.
The Travel Advisory appears at the top of each country page, with a color corresponding to each level:
Level 1 - Exercise Normal Precautions: This is the lowest advisory level for safety and security risk. There is some risk in any international travel. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and may change at any time.
Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution: Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 3 - Reconsider Travel: Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 4 – Do Not Travel: This is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks. During an emergency, the U.S. government may have very limited ability to provide assistance. The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
We issue an overall Travel Advisory level for a country, but levels of advice may vary for specific locations or areas within a country. For instance, we may advise U.S. citizens to “Exercise increased caution” (Level 2) in a country, but to “Reconsider travel” (Level 3) to a particular area within the country.
Travel Advisories at Levels 2-4 contain clear reasons for the level assigned, using established risk indicators and specific advice to U.S. citizens who choose to travel there. These are:
An interactive map is on each country page. Click on “View Larger Map” on the page or see travelmaps.state.gov to view countries color-coded with the Travel Advisory levels. Countries with varying levels of travel advice have stripes to indicate you should read the whole Travel Advisory for more details.
There are a number of ways to receive updates of our safety and security information. Choose the one that is right for you.