Travel Warnings

Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain Country. Countries where avoidance of travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Country Specific Information. You may also want to review specific country Background Notes.

Travel Alerts

Travel Alerts are a means to disseminate information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. The TAs is made when there is a specific threat that cannot be countered. In the past, Travel Alerts have been issued to deal with short-term coups, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.

Country Specific Information

Country Specific Information is available for every country of the world. They include such information as location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the condition(s) may be included under an optional section entitled "Safety/Security."On limited occasions, we also restate in this section any U.S. embassy advice given to official employees. Country Specific Information generally does not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.