The U.S. Has 21 Countries On Its ‘Do Not Travel’ List—What Travelers Should Know

The number of countries that the U.S. Department of State advises travelers to completely avoid has expanded.

The State Department regularly issues and updates its travel advisories to reflect current recommendations for travelers. Recently, both Burkina Faso and North Korea have been added to its “Do Not Travel” list, bringing the total number of countries the U.S. government recommends travelers avoid to 21. 

Do Not Travel, or Level 4, is the most severe of the four levels used by the State Department in its travel advisories. Level 1 recommends travelers should “Exercise Normal Precautions,” Level 2 indicates travelers should “Exercise Increased Caution,” and Level 3 recommends “Reconsider Travel.”

On April 16, the State Department updated Burkina Faso’s travel advisory to reflect specific risk to dual nationals. “For travelers with dual nationality, local authorities may not recognize your U.S. nationality if you are also a national of Burkina Faso,” the travel advisory states. It also draws attention to the risk of terrorism and kidnapping within the country for everyone.  “Terrorists may attack anywhere with little or no warning and may utilize various tactics including the use of common, commercially available items or the use of kidnapping for ransom.”

North Korea’s travel advisory, updated on April 29, warns against the risk of arrest and wrongful, long-term detention. “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,” the advisory states. “The Government of North Korea has subjected U.S. citizens to arbitrary entry and exit bans, expulsions, arrests, and other actions. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your release.”

The other countries with a Level 4 rating are Yemen, Iran, South Sudan, Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Central African Republic, Belarus, Iraq, Ukraine, Venezuela, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Russia, Burma (Myanmar), Mali, and Sudan.