The U.S Department of State has updated its global travel guidance, placing 23 countries under its highest security list, Level 4: Do Not Travel.
U.S officials are urgently advising American citizens to avoid these destinations entirely due to severe safety risks and the government’s limited ability to provide emergency assistance.
The U.S announced the 23 countries placed on the Do Not Travel list on the official social media accounts of the State Department.
“We issue Travel Advisories with Levels 1–4. Level 4 means DO NOT TRAVEL,” the State Department noted. “We assign Level 4 based on local conditions and/or our limited ability to help Americans there. These places are dangerous. Do not go for ANY reason.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Level 4 classification is reserved for nations facing extreme conditions.
According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the primary triggers for these blacklists include active armed conflict, high risks of terrorism, rampant violent crime, civil unrest, and frequent wrongful detentions or kidnappings.
Crucially, if an American citizen encounters a life-threatening crisis in a Level 4 country, standard consular resources—like the localized help of a U.S. Embassy—may be entirely unavailable.
The newly reinforced Level 4 list spans multiple continents, featuring 11 African nations alongside ongoing conflict zones in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Full list of 23 countries under US Level 4: Do Not Travel list
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- North Korea
- Russia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Yemen
Africa accounts for nearly half of the Level 4 designations. The State Department highlights prolonged civil instability, health challenges, and localized insurgencies in nations like South Sudan, Mali, Somalia, and Chad as primary drivers.
Meanwhile, regional neighbors like Nigeria remain at a Level 3: Reconsider Travel status, though specific states within Nigeria have been given localized Level 4 warnings due to kidnapping and terrorism risks.
Level 4 states that U.S. citizens are urged to avoid, in the North, the following states: Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and northern Adamawa.
In South-South and South-East are Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states (excluding Port Harcourt).
According to the advisory, Americans are urged to reconsider travel to Nigeria because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and inconsistent healthcare services, while travel to designated Level 4 states is strongly discouraged.
