Is Medan safe? Indonesia travel risk
Is Medan safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Medan scores 44/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Indonesia Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 7 Jul 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 2, Zika in Indonesia (7 Aug 2026). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Medan scores 44/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Indonesia (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Medan: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (52/100) and natural hazards (60/100).
A score of 44 is higher than the scores of 57% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Indonesia travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Local Geographic Profile
In the Sumatera Utara territory, Medan is established at 3.5894° N, 98.6739° E. It lies 1,413.7 km SE relative to Jakarta. Time zone observed: Asia/Jakarta.
Sumatera Utara
3.5894° N, 98.6739° E
26 m
Asia/Jakarta
3,632,000
Emergency & Transport Infrastructure
Surrounding Localities in Indonesia
Climate by Month
Hottest: May (31 °C avg high); Wettest: October (396 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 29° | 30° | 30° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 30° | 30° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
| Low °C | 22° | 22° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 22° | 22° |
| Rain mm | 208 | 144 | 184 | 227 | 229 | 179 | 188 | 280 | 349 | 396 | 344 | 265 |
Normals: Medan (0 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Volcanoes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Medan happened in July (1 of 1 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
1 major seismic event recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.9 on 15 Aug 2026 (75 km away) — USGS details
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Indonesia
- Level 2 - Zika in Indonesia (Level 2, 7 Aug 2026)
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain).
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Indonesia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Indonesia entry requirements.
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