High-risk countries right now: Level 3 & Level 4 travel advisories
As of August 24, 2026, the US State Department lists 21 countries at Level 4 — Do Not Travel and 25 countries at Level 3 — Reconsider Travel. This page is generated from the official advisory feed each time it updates, so it always reflects the current list. Each country links to its full Travel Risk Calculator country file — baseline scores across nine risk categories, live disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news.
How to read the levels
The US State Department rates every country 1–4: Level 1 Exercise Normal Precautions · Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution · Level 3 Reconsider Travel · Level 4 Do Not Travel. Levels 3 and 4 are the two highest tiers and usually reflect armed conflict, terrorism risk, civil unrest, widespread violent crime, wrongful detention, or collapsed health infrastructure. A country-wide level can hide large regional differences — always read the full advisory text. See our travel advisory guide for how the US, UK, Canadian, and Australian systems compare.
Level 4 — Do Not Travel (21 countries)
The State Department's highest warning: it advises US citizens not to travel to these countries at all, and US government ability to assist there is often severely limited.
Level 3 — Reconsider Travel (25 countries)
Serious risks to safety and security: the State Department advises reconsidering travel. If you go, plan carefully, register with your embassy (STEP for US citizens), and keep checking the advisory until departure.
How to use this list
A Level 3 or 4 advisory is a starting point, not a verdict. Three things to do with it: first, open the country file linked above — it shows which of the nine risk categories actually drives the rating (armed conflict and petty crime call for very different planning). Second, read the official advisory text on travel.state.gov for the regional detail — many Level 3 countries contain regions that are effectively Level 4 and vice versa. Third, if you decide to travel anyway, run a personalized assessment for your specific cities and dates, get a printable risk report for your records, and track the advisory with the free email alert on each country page — levels change without much notice.
Frequently asked questions
How current is this list?
It is rebuilt from the official US State Department RSS feed, which Travel Risk Calculator re-fetches every 6 hours. The "issued" dates come from the State Department itself.
What is the difference between Level 3 and Level 4?
Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") means serious risks where the State Department advises weighing the trip's necessity. Level 4 ("Do Not Travel") is the maximum warning — the US government may have little or no ability to assist citizens there.
Do other countries publish similar lists?
Yes — the UK FCDO, Canada's GAC, and Australia's Smartraveller publish their own tiers, and they don't always agree with the US assessment. For high-stakes trips, cross-check at least two systems. Our advisory guide explains each.
Is travel to these countries banned?
No. An advisory is guidance, not a legal prohibition (with rare exceptions, such as specific US restrictions). But insurers often exclude Level 4 destinations — check your policy before booking.
Travel Risk Index: all 241 countries ranked → · Browse all destinations → · How to read travel advisories → · Run a personalized assessment →