Revealing the most hazardous countries for American travelers

March 26, 2026

Things aren’t looking great.

With ongoing conflicts in Iran and other regions, the U.S. State Department has updated its travel advisories for American citizens, sharing a revised list just before April.

Since February, several countries in the Middle East have been under increased security alerts following U.S. military actions against Iranian locations.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain have seen their advisories escalated from level 2 to level 3, shifting from “exercise caution” to “reconsider travel.”

Iran, unsurprisingly, is marked as a Level 4 “do-not-travel” zone. The risks are deemed significant, encompassing “terrorism, violence, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest, and wrongful detention of U.S. citizens.”

In Mexico, meanwhile, after last month’s cartel incident, the State Department has upgraded some areas like Sinaloa and Colima to Level 4, while states such as Jalisco and Baja California are classified at Level 3.

The State Department stresses that these travel advisories aid Americans in planning their trips with a clearer grasp of safety considerations and potential threats.

Countries are graded on a scale from Level 1, which denotes relative safety, to Level 4, indicating dangerous conditions.

Regardless of any destination, travelers are encouraged to sign up for the State Department’s health insurance program. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) offers free email updates and alerts from U.S. embassies worldwide.

Recently, the State Department issued a global security alert, urging Americans globally to be cautious of potential threats from groups linked to Iran.

This warning was prompted by a stark declaration from Iranian military spokesman General Abolfazl Shekarchi, who suggested that terrorists in Tehran might target popular tourist spots amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran.

Level 4 advisory

Americans are advised to completely avoid travel to countries marked with a Level 4 advisory, such as Iran.

Other nations with Level 4 advisories, like Russia and Ukraine, are experiencing conflicts, and the U.S. may not have a diplomatic presence there or might be forced to halt services to American citizens with little notice.

Russia has a reputation for detaining Americans for minor infractions, sometimes for extended periods.

This April, the following countries also received a Level 4 advisory:

Afghanistan
Belarus
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Lebanon
Libya
Mali
Myanmar
Niger
North Korea
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Ukraine
Yemen

Level 3 advisory

For Level 3 advisory countries, Americans are advised to “reconsider travel” due to risks like increased crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and issues with healthcare services.

Locations under this advisory include: