U.S. embassies and consulates issue Alerts that inform U.S. citizens of specific safety and security concerns in a country, such as demonstrations, crime trends, and weather events (see below):
- C - CRIME: Widespread violent or organized crime is present in areas of the country. Local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
- T - TERRORISM: Terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist.
- U - CIVIL UNREST: Political, economic, religious, and/or ethnic instability exists and may cause violence, major disruptions, and/or safety risks.
- H - HEALTH: Health risks, including current disease outbreaks or a crisis that disrupts a country’s medical infrastructure, are present. The issuance of a Centers for Disease Control Travel Notice may be a factor.
- N - NATURAL DISASTER: A natural disaster, or its aftermath, poses danger.
- E - TIME-LIMITED EVENT: A short-term event, such as an election, sporting event, or another incident that may pose a safety risk.
- O - OTHER: There are potential risks not covered by previous risk indicators. Read the country’s Travel Advisory for details.
The Department’s hub for traveler information, travel.state.gov, hosts all Travel Advisories, recent Alerts issued for each country, and an interactive map in mobile-friendly formats. Country pages on the site include all travel information currently available, including details about entry/exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, transportation, and other relevant topics.
To receive security and other important updates while traveling, U.S. citizens can enroll their travel plans in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and follow them on Twitter (@travelgov) and Facebook (facebook.com/travelgov).
Information is from the travel.state.gov website.
