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By Jasmine Laws
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The U.S. Department of State frequently releases and updates its travel advisories for different countries, enabling Americans to be more informed about the safety and risk associated with various places across the globe.
Travel advisories therefore help travelers plan their international holidays, from deciding whether it is safe to travel to certain destinations, to being aware of low levels of crime in certain regions.
The State Department considers various factors, such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, access to health services, likelihood of a natural disaster and current events, when issuing advisories to alert American travelers about a country's safety level.
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It assigns travel advisory levels on a scale from 1 to 4, with Level 4 suggesting the highest degree of risk for travelers.
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So far this year, more than 25 countries have been placed under a Level 1 advisory, including New Zealand, Cyprus, North Macedonia, French Guiana, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Norway, Turkmenistan, Portugal, Singapore, Samoa, Georgia, Brunei, Andorra, El Salvador, Kuwait, The Kyrgyz Republic, Czechia, Paraguay, Japan, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Vanuatu, Malta, South Korea and Australia.
The State Department advises that those traveling to these countries exercise "normal precautions," when visiting, which could be due to low to medium levels of crime in certain parts of the destinations, as well as other factors.
There were also almost than 30 countries that were placed under a Level 2 advisory between January and May this year, including United Arab Emirates, Chile, Rwanda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Timor-Leste, The Bahamas, Ghana, Serbia, Morocco, Solomon Island, Indonesia, Cuba, Uruguay, Philippines, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Peru, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, France, Brazil and Jamaica.
The State Department recommends that travelers going to these destinations exercise "increased caution," which could be due to a wide range of factors, from higher levels of crime, civil unrest, higher risks of terrorist attacks and others.
It also advised Americans to "reconsider travel" to a number of countries this year, issuing Level 3 advisories for Pakistan, Chad, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Colombia, Bangladesh, Uganda, Burundi, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana by the end of May.
Countries that have been placed at the highest risk level so far this year by the State Department, meaning Americans are strongly advised not to go to those destinations, include Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, South Sudan, Iran, Yemen, Burkina Faso, North Korea, Russia, Burma (Myanmar), Venezuela and Somalia.
Advisories are updated regularly, so more countries will likely be added to these lists throughout June.
In order to assist Americans planning their next trips abroad, Newsweek will be compiling a list of the travel advisories released by the U.S. Department of State throughout June.
Canada
The State Department issued a Level 1 advisory for Canada on June 11, informing travelers to exercise "normal precautions" when going to the country.
"Canada is generally a safe destination for travelers," the State Department wrote.
Dominican Republic
On June 12, the State Department issued a Level 2 advisory for the Dominican Republic, warning travelers to exercise "increased caution" when visiting the destination.
This is due to the crime in the region, as "violent crime is a concern in the Dominican Republic despite more police presence in areas often visited by tourists," the State Department wrote.
India
The State Department issued a Level 2 advisory for India on June 16, telling Americans to exercise "increased caution" when visiting because of crime and terrorism.
"Rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations," the State Department wrote.
Iraq
On June 12, the State Department told Americans not to travel to Iraq, issuing the country a Level 4 travel advisory.
This is the highest level of warning given by the State Department, and it said that the reason was because of "terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the U.S. government's limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq."
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank
On June 16, the State Department authorized the "voluntary departure of family members and non-emergency U.S. government employees due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region."
Americans were told not to travel to Israel because of armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest, the West Bank because of terrorism and civil unrest, or Gaza because of terrorism and armed conflict.
Lebanon
On June 24, the State Department told Americans not to travel to Lebanon, issuing the country a Level 4 travel advisory, due to "crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines, and the risk of armed conflict."
This is the highest level of warning given by the State Department, and it also called for the "departure of family members and non-emergency U.S. government personnel" from the country.
Marshall Islands
The State Department issued a Level 1 advisory for the Marshall Islands on June 16, informing travelers to exercise "normal precautions" when going there.
Travelers are advised to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive messages and alerts from the U.S. Embassy and make it easier to locate you in an emergency, as well as a number of other measures.
Mozambique
On June 16, the State Department issued a Level 2 advisory for Mozambique, telling Americans to exercise "increased caution" when visiting.
This is because of "health issues, crime, civil unrest, and terrorism," and some areas have greater risk than others, the State Department said.
Poland
The State Department issued a Level 1 advisory for Poland on June 5, meaning travelers should exercise "normal precautions."
The State Department advised travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive messages and alerts from the U.S. Embassy and make it easier to locate you in an emergency, as well as a number of other measures.
Qatar
On June 3, the State Department issued a travel advisory for Qatar, asking Americans to exercise normal precaution when visiting the country.
"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for the region, including Qatar. This is due to risks to civil aviation from political and military tensions in the region. The notice advises U.S. operators to review current threat information and to report safety or security incidents," the State Department wrote.
Thailand
The State Department issued a Level 1 advisory for Thailand on June 9, meaning travelers should exercise "normal precautions."
It warned Americans that some parts of the country have an "increased risk," pointing to Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to "civil unrest associated with ongoing insurgent activities."
Newsweek will continue to update this article as new advisories are released in June.
Update 6/9/25, noon ET: This article has been updated with advisories for Poland and Qatar.
Update 6/10/25, 4:54 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with an advisory for Thailand.
Update 6/13/25, 4:09 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with advisories for Canada, Dominican Republic and Iraq.
Update 6/18/25, 12:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with advisories for Marshall Islands, India, Mozambique and Israel.
Update 6/25/25, 03:18 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with an advisory for Lebanon.
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