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| 201 | UkraineDo not travel to Ukraine due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Department of State continues to advise that U.S. citizens not travel to Ukraine due to active armed conflict. Read the entire Travel Advisory. All U.S. citizens should carefully monitor U.S. government notices and local and international media outlets for information about changing security conditions and alerts to shelter in place. Those choosing to remain in Ukraine should exercise caution due to the potential for military attacks, crime, civil unrest, and consult the Department’s latest security alerts. The security situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should stay vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar, missile, drone, or rocket fire, follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location. There are continued reports of Russian forces and their proxies singling out U.S. citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine for detention, interrogation, or harassment because of their nationality. U.S. citizens have also been singled out when evacuating by land through Russia-occupied territory or to Russia or Belarus. U.S. citizens seeking emergency assistance should email KyivACS@state.gov for assistance. Please review what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas. U.S. citizens may also seek consular services, including requests for repatriation loans, passports, and visa services, at U.S. embassies and consulates in neighboring countries. On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government declared a state of emergency. Each province (oblast) decides on measures to be implemented according to local conditions. Measures could include curfews, restrictions on the freedom of movement, ID verification, and increased security inspections, among other measures. Follow any oblast-specific state of emergency measures. Many in the international community, including the United States and Ukraine, do not recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea in 2014, nor the September 2022 purported annexation of four other Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. There is extensive Russian Federation military presence in these areas. There are also abuses against foreigners and the local population by the occupation authorities in these regions, particularly against those who are seen as challenging Russia’s occupation. Although Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine severely restricts the Embassy’s access and ability to provide services in these areas, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv continue to remotely provide certain emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Crimea as well as four other Ukrainian oblasts partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – to the extent possible given security conditions. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. aviation operations into, out of, within, or over Ukraine. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the FAA’s Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Notices. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Ukraine. Travel to High-Risk Areas If you choose to disregard the Travel Advisory and travel to Ukraine, you should consider taking the following steps:
If you are currently in Ukraine:
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| 202 | United Arab EmiratesReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Exercise increased caution in the United Arab Emirates due to the threat of missile or drone attacks and terrorism. Country Summary: The possibility of attacks affecting U.S. citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern. Militant groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighboring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Missile and drone attacks in early 2022 targeted populated areas and civilian infrastructure. Due to risks to civil aviation operating within the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman region, including the United Arab Emirates, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an advisory Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM). For more information U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices. While residents and visitors generally find a safe and secure environment in the UAE, the country continues to face the threat of terrorism. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, and local government facilities. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to the United Arab Emirates. If you decide to travel to the United Arab Emirates:
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| 203 | United KingdomReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Exercise increased caution in the United Kingdom due to terrorism. Country Summary: Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in the United Kingdom. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. There is also a risk of isolated violence by dissident groups in Northern Ireland, focused primarily on police and military targets. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to the United Kingdom. If you decide to travel to the United Kingdom:
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| 204 | UruguayReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Exercise increased caution in Uruguay due to crime. Country Summary: Crime is most prevalent in the Montevideo, Canelones and Rivera departments. Violent crimes, such as homicides, armed robberies, car jackings, and thefts occur throughout the country and in urban areas frequented by U.S. government personnel, day and night. Criminals commonly travel in pairs on motorcycles to approach unsuspecting victims with a weapon and demand personal belongings. Armed criminals also target grocery stores, restaurants, financial centers, and small businesses, in which innocent bystanders are often victimized. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Uruguay. If you decide to travel to Uruguay:
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| 205 | UzbekistanReissued with updates to health information. Exercise normal precautions in Uzbekistan. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Uzbekistan. If you decide to travel to Uzbekistan:
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| 206 | VanuatuReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Exercise normal precautions in Vanuatu. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Vanuatu. If you decide to travel to Vanuatu:
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| 207 | VenezuelaReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Reconsider travel due to wrongful detentions, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure. Country Summary: On March 11, 2019, the U.S. Department of State announced the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas. All consular services, routine and emergency, remain suspended until further notice. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela who require consular services should try to leave the country as soon as safely possible and contact a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country. Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common. Political rallies and demonstrations occur, often with little notice. Demonstrations typically elicit a strong police and security force response that includes the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets against participants and occasionally devolve into looting and vandalism. Reports from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission document human rights abuses attributed to the Maduro regime, including torture, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and detentions without due process and/or fair trial guarantees or as a pretext for an illegitimate purpose. Shortages of gasoline, food, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. The CDC issued a Level 3 ‘Avoid Nonessential Travel’ notice on September 30, 2021, due to inadequate healthcare and the breakdown of the medical infrastructure in Venezuela. The Department has determined that there is a risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals by the Maduro regime. Regime-aligned security forces have detained U.S. citizens for long periods. The Maduro regime does not notify the U.S. government of the detention of U.S. citizens and the U.S. government is not granted routine access to those U.S. citizens. Colombian terrorist groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP), and Segunda Marquetalia, operate in Venezuela’s border areas with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Venezuela, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting all flight operations in the territory and airspace of Venezuela at altitudes below 26,000 feet. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices. Emergency medical evacuation flights between the United States and Venezuela may not be possible. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Venezuela. If you decide to travel to Venezuela:
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| 208 | VietnamReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Vietnam. If you decide to travel to Vietnam:
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| 209 | Worldwide CautionWorldwide Cautions provide U.S. citizens with general information regarding terrorist activities, political violence, and criminal activity that occur abroad, as well as specific recommendations on how to prepare for possible contingencies, receive information on breaking security events and ensure that travelers can be contacted in an emergency. This version replaces the Worldwide Caution dated January 15, 2019. The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. The Department of State believes there is a higher potential for anti-American violence given the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri on July 31, 2022. Current information suggests that terrorist organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions across the globe. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings. As terrorist attacks, political violence (including demonstrations), criminal activities, and other security incidents often take place without any warning, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad. U.S. government facilities worldwide actively monitor potential security threats and may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. When planning a trip and prior to departing the United States, U.S. citizens should consult country specific Travel Advisories and information pages on travel.state.gov. Travelers are also urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and to make it easier to locate them in an emergency. The Department uses these security messages to convey information about terrorist threats, security incidents, planned demonstrations, natural disasters, etc. In an emergency, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate or call the following numbers: 1 (888) 407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1 (202) 501-4444 from other countries. Private U.S. citizens should not travel to any country to participate in armed conflict. U.S. citizens are reminded that fighting on behalf of, or providing other forms of support to, designated terrorist organizations can constitute the provision of material support for terrorism, which is a serious crime that can result in penalties, including prison time and large fines. For further information:
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| 210 | YemenReissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Do not travel to Yemen due to terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict, and landmines. Country Summary: The U.S. Embassy in Sana’a suspended its operations in February 2015, and the U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Yemen. A civil war continues in Yemen. In addition, terrorist groups continue to plot and conduct attacks in Yemen. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting public sites, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Additionally, there is a continuing threat of kidnapping/detention by terrorists, criminal elements, and/or non-government actors. Employees of western organizations may be targeted for attack or kidnapping. Military conflict has caused significant destruction of infrastructure, housing, medical facilities, schools, and power and water utilities. This limits the availability of electricity, clean water, and medical care. This instability often hampers the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver critically needed food, medicine, and water. Critical levels of violence, to include armed conflict, artillery shelling, and air strikes, persist throughout the country. There are also reports of landmines throughout Yemen. Cholera is present throughout Yemen. There is a limited availability of medicine and medical supplies, and adequate medical treatment is unavailable. There is a very high risk of kidnapping, and detention of U.S. citizens in Yemen, particularly dual national Yemeni-Americans. Rebel groups in Sana’a have detained U.S. citizens, including dual Yemeni-American citizens. U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, have faced difficulty – including lengthy delays – when attempting to depart Yemen. Some companies outside of Yemen have misrepresented the security situation on the Yemeni island of Socotra and are offering tourist visits there, including by facilitating unofficial and invalid "visas." Only the sovereign Republic of Yemen Government can issue valid Yemeni visas. Private companies or third countries that arrange such visits are putting tourists in danger. U.S. citizens should not travel to Socotra or any other part of Yemen. Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Yemen, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For more information U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Yemen. If you decide to travel to Yemen:
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| 211 | ZambiaLast Update: Reissued after periodic review without changes. Exercise normal precautions in Zambia. Read the country information page for additional information about travel to Zambia. If you decide to travel to Zambia:
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| 212 | ZimbabweReissued after periodic review with updates to crime and civil unrest information. Exercise increased caution in Zimbabwe due to crime and official harassment of U.S. citizens. Country Summary: Opportunistic crime, such as pickpocketing, theft, and smashing of car windows with intent to steal, is common. Violent crime, such as assault, carjacking, and home invasion, also occurs. Criminals often target foreigners and residents suspected of having large sums of cash. Demonstrations may occur and increase in frequency around political events, such as elections. Large gatherings are often restricted by the government and can quickly escalate to violence. Foreigners, journalists, and non-governmental organizations may be subject to heightened scrutiny in Zimbabwe. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Zimbabwe. If you decide to travel to Zimbabwe:
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