14 Countries the US Government Doesn’t Want You to Visit

The U.S. State Department issued in January a do not travel advisory for Venezuela, ordering the immediate evacuation of all non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members due to ongoing civil unrest in the South American country.

The State Department has four advisory levels for travelers: level 4 – do not travel; level 3 – reconsider travel; level 2 – exercise increased caution; and level 1 – exercise normal precautions. Today, Venezuela is one of 14 countries for which the State Department has a standing level 4 warning.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed State Department issued travel advisories to identify the 14 countries the U.S. government doesn’t want you to visit. These travel warnings were all updated by the State Department in April 2019, with the exception of North Korea, which was last updated in December 2018.

Travel warnings can be issued for many reasons and can also vary in concern. Many of the Middle Eastern and African countries on this list are unsafe because of the threat of terrorism and dangers arising from political instability, including the targeting of Westerners. Countries such as Yemen, South Sudan, and Syria have been embroiled in protracted armed conflicts that have destabilized those nations. A handful of countries on this list have been destabilized by U.S. military involvement — and been host to some of the most expensive wars in U.S. history.

With the exception of Haiti and Venezuela, all countries on this list are in Africa or Asia. Far from being popular tourist destinations, none of these are among the most visited countries in the world.