VoyaggoraTravel LiveUS State Department: four levels
| Level | Official wording | What it signals | Countries now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Normal precautions | The lowest level: travel with ordinary care. Every destination carries some risk. | 82 |
| Level 2 | Increased caution | Be more aware of risks to safety and security. | 82 |
| Level 3 | Reconsider travel | Serious risks to safety and security. Rethink whether the trip is necessary. | 26 |
| Level 4 | Do not travel | The highest level: the State Department advises US citizens not to go, because of life-threatening risks. | 24 |
The State Department can also flag the kind of risk, for example crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, natural disasters, kidnapping or wrongful detention, and can set a different level for part of a country. Read the full advisory for the exact areas.
Government of Canada: four levels
| Official wording | What it signals | Countries now |
|---|---|---|
| Take normal security precautions | Normal security precautions. | 103 |
| Exercise a high degree of caution | A high degree of caution. | 88 |
| Avoid non-essential travel | Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel. | 17 |
| Avoid all travel | The highest level: Canada advises avoiding all travel. | 22 |
Canada also publishes regional advisories, where one region has a higher level than the rest of the country.
UK Foreign Office (FCDO): warnings, not numbered levels
The FCDO does not use numbered levels. It tells British travellers when it advises against all travel, or all but essential travel, to a whole country or to parts of it. If it has no such warning, the advice page simply says so.
| FCDO position | Countries now |
|---|---|
| Advises against all travel | 11 |
| Advises against all but essential travel | 2 |
| Advises against travel to parts of the country | 57 |
| No FCDO travel warnings | 156 |
Why the three can disagree
Each government writes for its own citizens and weighs different risks, such as its embassy’s ability to help, local laws and consular history. A country can be Level 2 for the US, “high degree of caution” for Canada and have no FCDO warning at the same time. That is why Travel Live shows all three side by side, with the date each was last updated, instead of blending them into one score.
Advisories change when conditions change. Open a country page to see today’s levels, the areas each government singles out and the official links, or see every country the three governments tell travelers to avoid.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Level 3 and Level 4?
- Level 3 (Reconsider travel) means serious risks and the State Department asks you to rethink whether to go. Level 4 (Do not travel) is the highest level and advises US citizens not to go. Canada's equivalents are "avoid non-essential travel" and "avoid all travel"; the UK says it advises against "all but essential travel" or "all travel".
- Does a Level 2 country have dangerous areas?
- Possibly. A Level 2 country can still contain areas with a higher level. Both the US and Canada can set a different level for part of a country, so read the regional details on the country page.
- How often do travel advisories change?
- Governments update them when conditions change, sometimes several times in a week, sometimes not for months. Voyaggora re-reads the official feeds every few minutes and shows the date each government last updated.
- Which advisory should I follow?
- Follow your own government's advice first, and read the others for extra detail. Travel insurers often look at your own government's advisory too, so check your policy wording.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Voyaggora summarises official sources and is not a government service; always confirm with the official advisory before you travel.