The United States Department of State has placed 23 countries under its highest travel advisory, urging American citizens to avoid travelling to the listed destinations due to severe security risks.

The latest advisory, published on the State Department’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, classifies the affected countries as Level 4: Do Not Travel — the highest warning in the department’s four-level travel advisory system.

According to the State Department, a Level 4 advisory is issued when a country faces extreme security threats or when the US government’s ability to provide emergency consular assistance to its citizens is significantly limited.

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Africa accounts for nearly half of the countries included in the latest advisory, with 11 nations receiving the highest travel warning.

The African countries are:

• Burkina Faso

• Central African Republic

• Chad

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Libya

• Mali

• Niger

• Somalia

• South Sudan

• Sudan

• Uganda

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Several of these countries continue to grapple with armed conflicts, terrorism, political instability and military coups, creating serious security concerns for travellers.

The Sahel region—particularly Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger—has experienced a significant deterioration in security in recent years as extremist groups continue to expand their operations across the region.

A number of the countries on the Level 4 advisory are also among those affected by travel restrictions introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump as part of broader immigration and national security measures.

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In addition to the 11 African nations, the State Department has advised Americans not to travel to the following countries:

• Afghanistan

• Belarus

• Burma (Myanmar)

• Haiti

• Iran

• Iraq

• Lebanon

• North Korea

• Russia

• Syria

• Ukraine

• Yemen

The US State Department regularly reviews and updates its travel advisories based on changing security conditions, political developments, crime levels, health concerns and the availability of consular services.

Travellers are encouraged to check the latest travel advisory for their intended destination before making international travel plans.