What’s the difference between a travel alert and a travel advisory?

Question

What’s the difference between an alert and an advisory when it comes to my vacation?

The U.S. Department of State issues both travel alerts and advisories to help keep American travelers safer abroad.

Here are the main differences between the two:

Travel alerts are shorter-term and issued for more urgent and specific risks like a natural disaster or instance of political unrest.
Travel advisories are longer-term and updated on an ongoing basis. They offer general information about safety and security risks in a specific country, so you can make smarter decisions before and while traveling.

What’s a travel alert?

The U.S. government uses travel alerts to identify a short-term danger posed by an event, such as a health concern, weather event, or mass protest. This “heads-up” information is released for temporary situations in a specific country that could potentially lead to a travel advisory.

It’s wise to pay attention to travel alerts that may impact a country you’re visiting. Watch to see if an alert turns into a longer-term concern — a travel advisory. You can receive travel alerts in a variety of ways, including the @TravelGov social media accounts and Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

If you enroll in the free STEP service, you’ll register your trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. With this, you receive important information about safety in your chosen country, enable the embassy to contact you in case of emergency, and provide family and friends with the ability to get in touch with you.

Did you know: If you have a Travelex policy, our Travel On app can send you real-time safety alerts for your destination and list risk details for crime, weather events, and more. You can also find specific events that may affect your Travelex coverage on our travel alerts page.

What's a travel advisory?

Travel advisories provide more specific, longer-term, and higher-risk safety and security information about every country in the world to help U.S. citizens plan and prepare.

Those planning to travel internationally can easily view the four-level ranking system created by the U.S Department of State. It’s updated daily and outlines why the country was given a particular ranking.

What are the four levels of travel advisory?

The travel advisory for your destination will be assigned one of the following levels:

Level 1: Exercise normal precautions.
Level 2: Exercise increased caution.
Level 3: Reconsider travel.
Level 4: Do not travel.

The U.S. government also uses one-letter codes to explain why the advisory was issued:

C is for crime
T is for terrorism
U is for civil unrest
H is for health risks
N is for natural disasters
E is for short-term events like an election that may pose safety risks
K is for kidnapping or hostage-taking
D is for wrongful detention
O is for another reason apart from those above

How do I find out my destination’s travel advisory level?

You can look up your specific destination or view the U.S. State Department’s color-coded travel advisory map to see which advisory is assigned to the country you’re considering for your next trip.

What’s a worldwide caution?

Another advisory to be aware of is the U.S. Department of State’s worldwide caution. They’re official notices for Americans about continuous global threats that could affect them while traveling.

These cautions aren’t specific to a certain country or area, and they give you general information about things like terrorism and health crises. Worldwide cautions also include specific recommendations on how to prepare and stay informed regardless of your destination.

If I’m already traveling and a travel alert or advisory is issued, what do I do?

If the government posts an alert or advisory for your destination while you’re already there, follow the instructions issued with the announcement so you can stay safe.

If you’re traveling with a Travelex policy, call our 24/7 assistance provider to help support you with next steps and safety procedures.

Knowing the difference can make a difference: Stay safer on vacation

Terrorist attacks, political violence (including demonstrations), criminal activities, and other security incidents often take place without any warning. It’s important that you stay informed and aware while you’re traveling abroad.

Knowing how a travel alert compares to a travel advisory is only the beginning. Get all the facts before you choose to visit a high-risk country and know how to get help in case of an emergency abroad.

Travel.State.Gov is a helpful starting point and provides everything from international travel checklists to advice for U.S. volunteers abroad. When you diligently plan and prepare, you can travel with confidence anywhere you go.