The U.S. Department of State issued multiple updates to its travel advisory for Pakistan on Monday, which remains at an overall Level 3–“Reconsider Travel.”
The State Department maintains a vast catalog of travel advisories, which are meant to provide guidance on the “risks and recommended precautions” for U.S. citizens overseas. The advisories are categorized into four different levels based on risk.
What are the four U.S. travel warning levels?
Travel advisories range from Level 1 –“Exercise normal precautions”–to Level 4–“Do Not Travel.”
Here’s a look at what each level means:
- Level 1: “Exercise normal precautions” – The lowest risk level, reserved for countries that are generally safe. Countries in this group include as Australia, Canada, Greece, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
- Level 2: “Exercise increased caution” – Certain parts of the country may carry increased risks such as theft, crime or terrorism. Besides Grenada, countries currently under Level 2 advisory include Brazil, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
- Level 3: “Reconsider travel” – Citizens are urged to reconsider travel plans, due to “serious risks and security.” Besides Pakistan, this advisory level includes Colombia, Guatemala, Israel and the West Bank, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Uganda.
- Level 4: “Do not travel” – The most severe advisory level, due to possible “life-threatening risks.” The United States may not be able to help guests in case of an emergency, and asks citizens not to visit or leave as soon as possible. Countries in this category include Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
What changed with the United States’ Pakistan advisory?
Overall, Pakistan remains under Level 3, meaning American citizens should “reconsider travel” to the South Asian nation. Some of the details within the advisory were altered.
“There was no change to the advisory level,” the State Department wrote. “The “Other” risk indicator due to potential for armed conflict was removed. The “Unrest” indicator due to potential for armed conflict was added. The “Crime” risk indicator at Level 2 was added. The “Kidnapping” indicator was added to certain Level 4 areas. The Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory to the immediate vicinity of the Pakistan-India border was lowered to Level 3.”
Multiple areas within Pakistan are listed under Level 4 advisory, meaning Americans should not go there under any circumstances. These include the Line of Control at the border of Pakistan and India, the Balochistan Province and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, including the former FATA.
You can read the entire travel advisory for Pakistan here.
