Financial Information Services

Plan Your Trip

Whether you are traveling overseas for business, pleasure or study, the best way to ensure a carefree and relaxing trip is to prevent problems before they happen. The more you learn about passports, visas, customs, immunizations, and other travel basics, the less likely you are to have difficulties during your travels.

For important information on planning a safe and enjoyable trip, see How to Have a Safe Trip.  You can also follow the links to the left for further information about international travel, or click on a topic below.

• Transportation Security Administration
• Overseas Security Advisory Council
• Security Guidelines - American Business Travelers
• Security Guidelines - American Families Abroad
• Security Guidelines - Children Living Abroad
• Personal Security At Home, On the Street, While Traveling
• Other Diplomatic Security Releases

Safety Issues

The information below contains helpful precautions to minimize the chance of becoming a victim of terrorism and also provides other safety tips for Americans traveling overseas.

• A Safe Trip Abroad
• Road Safety Overseas
• Death Abroad
• Emergency Information
• Overseas Security Advisory Council
• Diplomatic Security Releases
• Help for American Victims of Crime Overseas
• Rail Transport Abroad

International Travel Information

What Are Travel Warnings, Country Specific Information & Travel Alerts?

Travel Warnings

Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance of travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Country Specific Information. You may also want to review specific country Background Notes.

Travel Alerts

Travel Alerts are a means to disseminate information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. The TAs are made when there is a specific threat that cannot be countered. In the past, Travel Alerts have been issued to deal with short-term coups, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.

Country Specific Information 

Country Specific Information are available for every country of the world. They include such information as location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the condition(s) may be included under an optional section entitled "Safety/Security."On limited occasions, we also restate in this section any U.S. embassy advice given to official employees. Country Specific Information generally do not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.

Country Background Notes

If you are looking for information on any of the U.S. territories and possessions, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam or American Samoa, you can go to the CIA Factbook.

In addition, please see the section “Tips for Traveling Abroad" for other important health and safety information. Also, stay current with current information by visiting our “News "section.