US issues ‘do not travel’ warning for 21 countries — here’s what you need to know

The US has added two countries to its “do not travel” list.

Last month, government officials added North Korea and Burkina Faso to the list of countries Americans are advised against visiting.

The State Department has four travel advisory levels: exercise normal precautions, exercise normal precautions, reconsider travel, and do not travel.

The threat level in North Korea and Burkina Faso has been upgraded to Level 4.

It’s the highest of the US State Department’s safety ranking system.

Travel to North Korea has been discouraged due to “the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, and the threat of wrongful detention.”

Visiting Burkina Faso has been advised against because of increased “terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.”

This update has brought the total number of countries Americans should avoid traveling to 21.

Certain parts of Mexico have also been issued Level 4 warnings, although the travel advisory level for Mexico as a whole has remained at Level 2 (“Exercise increased caution”) for several years.

The announcements come amid rising global tensions and security situations in several regions.

These are the countries the US has issued “do not travel” advisories for:

• North Korea
• Burkina Faso
• Yemen
• Iran
• South Sudan
• Syria
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Afghanistan
• Lebanon
• Central African Republic
• Belarus
• Iraq
• Ukraine
• Venezuela
• Haiti
• Libya
• Somalia
• Russia
• Burma
• Mali
• Sudan