The United Nations lists 193 Member States.  How many of these countries are safe to visit?  And how can you tell which are safe, and which you should avoid?

A helpful resource is the U.S. Department of State four-level Travel Advisory schema.  It assigns every country in the world a level, one through four:

1. Exercise normal precautions

2. Exercise increased caution

3. Reconsider travel

4. Do not travel.

These levels are assigned based on factors including crime, terrorism, civil unrest, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and current events. Some nations receive a Level 4 advisory in part because the U.S. government has limited ability to assist citizens there.

Within some nations, specific areas may be assigned a different level than that of the nation as a whole. For example, each state in Mexico is assigned a specific level, 1 through 4.

Countries with a Level 1 designation include Canada, Finland, and Japan.

Countries with a Level 2 designation include Spain, Peru, and Cuba.

Countries with a Level 3 designation include Democratic Republic of Congo, Nicaragua, and Pakistan.

Countries with a Level 4 designation include Sudan, North Korea, and Haiti.

The U.S. Department of State reviews Level 1 and 2 advisories annually, and Level 3 and 4 advisories every six months.

Most countries are assigned a Level 1 or 2 Advisory. About 20 countries are assigned a level 3 advisory; about 20 are assigned a Level 4 advisory.

Some critics of the advisory system claim that political interests factor into the advisories.  Ryan Larsen, executive director of the Institute for Global Engagement at Western Washington University, conducted research which found that while the U.S. did not frequently overstate the risk of travel to countries with which it had fraught relations, it often plays down dangers of visiting close ally nations.

So where is it reasonable to travel to? My thought is that all Level 1 and 2 countries—about 150 nations in all—are fair game.

For additional information regarding safety, travelers can check out the advisories issued by the U.K. and Australia.

References

U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories

Map, color-coded, U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories

Ronan O’Connell, Is it safe to go there? The U.S. travel advisory system, explained.

National Geographic, 2 Nov. 2023

Larsen, Ryan Daniel. A World of Warning: Exploring U.S. Department of State Warnings and Alerts. Dec. 2016.