US Tells Citizens to Avoid Central African Republic and 22 Other Countries

The US State Department has placed the Central African Republic on its highest travel warning level, telling American citizens to avoid all travel to the country. The advisory was issued on Monday, 9 November 2026, and covers 23 destinations in total.

Key facts

• Announced: Monday, 9 November 2026
• Level of warning: Level 4 "Do Not Travel", the highest of four levels
• Countries covered: 23 in total, 11 of them in Africa
• Who it affects: American citizens planning international travel
• Advice given: check the destination's advisory level before booking

Which countries are on the list?

The State Department named 11 African countries: Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The remaining 12 destinations are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

What does Level 4 mean?

Level 4 sits at the top of the US government's four-tier travel advisory system. Level 1 advises travellers to exercise normal precautions, Level 2 urges heightened vigilance, and Level 3 recommends reconsidering planned travel.

Level 4 goes further: it is a firm direction to avoid a country entirely, whatever the purpose or nature of the visit. The State Department said the advisories reflect both the security situation in each country and the limited ability of the US government to provide consular or emergency support to American nationals who travel there despite the warning.

What should travellers do?

The State Department directed Americans considering international travel to review its official travel advisory page and check the specific advisory level assigned to their intended destination before making any bookings or travel arrangements.

What this means for travellers

For American citizens, the Central African Republic is now on the list of destinations the US government says should not be visited under any circumstances. Anyone with travel plans involving the country should check the advisory level for it before confirming bookings or other arrangements.

The source does not mention any change to visa requirements, entry rules or flights for the Central African Republic, and no new deadline or review date for the advisories has been announced.