The list of places where Americans can travel safely is shrinking. This is because this week, the US government issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for a European country, which comes on the heels of the countries that made the UK Foreign Office’s “Do Not Travel” list for 2025.

This week, the State Department issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Belarus. The advisory was more of an update, given that the country had been on the Do Not Travel list since 2022, when the Russian-Ukraine war broke out.

Many countries that are issued the Do Not Travel advisory still receive plenty of visitors. The reason that the US would prefer citizens to stay out of Belarus has less to do with petty crime and more to do with the fact that there is little the US Embassy or State Department can do if arbitrarily arrested by authorities.

Therefore, those who visit Belarus do so at their own risk and cannot claim, in the event that something goes wrong, that they were not warned.

Why The Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory Was Updated

The US has had a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory in effect for Belarus since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out in February 2022. However, the US State Department updated the advisory recently to reflect the most recent threats in Belarus and why US citizens should skip travel there until the advisory is lifted.

According to the State Department, the reasons that Belarus received a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory included:

• Arbitrary enforcement of laws by the Belarus government
• High risk of being detained by authorities
• Russia’s war against Ukraine
• Risk of civil unrest in Belarus
• US Embassy’s inability to help those in trouble in Belarus

It is advised that all US citizens in Belarus should “depart immediately”. This final warning was the same that was issued in 2022 when non-essential staff were released from the embassy in 2022.

Currently, there are thousands of people from around the world being detained in Belarus for being involved in demonstrations or being affiliated with groups that oppose the government. Of those detainees, 1,300 are in jail for things that would not be considered crimes in the US.

Additionally, of those detained, most are denied access to a phone to call for help, attorneys, or “access to their embassy”. Because of this, loved ones are in the dark about what is happening, and jail time begins to feel like it will be indefinite.

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Remaining Safe If A Decision Is Made To Travel To Belarus

Those who decide to ignore the Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory should take steps to remain as safe as possible while in Belarus.

The US Embassy in Minsk has suspended operations as of February 2022. Therefore, US government assistance may not be available for those who find themselves in trouble in the European country.

Ways to remain safe in Belarus, according to the US State Department, include:

• Do not bring electronic devices to Belarus
• Log out of all social media accounts when in Belarus
• Do not congregate near demonstrations or large crowds
• Monitor local and international news
• Keep travel documents accessible at all times
• Join the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
• Monitor the Country Security Report frequently
• Keep up to date with the CDC’s Travel Health Notices

In addition to these tips, it is also recommended to speak with friends or loved ones about itineraries, set up a routine time to check in, “appoint a family member to serve as point of contact if taken hostage”, provide DNA samples for medical care providers to store, and erase any identifying or personal images from electronic devices before entering the country.

Many people do not take the Level 4: Do Not Travel advisories seriously. They believe that the government is acting out of an abundance of caution that is not warranted. But in most instances, there is a real threat.

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By having precautions in place both at home and while abroad, travelers stand the best chances at staying safe. But when the US cannot get involved for extended periods with an embassy out of the country, travelers should be prepared to go the road alone for a while and face the consequences should things unexpectedly go sideways.