U.S. State Department Lowers Travel Advisory for Venezuela to Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Current rules

The travel advisory level for Venezuela is 'Level 3: Reconsider Travel' due to risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure. The 'Wrongful Detention', 'Unrest', and 'Other' risk indicators have been removed. Areas of increased risk, with 'Do Not Travel' recommendations, have been added for the Venezuela-Colombia border region (20 miles from the border), Amazonas state, Apure state, Aragua state outside of Maracay, Bolivar state rural areas, Guarico state, and Tachira state. The advisory summary reflects changes to U.S. embassy operations, noting a phased approach to resuming operations and that routine consular services remain suspended, primarily handled by the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Embassy Bogotá, Colombia.

Overview

The U.S. State Department has revised its travel advisory for Venezuela, downgrading it to Level 3: Reconsider Travel. This update removes several risk indicators like 'Wrongful Detention' and clarifies specific regions that still warrant a 'Do Not Travel' warning due to crime, kidnapping, and terrorism. The advisory also notes the phased resumption of U.S. embassy operations, impacting consular services available to U.S. citizens.

What changed in the latest version

This change matters because it shows the U.S. State Department thinks the overall risk in Venezuela is lower. U.S. citizens can now 'Reconsider Travel' instead of being told 'Do Not Travel' at all. Removing the 'Wrongful Detention' sign might reduce some worries for U.S. citizens. However, new 'Do Not Travel' areas have been named. This shows there are still serious dangers in those places. Travellers must be very careful about where they go in Venezuela. The updated information about limited U.S. embassy services means it is still hard to get emergency help from the embassy, especially outside Caracas.

Explained simply

Imagine your parents used to say, 'Absolutely do not go to Venezuela.' Now, they're saying, 'Maybe you can go, but think really hard about it, and definitely don't go to these specific dangerous places, and by the way, if you get into trouble, we can't easily help you.' The U.S. government is starting to open its office there again, but it's not fully back to normal, so you're still mostly on your own if things go wrong.

Frequently asked

Version history

1. v24Effective 7 Jun 2026EffectiveHigh impact
   U.S. State Department Lowers Travel Advisory for Venezuela to Level 3: Reconsider Travel

   The United States (U.S.) State Department has lowered its travel advice for Venezuela. It is now 'Level 3: Reconsider Travel'. Before, it was 'Level 4: Do Not Travel'. This change means the risk signs for 'Wrongful Detention', 'Unrest', and 'Other' are removed. However, some specific areas are now 'Do Not Travel'. These areas include the Venezuela-Colombia border region, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua (outside Maracay), rural Bolivar, Guarico, and Tachira states. These areas have risks like crime, kidnapping, and terrorism. This new advice reflects that the U.S. embassy plans to start operations in Venezuela again from January 2026. But standard help for citizens is still stopped. This help is mainly provided by the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Bogotá, Colombia.