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U.S. State Department Issues Level 2 Travel Advisory for the Philippines: Exercise Increased Caution Due to Crime, Terro

🇺🇸 United StatesTravel Advisories1 recorded versionLast change 4 Sept 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The U.S. State Department advises U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution' in the Philippines due to crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping. This includes increased caution due to terrorism and unrest from ongoing insurgent activities in certain rural and remote regions of Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar. 'Do Not Travel' advisories are in place for the Sulu Archipelago (including the southern Sulu Sea) due to crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping, and for Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and unrest. 'Reconsider Travel' is advised for certain other areas of Mindanao due to crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping.

Overview

The U.S. State Department has updated its travel advisory for the Philippines, setting it at Level 2, which advises U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution'. This recommendation is primarily due to significant risks from crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping throughout the country. Furthermore, specific 'Do Not Travel' and 'Reconsider Travel' warnings have been issued for the Sulu Archipelago, Marawi City, and other parts of Mindanao, effective from the publication date.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • U.S. citizens planning to travel to the Philippines
  • U.S. citizens already in the Philippines who may travel to areas covered by the updated guidance
  • Travellers considering destinations in the newly identified area of increased risk
  • Travellers planning trips to Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, or Marawi City
  • Individuals and organisations using U.S. government travel-risk guidance when assessing travel plans

What changed in the latest version

Before

The U.S. Department of State told U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution' when travelling to the Philippines. This was because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Specific 'Do Not Travel' warnings were in place for the Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea. This was due to the risk of crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. The advice was to 'Reconsider Travel' to the Mindanao region, except for Davao City. This was because of terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.

After

The U.S. Department of State tells U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution' in the Philippines. This is because of crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping. This includes being extra careful due to terrorism and unrest. These come from ongoing rebel activities in some rural and remote areas of Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar. 'Do Not Travel' advice applies to the Sulu Archipelago (including the southern Sulu Sea) due to crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping. It also applies to Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and unrest. The advice is to 'Reconsider Travel' for some other areas of Mindanao. This is because of crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping.

This updated travel advice means U.S. citizens must now know about specific rebel activity and related unrest. This includes additional regions like Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar. These areas were not specifically highlighted for such risks before. Marawi City has been added to the 'Do Not Travel' list. This increases the assessed danger for that specific area. People must completely avoid it. For those planning to visit Mindanao, the general 'Reconsider Travel' advice continues. However, there is now a more detailed breakdown of specific high-risk zones. This makes travel planning more difficult. It could also limit movement. If you travel to 'Do Not Travel' areas, your travel insurance might not be valid. Consular help might also be limited.

Explained simply

Imagine you're planning a trip to the Philippines. The U.S. government is telling you to be extra careful, like being more watchful when crossing a busy street. They've given the Philippines a 'Level 2' warning because there's a higher chance of things like crime, terrorism, and people being kidnapped. For some specific places, like certain islands and cities, they're saying 'don't go at all' or 'really think twice before you go' because the danger is much higher there. So, it's like a traffic light: yellow for most of the country, and red for some specific, very risky areas.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 1 Sept 2026PublishedHigh impact
    U.S. State Department Issues Level 2 Travel Advisory for the Philippines: Exercise Increased Caution Due to Crime, Terrorism, Unrest, and Kidnapping

    The U.S. Department of State has updated its travel advice for the Philippines. The advice remains at 'Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution'. This means people should be extra careful. The advice now clearly points out risks from terrorism and unrest. These risks come from ongoing rebel activities in rural and remote parts of Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar. Marawi City in Mindanao has been added to the 'Do Not Travel' list because of terrorism and unrest. This is in addition to the existing 'Do Not Travel' advice for the Sulu Archipelago. The advice also says to 'Reconsider Travel' to some other areas of Mindanao. This is because of crime, terrorism, unrest, and kidnapping. This travel advice came into effect on 28 August 2026.

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