U.S. State Department Lifts Global Travel Advisory

The U.S. State Department has lifted the global travel ban put in place more than four months ago in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department is returning to our previous system of country-specific levels of travel advice "in order to give travelers detailed and actionable information to make informed travel decisions," according to a press release.

The Level 4 global health advisory, the highest alert level, was issued on March 19.

The new travel information issued Thursday cautioned that the pandemic continues to affect countries differently, and challenges to any international travel at this time may include mandatory quarantines, travel restrictions, and closed borders.

"Foreign governments may implement restrictions with little notice, even in destinations that were previously low risk. If you choose to travel internationally, your trip may be severely disrupted, and it may be difficult to arrange travel back to the United States," the website said. 

There are currently 21 countries with Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisorys, issued Aug. 6, and dozens more under the Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning. There are only seven countries under Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, including Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Thailand. 

Travelers going to Europe are advised to check the relevant U.S. embassies or consulates for information, as the European Union has extended its travel ban on Americans.

Travelers are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) program to receive alerts in case of an emergency.