The U.S. government from time to time issue travel warnings. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country, based on all relevant information. Countries that have Travel Warning recommendations will also have Consular Information Sheets.

Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They include such information as location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. Consular Information Sheets generally do not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.

Travel Warnings are made by Public Announcements and are a means to give information about terrorist threats and other relatively conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. They are made any time there is a perceived threat and usually have Americans as a particular target group. Public Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, bomb threats to airlines, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.