Learn About Your Destination

Health Risks

• Learn about the health risks related to your trip by going to the Destination page and choosing the country or countries you will be visiting.
• Be sure to check for Travel Health Notices for your destination. The CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) post country-specific travel notices and warnings on their websites. Information is updated regularly. It is a good idea to be aware of any weather or health concerns before you leave.
  • CDC: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.htm
  • WHO: http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/index.html
• Some areas are prone to certain natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis. To find out if your destination is at a higher risk for certain natural disasters, see the Country-specific Information Pages (U.S. Department of State) in the “Special Circumstances” section.
  • For information about types of natural disasters, what to do to prepare in case one happens, and what to do after one happens, see the CDC Natural Disasters and Severe Weather website.

Safety and Security Concerns

The U.S. Department of State provides helpful information about safety and security in foreign countries.

• Learn about common travel safety concerns on the Safety Issues page.
• Check the current Travel Warnings (long-term conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable) to see if your destination is listed.
• Check to see if your destination has a current Travel Alert (short-term conditions that are risks to the security of U.S. citizens, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, violence, or high-profile events).

The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) provides helpful information about road safety in other countries.

Local Laws and Culture

It is important to understand the laws and culture of the places you will be visiting. You can learn about countries by using many different resources such as websites, guidebooks, and other media. The following links can be a good start:

• Country-specific Information Pages from the U.S. Department of State include information topics such as country descriptions and entry/exit requirements.
• General background information from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) .