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Which countries currently advise against travel to particular US states and what are their official warnings?
Executive summary
Several allied governments have updated travel guidance about visiting the United States, often warning citizens to exercise increased caution for specific risks such as border-entry uncertainty, gender-marker issues and crime; New Zealand explicitly raised its U.S. guidance to Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”) [1] and multiple European countries issued targeted advisories [2] [3]. Reporting shows warnings differ by country — some flag state-level issues like wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon or areas with heightened policing and immigration enforcement, while others stress administrative risks at U.S. ports of entry rather than blanket bans [4] [3].
1. Which countries have issued warnings about travel to the U.S. — and what they say
Countries publicly named in the recent coverage as having updated guidance include New Zealand (raised to Level 2, “exercise increased caution”), Australia, Canada, the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and several other European states; their official notes vary but commonly highlight risks from civil unrest or terrorism, higher scrutiny at U.S. borders and legal/administrative pitfalls for some travelers [2] [1] [4] [3]. Germany’s foreign office explicitly reminded citizens that neither a visa nor ESTA guarantees entry and urged travelers to carry proof of return flights, citing detainee incidents at U.S. airports [3] [5].
2. The core reasons governments cite — immigration checks, gender-marker rules, crime and wildfires
Reporting groups the warnings into three recurring themes: (a) increased immigration enforcement and the possibility of detention or denial of entry at U.S. ports, which prompted advisories from Germany and others [5] [3]; (b) new U.S. policies on gender markers and related administrative issues for travelers whose passports show non‑binary markers or who have changed gender, highlighted by Denmark, Finland and Ireland [3] [4]; and (c) traditional safety risks such as terrorism, politically motivated violence, and seasonal hazards like U.S. wildfires [1] [4].
3. Are any countries advising against travel to particular U.S. states?
Available sources do not list any country issuing a formal nationwide ban on travel to the U.S. that singles out whole U.S. states as “do not travel.” Instead, countries are issuing guidance that sometimes calls out state- or region-level risks — for example, wildfire season advice for California, Washington and Oregon appears on one country’s travel page — but that is framed as hazard awareness rather than blanket prohibition [4]. The U.S. State Department itself does single out specific high-risk states/regions abroad in its Level 4 “Do Not Travel” list, but that is a different direction of advisory flow [6] [7].
4. Tone and intended audience differences — safety guidance vs. political signal
Official foreign travel advisories typically aim to inform citizens about safety and administrative risk; governments such as New Zealand and members of the EU present practical instructions (exercise caution; carry documentation) rather than political denunciations [1] [3]. That said, some reporting frames these advisories as a diplomatic signal or backlash to U.S. federal policies on immigration and transgender rights — an interpretation referenced in coverage but not uniformly asserted as the sole motivation by the issuing governments themselves [2] [3].
5. Economic and diplomatic knock-on effects cited by outlets
Journalists link these warnings to real-world consequences: declines in inbound tourism, airline route cuts and reduced visits from key markets like Canada are reported as emerging impacts, with the U.S. Travel Association and industry analyses cited on visitation and revenue drops [4] [2]. Some outlets suggest advisories may depress tourism to popular states such as Florida, California, Nevada, New York and Texas, but those are projected effects discussed in the reporting rather than hard policy decisions by foreign governments [4].
6. Limits of current reporting and what’s not in the sources
Available reporting details numerous countries’ advisories about traveling to the U.S. and the nature of those warnings, but the sources do not provide a comprehensive, up‑to‑the‑minute list of every country’s specific wording for state-level U.S. travel (for example, no source in the provided set supplies a government advisory that explicitly says “Do not travel to [specific U.S. state]”). For definitive, current guidance from any particular country you should consult that nation’s official foreign‑affairs website; this coverage summarizes press reporting and excerpts rather than reproducing full official texts [1] [3].
7. Bottom line for travelers and policy watchers
If you plan to travel to the U.S., check both your government’s travel-advice site and U.S. entry requirements: several countries urge caution about entry denials, recommend carrying proof of onward travel, and flag issues for travelers with nonbinary or changed gender markers; New Zealand’s raised Level 2 advisory is the clearest, documented change in these sources [1] [3]. Reporters also highlight broader risks (crime, civil unrest, wildfires) and possible economic fallout for U.S. destinations, but the available reporting does not show foreign governments instructing citizens to avoid entire U.S. states as a formal, universal policy [4] [6].