Higher-Risk Destinations

International Travel

Travel to certain areas of the world requires additional safety considerations beyond the standard for general international travel. All DU undergraduate students interested in traveling to countries or regions with "high" security ratings and all DU graduate students and faculty/staff interested in traveling to countries or regions with "extreme" security ratings on the Higher-Risk Destination list (below) must request travel authorization from the International Travel Committee (ITC).

Undergraduate travel and travel by groups of students to areas subject to an "extreme" security rating or other regions designated as extremely unsafe for travel by the ITC is not permitted. While the University does not approve of graduate student, faculty, and staff travel to these areas, travel request reviews will be on a case by case basis. Travel may be authorized based on the necessity of travel, level of in-country support, specific location, measures taken to mitigate risks and other factors.

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Requesting Authorization

To request authorization, register your travel at least a month before the intended departure date. The International Travel Risk Analyst will then contact the traveler and facilitate the ITC's review. If approved, the traveler will receive a travel authorization email. If not approved, the traveler would not receive any funding, academic credit or University support for the travels.

Undergraduate travel and travel by groups of students to areas subject to an "extreme" security rating or other regions designated as extremely unsafe for travel by the ITC is not permitted. While the University does not approve of graduate student, faculty, and staff travel to these areas, travel request reviews will be on a case by case basis. Travel may be authorized based on the necessity of travel, level of in-country support, specific location, measures taken to mitigate risks and other factors.

  • Considerations for Risk Ratings

    A 'border area' is considered to be within 22km (about 14 miles) of the border with the neighboring country

    If transiting through a high or extreme destination, you can do so without requesting travel authorization unless you are staying more than 24 hours in the airport or are planning to leave the airport for any amount of time.

    Below are definitions of risk ratings:

    High Security Risk: Countries or areas with a HIGH security risk have regular periods of political instability and associated problems of poor governance, including high levels of corruption and failed or failing institutions. Protests are frequently violent and may target or disrupt foreigners. There may be a high level of incidental risk to travelers and expatriates from terrorism, militancy or insurgency. Communal, sectarian or racial violence is common and foreigners may be directly targeted. Violent crime rates are typically high and scams targeting foreigners are common and often have police complicity. Infrastructure and internal security and emergency services are poor and there may be regular abuses of due legal process.

    Extreme Security Risk: Countries or areas rated with an EXTREME security risk may be in a state of war, failed states or states in which the government has lost control of significant portions of the country. Government control and law and order may be minimal or non-existent. There is a serious threat of violent targeted attacks against travelers and expatriates by terrorists, insurgents, sectarian, criminal or other extremist groups. Government and transport services are typically severely degraded or non-existent.

    Extreme Medical Risk: Countries with an EXTREME medical risk rating have almost non-existent or severely overtaxed healthcare systems. This may be due to economic conditions, war and/or lack of governmental stability. Low-quality emergency services and dental care may not be accessible. Quality prescription drugs may not be available. Serious infectious disease such as typhoid, cholera, dengue fever, and malaria may pose a threat. Travelers with moderate or severe illnesses/injuries are likely to require an international evacuation. *Petitions for 'extreme' medical risk are not required; however, travelers must address risk mitigation efforts in their registration.

  • Risk Ratings by Country
    Country High & Extreme Security Risk Ratings Extreme Medical Ratings

    Afghanistan

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    Algeria

    Extreme - Areas near the eastern and southern borders; Sahara Desert; High - Rest of the country

     

    Angola

    High Region - North-east of Cabinda exclave

    		  

    Armenia

    Extreme Region - Border with Azerbaijan

    		  

    Azerbaijan

    High Regions - Armenian border areas and Nagorno-Karabakh

    		  

    Bangladesh

    High Regions - Chittagong Hill Tracts; Dhaka

     

    Benin

    High Regions - Border with Burkina Faso and Niger

    		  

    Brazil

    Extreme Regions - informal housing developments; Brasilia's administrative regions of Ceilandia, Santa Maria, Sao Sebastian, and Paranoa; areas within 150km of borders with Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Paraguay

    		  

    Burkina Faso

    Extreme Regions - Regions of the Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Sahel, and Sud-Ouest; High - Rest of the country

    Extreme

    Burundi

    High – Entire country

    Extreme

    Cameroon

    Extreme Regions - North, Far North, Northwest and Southwest Regions, and Parts of East and Adamawa Regions; High Regions - Bakassi peninsula and border with Central African Republic

     

    Central African Republic

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    Chad

    High - Entire country

     

    China

    Extreme - Entire country

     

    Colombia

    Extreme Regions - Arauca, Cauca, Choco, Narino, and Norte de Santander Departments; High Regions - Departments of Antioquia north of Medellin, Caqueta, Casanere, Cesar outside of Valledupar, Cordoba outside of Monteria, Guainia, Guaviare, Meta, Putumayo, Valle del Cauca outside of Cali and Palmira area, Vaupes, and Vichada

     

    Congo

    High Regions - Pool region; areas within 20 miles (32km) of the border with Central African Republic (CAR) in Likouala and Sangha departments

    		  

    Cote d'Ivoire

    High Regions - All areas of the northern border region of the Burkina Faso within 25 miles (40km); and Mali borders within 25 miles (40km) including Denguele, Savanes, Zanzan districts and the northern half of Zanzan district comprising Comoe National Park and the east of Savanes district; Liberian border in the Montagnes and Bas-Sassandra districts

    		  

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Extreme Regions - North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika, and Maniema provinces; Ituri province; Mitwaba, Pweto, Malemba-Nkulu, and Kalemie areas; Kasai, Kasai-Central, and Kasai-Oriental provinces; High - Rest of the country

     

    Dijbouti

    High Regions - Borders with Eritrea and Somalia

    		  

    Ecuador

    Extreme Regions - Carchi, Sucumbíos, and the northern part of Esmeraldas provinces, including Esmeraldas city

    		  

    Egypt

    Extreme - Sinai Peninsula, Western Desert, and Egyptian border areas

     

    El Salvador

    High - Entire country

     

    Eritrea

    High Regions - Ethiopian, Sudanese, Djiboutian borders

    Extreme

    Ethiopia

    Extreme Regions – Border area with Somalia and border areas with Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Eritrea; High Regions – Somali Regional State; Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR); the East Hararge region and the Guji zone of Oromia State; Benishangul Gumuz and the western part of Oromia State

     

    Georgia

    Extreme Regions - Abkhazia, South Ossetia

    		  

    Guatemala

    High Regions - Chiquimula, Escuintla, Guatemala, Izabal, Petén, Quetzaltenango, and Zacapa departments

    		  

    Guinea

     

    		 Extreme 

    Guinea-Bissau

    High - Entire country

    		 Extreme 

    Haiti

    High - Entire country

    Extreme

    Honduras

    Extreme Region - Gracias a Dios Department; High - entire country

     

    India

    Extreme Regions - Jammu, Kashmir, and border areas near Pakistan

    High Regions - Asom (Assam), Manipur, Nagaland; some districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

    		  

    Indonesia

    High Regions - Central Sulawesi, Papua, West Papua

    		  

    Iran

    *The University does not allow travel to Iran for any University travelers due to government sanctions.*

     

    Iraq

    Extreme – entire country; High Region - Kurdistan 

    Extreme

    Israel, West Bank, & Gaza

    		 Extreme Region - Gaza; High Region - West Bank 

     

    Italy

    Extreme - Entire country

    		  

    Jamaica

    High Regions - West Kingston, Spanish Town, and Montego Bay

    		  

    Jordan

    		 Extreme Region - Border with Syria and Iraq 

     

    Kenya

    Extreme Regions - Kenya-Somalia Border Counties (Mandera, Wajir, Garissa); Coastal Areas (Tana River County, Lamu County, Areas of Kilifi County north of Malindi); Turkana County; High Regions - Nairobi; Counties of West Pokot, Samburu, Marasabit, and Isiolo

     

    Kosovo

    High Regions - North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zubin Potok, and Zvecan

    		  

    Kuwait

    Extreme Regions - Border with Iraq, City of Al Jahra, and Jeleeb Al-Shuyoukh area in Kuwait City

    		  

    Kyrgyzstan

    High Regions - Batken province, the international border regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces

    		  

    Laos

    High Region - Xaisomboun Province

    		  

    Lebanon

    Extreme Regions - Border areas with Syria and Israel, refugee resettlements; High - Rest of the country

     

    Liberia

    		   Extreme 

    Libya

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    Madagascar

    High Regions - Anosy (except its capital Fort Dauphin (Tôlanaro)) and Atsimo-Atsinanana regions (south-east) 

    		  

    Mali

    Extreme – Entire country

     

    Mauritania

    Extreme Regions - all no movement zones in close proximity to Mali

     

    Mexico

    Extreme Regions - States of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas; High Regions - States of Baja California, Chihuahua, Estado de Mexico, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Tabasco, Veracruz, and Zacatecas

     

    Mongolia

    High - Entire country

    		  

    Mozambique

    Extreme Region - Cabo Delgado Province

    		  

    Myanmar

    High - Entire country

    		  

    Nepal

    High Region - South

    		  

    Nicaragua

    High - Entire country

    		  

    Niger

    Extreme Regions: Areas within 30 miles (48km) of the border with Mali; areas within 18 miles (30km) of the border with Borno state (Nigeria) and Lac region (Chad); High - Rest of the country 

    Extreme

    Nigeria

    Extreme Region - Borno and Yobe States and northern Adamawa State; High - Rest of the country

     

    North Korea

    *Travel Ban in Effect* Extreme – entire country

    Extreme

    Oman

    Extreme Region - Border areas near Saudi Arabia and Yemen

    		  

    Pakistan

    Extreme Regions - Baluchistan Province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and the Azad Kashmir area; High - Rest of the country

     

    Panama

    Extreme Regions - Darien, Mosquito Coast

    		  

    Papua New Guinea

    High - Entire country

    		  

    Peru

    Extreme Regions - Ene, Apurimac, and Mantaro River Valley (VRAEM) and border near Colombia in the Loreto Region

    		  

    Philippines

    Extreme Regions - Areas of insurgency, especially Malawi City in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago; High Regions - other areas in Mindanao and Central Visayas, including both Cebu and Bohol provinces

     

    Russia

    Extreme Regions - The North Caucasus republics including Chechnya and Mount Elbrus, and Crimea

    		  

    Rwanda

    High Regions - Border areas with Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo

    		  

    Saudi Arabia

    Extreme Region - Yemen border areas; High Region - Iraq border areas

     

    Sierra Leone

    		   Extreme

    Somalia

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    South Africa

    High Regions - Deprived urban areas

    		  

    South Korea

    Extreme - Entire country

    		  

    South Sudan

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    Sudan

    High – Entire country

     

    Syria

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

    Tajikistan

    High Regions - Afghan border; districts of Garm, Tavildara (both Rasht Valley in the region of Republican Subordination); Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast

    		  

    Tanzania

    High Regions - Southern border areas within 12 miles of the Mozambican border and inland up to 93 miles from the coast

    		  

    Thailand

    High Regions - Areas of southern insurgency, especially Narathiwat, Yala, Songjkhla, and Pattani

    		  

    Togo

    High Regions - Northern areas within 18 miles (30km) of the Burkina Faso border

    		  

    Trinidad & Tobago

    High Regions - Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite, and the interior of Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain

    		  

    Tunisia

    Extreme Regions - Border areas with Libya, Western mountainous areas; Jendouba south of Ain Drahem, Kasserine, Sidi Bou Zid, desert south of Remada

     

    Turkey

    Extreme Region - Border areas with Syria and Iraq borders; High Regions - Hakkari, Sirnak, and Diyarbakir provinces

     

    Turkmenistan

    High Region - Border areas with Afghanistan

    		  

    Uganda

    High Regions - Border areas with Congo (DRC), South Sudan

    		  

    Ukraine

    Extreme Regions - Crimea and eastern border regions (Donetsk and Luhansk); High - Rest of the country

     

    Uzbekistan

    High Regions - Afghan, Kyrgyz borders, Fergana Valley

    		  

    Venezuela

    Extreme – Entire country

     

    Yemen

    Extreme – Entire country

    Extreme

Contact

 

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