Image Credit: Martyn Williams

When it comes to visiting worrisome destinations, keep in mind there’s a huge difference between a State Department Advisory, Bulletin, and an outright ban on travel.

It’s important to know the distinction.

With exceedingly few exceptions, Americans can legally go just about anywhere.

But they also must go there intelligently.

A State Department Advisory is simply an advisory.

It’s not telling anyone NOT to go somewhere.

It’s advising travelers of certain developments, and in some cases, danger or high-risk areas within a certain country that they might want to avoid.

That’s the same way with a bulletin.

It’s usually confined to a specific region or incident.

But a ban? The most recent is for North Korea.

As of now, the U.S. State Department has announced that American passports will be considered invalid for use in traveling to North Korea.

Other countries with a ban are Syria and Libya.

For more information about travel safety, check out:

• What You Should Know About State Department Advisories and Terrorism
• Does Travel Insurance Cover a Terrorist Attack?
• The Real Threats You’re More Likely to Encounter When You Travel Abroad

Keep reading for more travel tips.