Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2026?
Yemen - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Last updated: · Source: U.S. Department of State
⛔ Do Not Travel
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Yemen or parts of Yemen due to serious safety concerns. Key factors: terrorism, civil_unrest, crime, health, kidnapping, other.
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Including the Socotra Archipelago, mainland Yemen is located in southern Arabia; bordering Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the northeast, the south-eastern part of the Arabian Sea to the east, the Gulf of Aden to the south, and the Red Sea to the west, sharing maritime borders with Djibouti, Eritrea, Somaliland and Somalia across the Horn of Africa.
Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2026?
Yemen is currently rated Level 4 — Do Not Travel by the U.S. Department of State. U.S. citizens should not travel to Yemen for any reason due to significant risks. The U.S. Embassy in Sana’a has suspended operations since February 2015, limiting consular services.
Key concerns cited in the advisory:
- terrorism
- civil_unrest
- crime
- health
- kidnapping
- other
The overall security situation has been worsening recently. Contributing factors: A civil war continues in Yemen, leading to instability and violence, Foreigners are frequently targets of kidnapping and carjacking, Violent and organized crime is common in Yemen.
Traveler Impact
Solo travelers face extreme risks of kidnapping and violent crime, particularly outside urban areas where law enforcement is ineffective.
Business travelers are at extreme risk due to the lack of operational consular support and the high likelihood of terrorism and civil unrest disrupting any engagements.
Families with children should avoid Yemen entirely due to severe health risks, lack of medical facilities, and the high threat of kidnapping and violence.
Remote workers face extreme risks in Yemen, including poor infrastructure, health hazards, and the inability to ensure personal safety or reliable communication.
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and Freedom House. All sources are updated regularly and cross-referenced to provide a composite safety picture for Yemen.
Regional Safety Breakdown
Do Not Travel Zones
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to the following areas due to extreme risk:
- Yemen
▶Level 4 — Do Not Travel1 region
▶Yemen
Do not travel to Yemen due to significant risks.
Yemen has 1 distinct regions with varying advisory levels. Risk conditions differ significantly by area.
▶Safety and Stability Ratings
Threat Severity (0-10 scale)
Yemen has an overall threat severity of 9.9 out of 10. Crime risk is rated 8.0/10, terrorism risk 9.0/10, and kidnapping risk 8.0/10.
Governance Indicators (World Bank, percentile)
Political Stability▶
Measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Higher percentile means greater stability.
Rule of Law▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Control of Corruption▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as capture of the state by elites and private interests.
Government Effectiveness▶
Captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
Regulatory Quality▶
Captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
Voice & Accountability▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
Data from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (2023).
Freedom Status: Not Free — scored 10/100 by Freedom House (2024). View full freedom profile →
▶Entry Requirements and Health
Entry Information
Visa
Check embassy for details
Currency
Yemeni Rial (YER)
Language
Arabic
Notable restrictions:
- drug possession illegal including medical marijuana
- e-cigarettes prohibited
Vaccinations
Recommended:
⚠ Malaria Risk: high
Recommended medications: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine
Active health notices:
- alertNew Malaria in Yemen: Increased cases of malaria have been reported in Yemen, including in areas that were previously considered low-risk.
- watchGlobal Polio: Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines.
- watchGlobal Measles: Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Vaccination data sourced from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consult a travel health professional before your trip.
Common Questions About Traveling to Yemen
▶What is the current travel advisory level for Yemen?
▶Is it safe to travel to Yemen right now?
▶Do I need a visa to visit Yemen?
▶What vaccines do I need for Yemen?
▶Is Yemen safe for solo travelers?
▶How bad is crime in Yemen?
More Yemen Data
Not Free — 10/100 on the Freedom House index.
Governance indicators including rule of law, corruption control, and regulatory quality.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.