Fellow residents of Washington - are you planning on grabbing your passport and leaving for a vacation out of the country? 

Before leaving the US, you should consider these important items

Update your will

I suppose it is a good idea always to have an up-to-date will, just in case the worst happens. This is one of the precautions we need to take if our plans take us to one of the 19 regions that are unsafe for Americans right now.

Leave DNA samples behind with a family member

Leaving behind some of my DNA just in case I must be identified is certainly not on my vacation checklist. However, if you plan to travel to any of the areas in the Travel Advisory, you probably should.

Make sure your travel plans are to a country deemed safe by our US State Department.

How?

By checking the latest Department of State Travel Advisory.

What is a Travel Advisory?

The Department of State provides information to United States citizens regarding travel safety overseas. So, if you are planning a trip to a foreign country, you can sign up for travel advisory alerts.

The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has four Travel Advisory levels. Today, there are 19 regions in the highest risk category of Level 4.

A level 4 alert status means, there’s a greater likelihood of life-threatening risks to American travelers to a particular country. 

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In these unique, dangerous situations, The U.S. government may have very limited ability to assist, including during an emergency. The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or leave as soon as it is safe to do so.

Here are the current countries you, as an American, are advised NOT to travel to:

Montanans Advised To NOT Travel To These 19 Places

The United States Department of State has four levels of advisories: exercise normal precautions, exercise increased caution, reconsider travel and do not travel. These 19 destinations are currently under a Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL advisory, so plan your travels accordingly.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

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