January 4, 2018
On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, the Department of State will make changes to our safety and security information to make it easier to find, understand, and use.
Travel Advisories will replace Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts. Every country will have a Travel Advisory, which will provide one of four standard levels of advice. The Travel Advisory will give an explanation for the level and include clear actions U.S. citizens should take.
Alerts will replace Security Messages and Emergency Messages. Alerts follow an easy-to-understand format with clear actions U.S. citizens should take.
U.S. citizens who have signed up to receive updates via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (http://STEP.state.gov) will automatically receive the Afghanistan Travel Advisory and Alerts via email in the weeks following the January 10 launch. They will continue to receive other messages as usual, including announcements related to voting, town halls, and administrative issues.
For more information about improvements to our safety and security information and to sign-up to receive a notification on launch date, visit http://travel.state.gov/travelsafely.
In accordance with the current Travel Warning for Afghanistan, the Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to Afghanistan. The security situation in Afghanistan is extremely unstable, and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Afghanistan remains critical. U.S. citizens currently visiting or residing in Afghanistan may wish to consider departing. The Embassy strongly urges U.S. citizens who decide to remain in Afghanistan to review your personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local media for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance.
For further information:
- See theState Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning for Afghanistan, Travel Alerts, and Afghanistan Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in theSmart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy, which is located at Great Massoud Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul. To reach the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the Consular Section during business hours, please call 0700-114-000 or send an email to KabulACS@state.gov. You can also reach the ACS unit through the Embassy’s switchboard by calling 0700-108-000. For after-hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please call the Consular Duty Officer at 0700-108-000.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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