Moscow, Russia
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The Australian government's Smartraveller, is where every Aussie should check when it comes to travel advisories.

Specifically, it assigns each country what is known as the "advice level." The higher the level, the higher the risk to the safety and wellbeing of the traveller.

The highest level there is is Level 4, which means "do not travel." But which countries have been given this level?

Countries on Australia's 'Do Not Travel' List

The following countries are on Level 4 as of February 28, 2026, which means Aussies are discouraged from travelling to said locations:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bahrain
  • Belarus
  • Burkina Faso
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Haiti
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Myanmar
  • Niger
  • North Korea
  • Palestine
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen

Why Are These Countries on Level 4?

As previously mentioned, those countries on Level 4 post a high risk to safety and security of Aussies.

"At level 4, your health and safety are at extreme risk," according to Smartraveller. "This may be because of a high threat of terrorist attack, conflict, violent social unrest, widespread infectious disease or critical levels of violent crime. It could be a combination of risks."

For example, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Venezuela, Myanmar and North Korea were all updated to Level 4 in December 2025. According to Time Out, this is due to "dangerous security situations."

It should be noted that advice levels can be updated, as seen in previous example. Aussie travellers are advised to check Smartraveller first to see if their intended destination has a travel warning or advisory.