2026 State Department Travel Advisory: Are Greece and Cyprus Safe for Americans?

Tourists locomotion past the Greek Parliament successful Syntagma Square. Credit: Alexandros Mpeltes/ AMNA

The State Department precocious updated its planetary question advisory map, and the results item a stark opposition betwixt 2 of the astir fashionable Mediterranean destinations for Americans. Following a period of heightened determination volatility, the information ratings for Greece and Cyprus person moved successful other directions.

Where Greece and Cyprus basal successful 2026

Greece: Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions

Greece remains 1 of the safest havens successful the Mediterranean for American tourists. Despite a “Worldwide Caution” issued by the State Department connected March 22 owed to wide planetary tensions, Greece has maintained its Level 1 status—the lowest hazard category.

Safety Profile: The U.S. authorities considers Greece a unchangeable ally. The superior concerns for tourists are non-violent, specified arsenic petty theft (pickpocketing) successful crowded areas similar the Athens Metro oregon large sites similar the Acropolis.

Note for Travelers: While safe, the U.S. Embassy successful Athens often issues “Demonstration Alerts” for circumstantial dates (such arsenic the February 28 Tempi anniversary). Travelers are advised to debar downtown protestation zones but different look nary systemic information threats.

Cyprus: Level 3 – Reconsider Travel

In a important and abrupt shift, the State Department elevated Cyprus to Level 3 connected March 3, 2026. This is the second-highest informing level, placing the land successful a “high-risk” class alongside countries experiencing important instability.

The Cause: The upgrade was triggered by a spillover of the U.S.-Iran struggle into the Eastern Mediterranean. Specifically, a drone onslaught connected a British Sovereign Base Area connected the land connected March 2 heightened fears of determination escalation.

Travel Disruptions: Regional tensions person led to sporadic airspace closures and wide formation cancellations astatine Larnaca and Paphos airports.

The “Red List”: Most Dangerous Countries (Level 4)

The State Department highlights much than 20 countries presently connected the Level 4: Do Not Travel list. These nations are considered the astir unsafe for Americans owed to war, terrorism, oregon the hazard of wrongful detention.

Current Level 4 Countries include:

Middle East/Asia: Iran (the highest information designation), Afghanistan, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Burma (Myanmar).
Europe: Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Africa: Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Central African Republic.
Americas: Venezuela and Haiti.

Related: American Tourists’ Expression of Awe successful Greece Breaks the Internet