US State Department: Hungary is among the world’s safest places!

Like all foreign ministries, the US State Department regularly publishes travel advisories to help its citizens decide which countries are safe to travel to. Based on the latest update, Hungary is among the world’s safest places recommended for US citizens to visit. Meanwhile, the State Department put most of Europe in the unsafe category. Mandiner wrote about the details.

Four categories

According to the media outlet, the State Department established four categories. Exercise Normal Precautions is the first level. They say that “this is the lowest advisory level for safety and security risk. There is some risk in any international travel. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and may change at any time.“

Some are in the category of Exercise Increased Caution. In other cases, they recommend reconsidering travel, while the fourth and worst group contains the states where no American citizen should travel. You can find the risk indicators in the last part of our article. Meanwhile, HERE you can find the interactive map of the State Department.

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There are only a few safe states in Europe

Based on the latest update of the list, only a few European countries are in the first category. That is because of COVID and the war in Ukraine. These countries are Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece in the Central European region. Furthermore, Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland, and Scandinavia are in the category of safe European countries.

Interestingly, many Western European countries are in the Exercise Increased Caution category, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

Meanwhile, Mongolia and Kazakhstan are in the first category, while most of the Middle East, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia are no-go zones for American citizens.

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Here are some interesting quotes about Hungary from the travel advisories of the State Department

• Although Hungary is generally a safe place to visit, you should use caution and stay alert. Be especially careful in train stations, crowded tourist areas, crowded buses, trams, and metros.
• Ethnic nationalist groups have gained popularity in Hungary in the past years, advocating intolerance towards Jews, Roma, and LGBTI+ persons.
• While the quality of doctor care in Hungary is good, hospitals and medical facilities may not be of U.S. quality, particularly outside of Budapest.

For more information, read the actual travel advisory HERE.

Risk Indicators

Travel Advisories at Levels 2-4 contain clear reasons for the level assigned, using established risk indicators and specific advice to U.S. citizens who choose to travel there. These are:

• C – Crime: Widespread violent or organised crime is present in areas of the country. Local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
• T – Terrorism: Terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist.
• U – Civil Unrest: Political, economic, religious, and/or ethnic instability exists and may cause violence, major disruptions, and/or safety risks.
• H – Health: Health risks, including current disease outbreaks or a crisis that disrupts a country’s medical infrastructure, are present. The issuance of a Centres for Disease Control Travel Notice may also be a factor. 
• N – Natural Disaster: A natural disaster, or its aftermath, poses danger.
• E – Time-limited Event: Short-term events, such as elections, sporting events, or other incidents that may pose safety risks.
• O – Other: There are potential risks not covered by previous risk indicators. Read the country’s Travel Advisory for details.
• K – Kidnapping or Hostage Taking: Criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure or continue to detain individuals in order to compel a third party (including a governmental organisation) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release.  

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Source: Mandiner, travel.state.gov