On the four-tier travel rating system used by the State Department and equivalent ones used by other nations, the highest "do not travel" advisory is assigned to countries that are either actively at war or have authoritarian governments.
The Eastern European country of Belarus has been classified as authoritarian for decades given that Alexander Lukashenko has been president since the office was first established amid the fall of the Soviet Union in 1994.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the Belarusian government's facilitation of it by providing a buffer zone for troops and weapons, the "do not travel" advisory was upped to an even more urgent status.
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'Arbitrary enforcement of local laws, risk of detention and continued facilitation of war'
With the three-year anniversary of the invasion approaching and war continuing to rage, the State Department has reissued the Level Four advisory "without changes."
"Do not travel to Belarus due to the Belarusian authorities' arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the risk of detention, the continued facilitation of Russia's war against Ukraine, the potential of civil unrest, and the Embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus," it reads while also telling anyone with a U.S. passport currently in the country to "depart immediately."
Russia is currently under the same "level four" advisory over a similar type of authoritarian government that has a history of holding critics of the war and citizens of foreign nations hostage.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is at the same advisory level due to the presence of Russian troops and active fighting on its territory.
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Prior to the attack on Ukraine, the U.S. government maintained consular services in Belarus — and travel, while heavily discouraged, was somewhat possible by applying for visas.
Throughout the 2010s, Westerners who came in for short visits and avoided any hint of political demonstration or criticism of the country generally reported uneventful experiences.
Amid total isolation, Belarus makes strange effort to draw in tourists
"All consular services, routine and emergency, are suspended until further notice," the extensive advisory reads. "U.S. citizens in Belarus who require consular services should try to leave the country as soon as possible and contact a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country."
Related: An unexpected authoritarian nation is allowing visa-free travel from 35 countries
With all but total isolation from most Western nations, Belarus has felt the hit to a travel industry that was moribund even before the war. In July 2024, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced that it was allowing 30 days of visa-free travel to citizens of 35 European countries including Germany, France, Estonia and Norway.
The new policy was personally signed in by Lukashenko and, according to opposition analysts, is an effort to appear "open to the world" even as he maintains his grip on power and continues to push forward far-right politics and draconian local laws.
"U.S. citizens should assume all electronic communications and devices in Belarus are monitored by Belarusian security services," the State Department writes. "Belarusian security services have arrested U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals based on information found on electronic devices, including information that was created, transmitted, or stored while in another country."
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