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Global Cornell

Elevated Risk Destinations

The countries, cities, and/or regions below are deemed an elevated risk. If Cornell travel involving students, staff, alumni, or the public includes a destination listed below, a petition to travel must be submitted to International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART).  You may also refer to the International SOS (ISOS) Global Risk Ratings for more information on your destination. 

How are elevated-risk destinations selected?

Our methodology for identifying elevated-risk destinations starts with a multifactor approach. We rely on a comprehensive set of criteria at both the country and regional levels depending on country specifics like geopolitical situation and cultural nuances, among others, drawing from risk assessment methodologies from trusted sources including International SOS and the U.S. Department of State. We also benchmark our framework with other peer institutions to ensure that we're inline with industry best practice.

Cornell employs a country-specific risk assessment, with a bi-yearly comprehensive review and ongoing ad-hoc adjustments driven by prevailing geopolitical developments, reinforced by insights and intelligence from our trusted sources.

Cornell's assessment hinges on three primary indicators for rating a destination as elevated risk:

  • a destination (country or region) deemed high or extreme risk by International SOS;
  • a Level 3 or Level 4 rating from the Department of State; and/or
  • a country with international sanctions or international embargo.

At our discretion, we reserve the right to include any other destinations in our elevated risk list.

Elevated Risk Destinations
Country ISOS Risk Rating(s) for affected area(s) U.S. Dept of State Risk Rating(s) for affected area(s) Petition required for all students + faculty/staff traveling with students through or to:
Afghanistan Extreme  Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Algeria High  Level 2 Anywhere in the country
Angola High Level 2 Cabinda, North Lunda, and South Lunda
Armenia High Level 2 Border with Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan High Level 2 Armenian border areas and Nagorno-Karabakh
Bangladesh High Level 2 Chittagong Hill Tracts, Dhaka
Belarus Low

Level 4
Sanctions

 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps, see information here and contact export control
Benin High Level 2 Border with Burkina Faso and Niger, including the Pendjari (Alibori department) and W (Atakora department) National Parks
Brazil High Level 2 Deprived areas of major urban centers
Burkina Faso High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Burundi High Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Cameroon High-Extreme Level 2 Anywhere in the country
Central African Republic High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Chad High Level 3 Anywhere in the country
China Low-Medium Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Colombia High Level 3 Cali + Border areas with Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador as well as the departments of Arauca, Norte de Santander, Meta, Chocó, Caquetá, Huila, Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo as well as the southwest of Antioquia Department restricted
Congo High Level 2 Areas in Likouala and Sangha departments within 20 miles (32km) of the border with Central African Republic
Congo (DRC) High-Extreme Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Côte d'Ivoire High Level 2 Northern border regions with Mali and Burkina Faso, and Comoe National Park; Liberian border in Montagnes and Bas-Sassandra districts
Cuba Low Level 2
Sanctions

Does not required ITART approval. However, sanctions necessitate additional steps, follow required steps outlined on this page 
Ecuador Medium-High Level 2 Anywhere in the country
Egypt High-Extreme Level 3 Sinai Peninsula, Western Desert, Libyan border, and Egyptian military zones along the land border
El Salvador High Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Eritrea High Level 2 Asmara. Ethiopian, Sudanese, Djiboutian borders
Ethiopia High-Extreme Level 3 Anywhere outside of Addis Ababa, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) and Somali region
Georgia High Level 1 Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Guatemala High Level 3 Guatemala City (transit permitted, stays require petition) + Chiquimula, Petén, Zacapa, and Izabal departments
Guinea-Bissau Medium Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Guyana Medium Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Haiti High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Honduras High Level 3 Anywhere in the country, with the exception of Roatan Island
India High Level 2

Asom (Assam), Manipur, Nagaland; some districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; Kashmir division and parts of Jammu division (both Jammu and Kashmir union territory)
Indonesia High Level 2 Papua, West Papua
Iran High Level 4
Sanctions		 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps, contact export control before filing ITART petition
Iraq High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Jamaica High Level 3 West Kingston, Spanish Town, Montego Bay 
Kenya High Level 2 Nairobi; the northern counties of Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Marsabit and Isiolo, the Somali-border counties of Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, and Lamu
Kyrgyzstan High Level 1 Batken province, the international border regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces
Lebanon High Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Libya High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Macau (China SAR) Low Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Madagascar High Level 2 Anosy (except its capital Fort Dauphin (Tôlanaro)) and Atsimo-Atsinanana regions (south-east)
Mali High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Mauritania High Level 3 Border areas with Algeria and Mali and eastern desert area (Regions of Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh el Chargui, Dakhlet-Nouadhibou and Inchiri) 
Mexico High See Website Border areas with the United States and the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, México (excluding México City D.F. where travel does not require petition), Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora State with the exception of the cities of Miguel Aleman, Campo Dulce, La Yuta, Santa Gertrudiz, El Oregano, El Destierro, Rancho Bellavista, Bahia Kino, Kino Nuevo, Punta Chueca, Puerto Libertad, Guaymas and Isla Tiburon, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas
Mozambique Extreme Level 2 Macomia, Meluco, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Palma and Quissanga districts (all Cabo Delgado province)
Myanmar High Level 4 Insurgency-affected and other border areas (except the Indian border); far northern Rakhine state
Nepal High Level 2 South
Nicaragua Medium Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Niger High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Nigeria High-Extreme Level 3 Anywhere in the country
North Korea Medium

Level 4
Sanctions

 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Pakistan High-Extreme Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Palestinian Territories Extreme Other West Bank & Gaza
Panama High Level 2 Darién region
Papua New Guinea High Level 3 Anywhere in the country
Peru High Level 2 Ene, Apurimac and Mantaro River Valley (VRAEM) / Border area with Colombia
Philippines High Level 2 South-west Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago (Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi)
Russia High Level 4
Sanctions		 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Saudi Arabia High Level 3 Iraq border areas, Yemen border areas
Somalia High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
South Africa High Level 2 High-density, low-income urban areas
South Sudan High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Sudan High-Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Syria

High-Extreme

 Level 4
Sanctions		 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Tajikistan High Level 2 Dushanbe and surrounding areas are approved for travel, the remainder of the country requires ITART petition
Tanzania High Level 2 Southern border areas within 12 miles (20km) of the Mozambican border and inland up to 93 miles (150km) from the coast
Thailand High Level 1 Southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, and the southern districts of Songkhla province
Togo High Level 1 Northern areas within 18 miles (30km) of the Burkina Faso border
Trinidad and Tobago High Level 3 Laventille, Beetham
Tunisia High Level 2 Libyan border areas; areas within 25 miles (40km) of the Algerian border; Mount Chaambi, Mount Mgilla, Mount Salloum, and Mount Sammama
Turkey High Level 2 Areas within ten miles (16km) of the Syrian border + Hakkari, Sirnak, Diyarbakir provinces
Turkmenistan High Level 2 Afghan border
Uganda High Level 3 Areas within 18.6 miles (30km) of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan borders
Ukraine High-Extreme Level 4
Sanctions		 Anywhere in the country. Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Uzbekistan High Level 1 Afghan, Kyrgyz borders, Fergana Valley
Venezuela High Level 4
Sanctions		 Anywhere in the country Sanctions necessitate additional steps - contact export control before filing ITART petition
Yemen Extreme Level 4 Anywhere in the country
Even if your destination is not listed here, all students, staff, and faculty must register international Cornell travel.