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Update, October 2026: The Australian Government has just downgraded its travel advice for Qatar and the UAE, from 'Level three: Reconsider your need to travel' to 'Level two: Exercise a high degree of caution.' The change should give Aussies greater peace of mind when booking connecting flights to Europe and beyond.
You know that saying, “safety first”? When it comes to travel, it’s one of the best pieces of advice you can follow. Exploring an unfamiliar country is exciting, but can also be an overwhelming experience, so the last thing you want is to find yourself in a risky situation. To help keep your adventures stress-free this year, we’ve pulled together a handy guide on all the destinations Smartraveller is warning Australian travellers to avoid in 2026.
The Australian government's Smartraveller website is known for providing up-to-date travel advice for 178 destinations worldwide. Each country is assigned an ‘advice level’ that reflects the risk for Aussie travellers, ranging from ‘Level one: Exercise normal safety precautions’ to ‘Level four: Do not travel.'
Currently, Smartraveller is urging Australians to steer clear of 24 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Meanwhile, as of October 12, 2026, Aussies are also being advised to 'Reconsider their need to travel to' 13 destinations. Some of these inclusions are long-standing, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan, while others pop up momentarily due to unforeseen events, like political strikes. It’s worth checking the list frequently to stay up-to-date on any movers and shakers. You can see the current list of destinations to avoid below.
The destinations Australian travellers should avoid in 2026
- Lebanon (as of Sep 24)
- Palestine (as of Sep 14)
- Iran (as of Sep 2)
- Iraq (as of Sep 2)
- Venezuela (as of Sep 2)
- Yemen (as of Sep 2)
- Syria (as of Sep 2)
- Libya (as of Aug 13)
- Ukraine (as of Jul 31)
- Russia (as of Jul 13)
- Belarus (as of Jul 9)
- Haiti (as of Jul 6)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (as of Jul 6)
- Afghanistan (as of Jun 29)
- Niger (as of Jun 24)
- Somalia (as of Jun 18)
- Mali (as of Jun 11)
- Central African Republic (as of Jun 3)
- South Sudan (as of May 22)
- Sudan (as of May 1)
- Myanmar (as of Apr 7)
- North Korea (as of Mar 31)
- Burkina Faso (as of Jan 20)
- Chad (as of Nov 10, 2025)