Official travel advisories warn against all travel here. Civil liberties are tightly restricted and political expression can carry risk.
Regional breakdown
Both governments treat Haiti as a single high-risk country. The official advisory guidance warns about all travel to every part of Haiti, without carving out any safer zones. The official advisory guidance applies Level 4 to the whole country. And singles out Port-au-Prince and the area around Toussaint Louverture International Airport as especially dangerous. Port-au-Prince is the centre of the crisis. Armed gangs control large parts of the capital and the roads leading in and out. Neighbourhoods such as Martissant, Cité Soleil and Carrefour have seen heavy gang activity, roadblocks and gunfights. Movement between the airport and the city has been repeatedly cut off. Areas outside the capital are not treated as calmer. The Artibonite region, including towns near Gonaïves, has seen attacks on main roads and buses. The southern peninsula, including Les Cayes, has been harder to reach because gangs block Route Nationale 2. The border crossings with the Dominican Republic at Malpasse and Ouanaminthe open and close with little warning.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance last updated its Haiti advice on 10 December 2025. It still warns against all travel to the whole country. The official advisory guidance points to the volatile security situation and says international consular officials are not present in Haiti. In-person help is not available, and travellers are directed to the embassy in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The official advisory guidance reissued its Haiti advisory on 15 July 2025 at Level 4, Do Not Travel. The update added a terrorism indicator alongside the existing warnings on kidnapping, crime and civil unrest. Ordered departure of non-emergency US government staff and family members has been in place since July 2023. A Haitian state of emergency has been running since March 2024 and has been extended several times. Both governments warn about kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, carjacking and sudden roadblocks, and both note that emergency medical care is very limited.
What travellers should know
Travel insurance is the first practical issue. Most UK policies are void while official advisory guidance warns against all travel. So anyone going anyway is likely to be uninsured for medical care, evacuation and cancellation. travellers face similar gaps and should check their policy wording before booking. Consular help is thin. The UK has no staff on the ground, and the US embassy runs with reduced numbers and limited ability to reach citizens outside Port-au-Prince. Travellers should draft a proof of life protocol with family, share copies of their passport and itinerary, and register with their government before arrival. Keep emergency cash in more than one place and do not rely on card payments or ATMs. On the ground, the main risks are kidnapping, armed robbery, carjacking and crossfire during gang clashes. Roads between the airport and hotels have been closed without notice, and flights have been suspended during past flare-ups. Avoid crowds, protests and night travel. Medical care is very limited, with shortages of medicine and trained staff. So carry personal supplies and think through evacuation routes. Including overland options to the Dominican Republic if border crossings are open.