Active conflict or extreme danger; travel is strongly discouraged. Civil liberties are tightly restricted and political expression can carry risk.
Regional breakdown
The official advisory guidance warns against all travel to South Sudan. That covers every state, with no carve-outs for safer corners. Both governments treat the country as a single high-risk zone rather than a patchwork. Juba, the capital, draws the most attention. The official advisory guidance points to armed robberies and carjackings inside the city, and keeps its own staff under curfew and inside armoured vehicles. Movement around the airport road and the Jebel and Tongping districts is tightly managed by most diplomatic missions. Outside Juba, the picture is harder still. Upper Nile State, Unity State and Jonglei have seen repeated clashes between armed groups, with civilians caught in the middle. Border zones near Sudan, including the Abyei area, carry added risk from spillover fighting and landmines. Western Equatoria and parts of Central Equatoria have also seen ambushes on road convoys. Aid workers usually fly between hubs like Malakal, Bentiu and Bor rather than drive. Because road travel between towns is treated as a serious security decision in its own right.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance last updated its South Sudan page on 10 December 2025. It still advises against all travel to the whole country, citing armed violence and criminality. The notice is blunt about consular help: in-person assistance for travellers is severely limited, and the UK cannot guarantee evacuation in a crisis. Travellers are told to build their own emergency plans before arrival. The official advisory guidance reissued its advisory on 13 November 2025 at Level 4, Do Not Travel. It tags South Sudan with five risk indicators: unrest, crime, health, kidnapping and other. The notice highlights ongoing armed conflict between political and ethnic groups, widespread violent crime, landmine contamination and weak medical infrastructure. US government staff in Juba operate under curfew and travel only in armoured vehicles. Which gives a sense of how the embassy reads day-to-day risk on the ground.
What travellers should know
Travel insurance is the first practical issue. Most UK policies become void once official advisory guidance advises against all travel, so anyone going in for work. Journalism or aid needs specialist cover that explicitly accepts South Sudan. Check the wording for medical evacuation, war and terrorism exclusions, and kidnap response before paying. Health infrastructure is thin. Hospitals in Juba can stabilise patients but serious cases usually need medical evacuation to Nairobi or further. Yellow fever vaccination is required on entry, and cholera, malaria and meningitis all circulate. Carry your own basic medical kit and confirm your evacuation provider has current clearance to fly into Juba International. On the ground, most visitors travel with an organisation that has a security plan, vetted drivers and radio check-ins. Road movement after dark is generally avoided, and overland trips between states are usually replaced by UN or charter flights. Keep digital and paper copies of your passport, visa and travel permits, register with your embassy on arrival. And watch local news and NGO security updates daily. Cash in small US dollar notes is widely used, since card payments and ATMs are unreliable outside a handful of hotels in the capital.