Mauritania Travel Advisory 2026

Current U.S. State Department advisory

Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The State Department recommends reconsidering any trip. Advisory as of July 14, 2025.

Official source: travel.state.gov

US vs UK: how the advice compares

🇺🇸 United States — travel.state.gov

Level 3· Reconsider Travel

Level 3 of 4 · as of July 14, 2025

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — FCDO (GOV.UK)

Advises against all travel to parts of the country

Last updated March 24, 2026 · gov.uk advice

Latest UK update note: “New information about protests (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).”

See all countries where the two governments disagree on the US vs UK comparison page.

Advisory level timeline

July 14, 2025 — current
Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Latest official advisory as captured in our snapshot.
No advisory level changes recorded for Mauritania since we began tracking in July 2026. We log every future change here, with dates and official change notes.

Is Mauritania safe? What the official advisory says

Reissued after periodic review with minor edits.

Reconsider travel to Mauritania due to terrorism and crime . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do Not Travel To:

Areas marked off-limits by the Mauritanian military. These areas are unsafe due to security risks and terrorist activities.
All areas north of the Tropic of Cancer
All areas within 100 KM of the Mali and Algeria Border

Country Summary: Violent crimes occur frequently outside the Tevragh Zeina neighborhoods in Nouakchott. They include mugging, armed robbery, and assault. Local police lack the resources to respond quickly and effectively to serious crimes. Transportation options and communication infrastructure are limited outside Nouakchott. little or no warning, targeting places frequented by Westerners.

Terrorism

Terrorist violence is a risk in Mauritania. This includes potential attacks and other activities. Visit the U.S. Department of State's country reports on terrorism to learn more.

U.S. Travel Limits and Emergency Services

The U.S. government can only offer limited emergency services to U.S. citizens in Mauritania. This is due to travel rules for U.S. government employees, poor infrastructure, and few health facilities, especially outside of Nouakchott.

U.S. government employees can travel outside Nouakchott only during the day. They cannot walk alone outside of specific areas and times. U.S. government employees must get special permission to travel outside Nouakchott. This helps them move smoothly through security checkpoints on major roads.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Mauritania.

Condensed from the official State Department advisory of July 14, 2025 — read the full advisory before you travel.

Mauritania travel advisory FAQ

What is the current travel advisory level for Mauritania?

As of July 14, 2025, the U.S. State Department rates Mauritania at Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The State Department recommends reconsidering any trip.

What does Level 3 mean?

Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) — Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The State Department recommends reconsidering any trip.

When did the Mauritania travel advisory last change?

The current advisory was published on July 14, 2025. No level changes have been recorded since we began tracking in July 2026 — this page will log every future change.

Does the UK government agree with the US advisory for Mauritania?

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) position: Advises against all travel to parts of the country (last updated March 24, 2026). The US and UK use different systems — the US assigns a 1–4 level, while the UK either advises against travel (entirely or in part) or issues no overall warning.