Trinidad & Tobago: Level 3

The U.S. State Department renewed Trinidad and Tobago’s Level 3 travel advisory on April 13, telling Americans to reconsider travel. (travel.state.gov) The level did not change, but the advisory did: the department removed the kidnapping indicator, added “an area of increased risk,” and rewrote the country summary. (travel.state.gov) The updated warning says travelers should reconsider travel because of crime, notes a heightened risk of terrorism, and tells visitors to use extra caution in rural parts of Trinidad and Tobago because health care is limited there. (travel.state.gov) A Level 3 advisory is the second-highest warning on the State Department’s four-level scale and is used for destinations with “serious risks to safety and security.” Advisories can be updated when conditions change substantially. (travel.state.gov) The rewrite also folds in Trinidad and Tobago’s latest state of emergency. The U.S. Embassy said the government declared it on March 2, 2026, after a spike in violent criminal activity, and said there were no curfews or limits on public gatherings at the time of the notice. (tt.usembassy.gov) Under those emergency powers, police can arrest people on suspicion of illegal activity, search public and private properties, and suspend bail for suspects; members of the Defense Force are operating under similar rules. (tt.usembassy.gov) Parliament extended that state of emergency for up to three months in March, after the initial 15-day period allowed under the constitution. (ttparliament.org) The advisory says violent crime has fallen sharply since 2024 because of security measures used during earlier emergency periods, but says crime remains a countrywide problem and is lower in Tobago than in Trinidad. (travel.state.gov) For U.S. government employees, the practical change is in Port of Spain: they are barred at all times from Laventille, parts of Charlotte Street, Piccadilly Street, Besson Street, Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite, and the interior of Queen’s Park Savannah, and barred at night from Port of Spain beaches, downtown Port of Spain, Fort George, and Queen’s Park Savannah. (travel.state.gov) The embassy’s advice to travelers is more routine but more immediate: enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, avoid poorly lit or remote areas, and use caution when walking or driving at night. (travel.state.gov)