While the U.S. State Department periodically tweaks its advisories and the summaries it offers for travel information of different countries, a full advisory level change usually follows major political events or a significant change in the security situation of a given country.

The four-tier system ranges from the lowest “exercise normal precautions” for countries that are just as safe, or safer than, the U.S. to the highest level four “do not travel” advisory reserved for war zones, authoritarian governments, and nations with no diplomatic relations with the U.S.

The rating assigned to the largest number of countries is level two; countries such as France, Germany, and Italy have all been under it for years due to the ever-present risk of terrorist attacks in their capital cities. China was lowered from level three’s “reconsider travel” in December 2024 after the country took several reciprocal steps to open up to American tourists.

“Violent crime can occur anywhere in Grenada”: State Department

A small East Caribbean island nation with a population of just over 114,000 permanent residents, Grenada is known by many primarily as a tourist and cruise destination.

Although the full tourist numbers for 2025 have not yet been released, the country welcomed 235,889 cruise ship visitors in the first 10 months of last year, according to Tourism Analytics.

While Grenada regularly comes up on rankings as having the highest safety index in the Caribbean, as noted by Global Citizen Solutions, the U.S. State Department raised its ranking to level two’s “exercise increased caution” at the start of 2026.

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“Violent crime can occur anywhere in Grenada,” the updated advisory now reads. “American citizens in Grenada have been victims of armed robbery, assault, burglary, and rape. In some cases, American citizens have been killed. Police response times are not as fast as one may expect in the United States.”

The advisory goes on to list the same precautionary tips it includes for other countries in the region — staying aware of one’s surroundings, not walking alone at night or opening the doors to one’s hotel or rental property when not expecting visitors and making sure one has valid travel insurance.

Grenada regularly comes up among the safest Caribbean countries for travelers.

Image source: Pixabay

Why the travel advisory for Grenada was raised now: Country responds

The advisory level change comes at a time when the Trump administration also included Grenada on a list of countries for which it will temporarily stop processing visa applications, PBS News noted. The U.S. government also previously pressured Grenada to allow it to set up a military radar base from which to monitor Venezuela, reported Caribbean Life.

The State Department advisory does not provide numbers to explain why the rating was raised now, or which types of crime incidents have increased. In response to the change, the Grenadian government issued a statement reiterating that it remains a safe destination.

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“Grenada remains open, safe and fully operational for travelers,” Grenada Tourism Authority CEO Stacey Liburd said in a statement in response.

“Grenada has long been recognized as one of the most peaceful and welcoming destinations in the Caribbean, with a strong record of visitor safety, and we continue to welcome visitors without interruption.”

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