Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney had been travelling between her home country and the US on a work visa for years without issue—but a few weeks ago, she was detained by US border authorities after attempting to renew her documentation at the US-Mexico border. During a 12-day ordeal, she says she was held in cold and crowded jail cells and even put in chains at points.
Mooney is just one of several people who have attempted to travel to the US recently who have faced challenges at the border, including a researcher who French officials say was denied entry after his phone was searched and immigration officers found messages that were critical of the Trump administration.
Following these incidents, Canada and several European countries have issued travel advisories for the US. While most of the government warnings don’t specify why they were added, the timing points to the the Trump administration's executive orders regarding immigration and the tightening of border policies.
“The whole purpose is to stop illegal immigration,” Larry Yu, professor of hospitality management at The George Washington University's School of Business tells Condé Nast Traveler. “But then the executive orders are also tied to other issues like transgender identification, so it actually adds quite a bit of confusion, uncertainty, and concern for the US travel industry.”
Many of the European countries that have issued US travel warnings have flagged the White House’s executive order that states “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” potentially causing issues for transgender travellers with self-identified or “X” gender markers on their passports.
The recent uptick in travel warnings could have a major impact on US tourism, according to Yu, as several of the advisories were issued by countries that are top drivers of inbound travel to the US, including Canada, the UK, and Germany.
“The image the US has always projected is that we’re welcoming and diverse," Yu says. “This will clearly make people think about how they see the US. I hope it won’t erode their confidence in travelling to the US, but it may affect certain demographics.”
International travel advisories for the US are not entirely new; however, most posted in recent years have been in regard to gun violence. Uruguay and Japan both issued alerts to its citizens in wake of the Dayton, Ohio, shooting in 2019. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently lists gun crime as a “major public safety concern in the US,” including safety advice and statistics on the most common locations and timings of shootings. Japan also warns about the high number of hate crimes in the US based on race, sexual orientation, and religion.
Australia-based small-group adventure travel company Intrepid Travel has already started to see “some softening in demand for the US, in particular from Europe,” according to its CEO James Thornton, who notes that US domestic travel (travel by Americans in America) is down by 27% and travel to the US from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa is down by 12.8% compared to last year.
“This could be due to a number of factors, including the strength of the US dollar, but we believe that the US administration’s polarizing approach is definitely having an impact," he says.
Intrepid has also seen a slight dip in US inbound travel from Australia and New Zealand. However, Thornton says “the US remains a highly desirable travel destination" and notes that most of its current bookings were made about six months prior to the current administration.
Notably, Canadian travel to the US is on the decline, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. In February, the number of Canadians returning from US trips decreased compared to the same month last year by both plane (-2.4%) and car (-23%) arrivals. The dip is “the first year-over-year decline since March 2021 for the air indicator,” the report says.
As the US-Canada trade war continues, more Canadians are boycotting travel to America, and Canadian airlines are cutting seat capacity and flight routes to the US amid shifting consumer demand. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told citizens to prioritize domestic travel ahead of peak summer travel season: “Now is the time to choose Canada,” he said in March. “It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites, and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.” The top US states visited by Canadians—Florida, California, Nevada, New York, and Texas—could see declines in retail and hospitality revenue as a result, the US Travel Association warned.
Rachel Kingswell, general manager of Travel Associates Australia and New Zealand, says the US is still one of its top global destinations, spurred by the desire to visit iconic cities like New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. Destinations including Montana, the Rocky Mountains, and New England are actually on the rise, she adds.
Whether or not the recent uptick in travel warnings to the US will cause a significant impact on tourism is still to be seen. Below, we've rounded up the countries that have issued or updated advisories to their citizens regarding US travel so far.
Which countries have issued travel warnings against the US?
France
France joined other European nations issuing a warning the evening of March 24 by revising its foreign ministry’s travel advice. Citizens heading to the US are now “strongly recommended” to consult the embassy site and their airlines to “check for any changes or new measures adopted.”
Specifically, it notes that those applying for a new visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) should be aware of the US presidential decree made on January 20, that requires “the indication of ‘sex at birth.’" Transgender citizens are advised to check the State Department's online FAQ or e-mail American consular authorities in France at ParisVisaInquiry@state.gov before travel.
Canada
With 20.4 million visits from Canada in 2024, the US' northern neighbour is its top driver of international visitors, generating $20.5 billion (Rs 250 crores) in spending. Starting on April 11, 2025, Canadians staying in the US for longer than 30 days will be required to register with the US government.
The Canadian government has added information to its US travel guidance on the new entry and exit rules, cautioning that failure to register via a I-94 form or the new Form G-325R on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) site “could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanor prosecution.”
“This is interesting because there has been this immigration rule for citizens of other countries, but in the Canadian case was never really rigorously or strictly enforced,” Yu says. “Now the Canadian government is saying, make sure you follow the rules.”
Yu notes there is still “some uncertainty and concerns” regarding the new process as the digital immigration portal rolls out (at the time of publication, a technical support banner is the first thing on the myUSCIS site).
Denmark
While no Danish citizens have been detained, the Scandinavian country warned transgender travellers on March 20 to take caution while travelling to the US. “Even though there’s no precedent, the current administration has changed registrations specifying there are two genders, and that’s a clear concern for the transgender community,” Yu says.
Germany
Germany first updated its US travel advisory on March 19 to note that visa and entry waivers don’t guarantee entry, after several of its citizens were detained. Germany's foreign office also added updates regarding gender identification, stating “travellers to the USA must state either ‘male’ or ‘female’ on ESTA or visa applications” and that those with an “X” gender marker or whose gender is different than that assigned at birth should consult with the US diplomatic mission in Germany before crossing the border.
Finland
The Nordic nation updated its US travel advisory on March 14, warning its citizens that if their passports have a different gender marker than that assigned at birth that “US authorities may refuse entry.”
United Kingdom
The UK has recently updated its US travel advisory for British travellers bound for America with stricter wording: While in February, it stated, “the authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules,” the language was changed in March to say those rules are enforced “strictly.”
“They’re basically telling people to double check the requirements because it’s very difficult to pinpoint any specifics right now,” Yu says, citing the examples of European travellers, including a UK national, being detained at the border in recent weeks. “It’s a very general advisory: Do your homework and if you aren’t sure, check with the US embassy."
While the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs still has the US listed as green in its level for safe travel, its travel advice page was modified on March 25 adding: "Please note that laws and customs in the US towards LGBTQ+ persons may differ from those in the Netherlands."
Belgium
According to local news outlets, Belgium is working on an update to its advisory that will reflect both the recent tighter border control and potential challenges to the greater LGBTQ+ community.
Portugal
Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently updated its travel guidance for citizens visiting the US, noting that “possession of an ESTA or visa does not automatically entitle you to entry into the United States. The final decision is always made by the border agent upon arrival in the United States.” It also advises non-binary travellers to "complete forms and provide declarations upon arrival with the gender with which they were identified at birth.”
Ireland
Ireland updated its travel guidance for the US on March 28, 2025 to include advice for transgender Irish citizens, stating: “ESTA and visa application forms to the US require travellers to declare their sex. The US authorities have indicated that this should reflect, what they term, the traveller’s biological sex at birth. Travellers who have an 'X' marker on their passport or whose sex on their passport differs from sex assigned at birth should contact the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin for further details on specific entry requirements.”
Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs also notes that the US states of Arizona, Utah, Indiana, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama have introduced legislation to combat illegal immigration that authorizes “police officers to seek information on an individual’s immigration status and to detain people they suspect of being in the US illegally." They suggest that travellers carry their documents with them at all times in case they are asked to present them by law enforcement officials.
**This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available. **
First published on Condé Nast Traveler US