Micronesia

Is Micronesia safe to visit?

Yes, for most travellers. The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has a US Level 1 advisory, last reissued on 6 July 2026, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes crime as low. The things that go wrong here are weather, health and distance: a Category 5 typhoon sat over Chuuk Lagoon in April 2026, dengue keeps returning, and serious illness means a flight to Guam. We score the FSM 71, below Samoa (75) and Fiji (78).

This is also a page built on thin data. The FSM has about 114,000 people spread over four states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) and hundreds of islands. Crime and road statistics are sparse, the Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary leaves the country out, and a single death changes the rates a lot. Our confidence is low, and the numbers below are best read as rough bands.

How much crime is there?

Little that touches visitors. UNODC has one year for the FSM, 0.91 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary in 2019, which is about one killing. WHO's model gives 4.8 (WHO modelled estimate, 2021), with a range from 2.5 to 8.7. Neither number is a reliable trend, so we score violent crime at 76, inside the 3–8 band WHO points to, rather than at the near-zero UNODC figure.

Where the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary does see a pattern, it is specific: risk is higher at night, when alcohol is involved, and in Chuuk State. It also reports sexual assaults and advises extra care when alone in isolated places after dark or early in the morning. Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap are quieter. Petty theft and tourist scams are not a notable problem.

Typhoons and the Chuuk recovery

Natural hazards are the FSM's weakest factor. Typhoon Sinlaku stalled over Chuuk Lagoon from 9 to 12 April 2026, strengthening from a tropical depression to a Category 5 super typhoon with peak winds of 177 mph on 13 April, according to UN OCHA. Chuuk State and the national government declared states of emergency, and storm surge, saltwater intrusion and long outages left food, safe water and shelter as the main needs for weeks. Capsized vessels in Weno port had to be inspected and their fuel tanks sealed.

Typhoon risk is highest in the western states, Yap and Chuuk, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also warns of floods and severe droughts. Many outer islands are low atolls only a few metres above the sea, where king tides and sea-level rise already push salt water into gardens and wells. If a typhoon warning is issued, follow your hotel's instructions and expect flights and boats to stop.

Health care and disease

The FSM is free of malaria and, according to CDC, rabid dogs are not commonly found. Mosquito-borne disease is the main concern. Chuuk had low but ongoing dengue transmission in early 2026, with 13 laboratory-confirmed cases between December 2025 and mid-February, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists Zika too. In early 2026 Pohnpei also reported a norovirus outbreak that killed two young children and a cluster of whooping cough (pertussis) cases, according to the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network. CDC recommends hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines.

Each state has one government-run hospital (ASTHO), but the FCDO says facilities are "limited but adequate for uncomplicated treatment". Anything more, including heart problems, major injuries and serious diving accidents, means evacuation to Guam or Australia. For a wreck diver in Chuuk, that is the point to plan around: check your insurer covers air ambulance evacuation and decompression illness, and dive conservatively.

Roads: two very different numbers

Road deaths show how far official estimates can drift from the counts. WHO's modelled estimate is 14.1 deaths per 100,000 for 2021. The 2019 World Bank series, which in the FSM's case reflects reported deaths, is 0.2, and it stayed between 0 and 2.9 every year from 2010 to 2019. The truth is probably in between, as small island systems miss deaths, but we score on the WHO 2021 estimate as for other countries, which gives 60.

In practice, roads are short, slow and often potholed, especially in Weno after the typhoon. The hazards are pedestrians, dogs and unlit stretches at night, plus drink-driving. Drive slowly and avoid driving after dark outside town.

How to stay safe

• Carry cash. The currency is the US dollar and ATMs are limited outside the state capitals.
• Buy a local SIM; UK phones have no roaming here.
• Keep your passport with you, as you clear immigration even on domestic flights.
• In Chuuk, go out at night with your hotel's transport rather than on foot.
• Call 911 in an emergency, and buy insurance that covers evacuation to Guam.

How we scored it

Conflict (92) and petty crime (82) are the strongest factors: no security threat, little theft. Natural hazards (55) and health (55) are the weakest, for typhoons like Sinlaku and the need for evacuation in a serious emergency. Road safety (60) uses WHO's 2021 estimate, which is far above the reported counts. With one year of homicide data and roads data that disagree by a factor of 70, confidence is low.