Haiti · Close Protection & Executive Security
Close Protection in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Close protection in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. FCDO advises against all travel. Extreme gang control and state collapse require specialist security for any essential operations.
Planning travel to Port-au-Prince? Speak with a security consultant.
Port-au-Prince is the capital of Haiti and the country’s principal commercial and administrative centre, with a metropolitan population of approximately 2.5 million. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has experienced prolonged political instability, natural disasters, and, since 2021, a cascading security collapse that has left large areas of the capital under gang control. The country’s economy has historically been dependent on remittances from the diaspora, garment manufacturing for US brands, and international aid and NGO operations. Most of these activities have been severely disrupted by the security environment.
Critical advisory: FCDO advises against all travel
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel to Haiti. The US State Department classifies Haiti at Level 4 (Do Not Travel). These are the highest advisory levels both governments issue, and they reflect a genuine and severe threat environment, not a precautionary position. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) reported in 2024-2025 that approximately 85% of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area is under gang control or direct gang influence. The gang coalition Viv Ansanm, which emerged in 2023-2024, conducted mass kidnappings, attacked state infrastructure including police facilities, and effectively forced the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in March 2024. A Transitional Presidential Council assumed nominal authority in 2024-2025 with international backing, but effective state control over Port-au-Prince remains severely limited.
Kidnapping is endemic. BINUH documented thousands of kidnapping cases in 2023-2024, affecting Haitian nationals and foreign visitors alike, including aid workers and diplomatic contractors. There is no reliable national emergency response infrastructure across most of the city. Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) experienced gang-related closure in 2024 and has operated intermittently since. Any visit to Port-au-Prince must be treated as a specialist high-risk deployment, not a standard corporate travel assignment.
Essential operations: minimum security requirements
For the small number of organisations whose operational mandates require a presence in Port-au-Prince - including humanitarian organisations, development finance institutions, and some diplomatic contractors - the minimum security requirements are specialist close protection from operators with active Haiti experience and vetted local networks, compound-based accommodation in Petionville or Tabarre, no independent movement at any time, armed escort for all vehicle movements, and medical evacuation insurance with a Haiti-experienced provider. Standard corporate security arrangements are not adequate. Contact our bodyguard hire team for specialist Haiti-capable operator referrals, and see our security drivers page for vetted transport options. Sources: FCDO Haiti travel advice (2026); US State Dept Haiti Level 4 advisory (2026); UN Security Council BINUH reports (2024-2025).
Threat Profile
Extreme Gang Violence and Territorial Control
Port-au-Prince is subject to one of the most severe gang environments of any capital city in the Western Hemisphere. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) reported in 2024-2025 that approximately 85% of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area is under gang control or direct gang influence. The gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm, formed in 2023-2024, united previously rival groups and conducted mass kidnapping operations, attacks on state infrastructure, and armed assaults on the National Penitentiary and police facilities. Armed confrontations between gang coalitions and Haitian National Police (PNH) occur continuously. Source: UN Security Council BINUH reports (2024-2025).
Kidnapping
Haiti has recorded among the highest kidnapping rates of any country in the world in recent years. BINUH documented thousands of kidnapping cases in 2023-2024, with victims including Haitian nationals, foreign nationals, children, and humanitarian workers. Ransom demands have ranged from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Both express kidnappings and planned targeted abductions are documented. Any foreign national in Port-au-Prince faces a serious kidnapping risk regardless of their perceived wealth or profile.
State Collapse and Security Vacuum
Haiti experienced a cascading political and security collapse following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned in March 2024 under direct gang pressure, with the Viv Ansanm coalition seizing key infrastructure and blocking his return to the country. A Transitional Presidential Council was established in 2024-2025 with international backing, but effective state authority over much of Port-au-Prince remains severely limited. The formal emergency response infrastructure, including police, medical services, and transport, is not reliably available across the city. Source: US State Dept Haiti Level 4 advisory (2026).
Vetted operators with direct experience in Port-au-Prince
Available Services in Port-au-Prince
Security Drivers
Vetted, licensed security drivers for airport transfers and in-city movement.
Bodyguard Hire
Close protection officers for senior principals and visiting executives.
Executive Protection
Structured EP programmes for principals with elevated risk profiles.
Risk Assessment
Pre-travel security assessment covering the current threat environment.
Security Regulations
Key regulatory requirements for operating security services in Port-au-Prince.
Firearms Policy
Haiti's formal regulatory environment for private security has effectively collapsed as of 2025-2026. No reliable national licencing authority is functioning consistently. Operations must be managed through international security management companies with Haiti-specific vetted local networks and their own arms licencing arrangements.
Licensing
No functioning national private security regulatory authority is operating consistently in Port-au-Prince as of 2026. Operators must be selected through international security firms with verified Haiti experience, long-standing local networks, and active operations in-country. Do not engage unknown local security companies without extensive vetting.
Foreign Operators
Given the collapse of formal state structures, the normal framework for foreign operator authorisation cannot be applied. Security operations in Haiti must be coordinated with international organisations (UN system, USAID security contractors) and through operators with pre-existing vetted local networks. Any operation in Port-au-Prince must be treated as a specialist high-risk deployment.
Zone Intelligence
Lower-Risk Areas
- Petionville (southeastern hills): The most secure residential and commercial zone in the Port-au-Prince metro. Contains international hotels, some embassy residences, NGO offices, and higher-income Haitian residential areas. Security conditions are substantially better than downtown PAP, but the area is not immune to kidnapping and armed robbery.
- Tabarre (international zone): Location of some international organisation compounds, diplomatic residences, and NGO facilities. Higher security standards within compound perimeters.
Elevated-Risk Areas
- Downtown Port-au-Prince: Subject to heavy gang control. Commercial district and government quarter are not safely accessible for international visitors without an armed escort from a specialist Haiti operator and current intelligence.
- Cite Soleil: Longstanding gang stronghold. FCDO advises against all travel. No business justification exists for international visitors to enter this area.
- Carrefour and Martissant: Gang-controlled corridors that block land access to the southern peninsula. These areas are effectively closed to independent movement.
Emergency Contacts
Haitian National Police Emergency
114
MSF Emergency Medical Care
Contact MSF Haiti country office
US Embassy Port-au-Prince (for US nationals and welfare enquiries)
+509 2229 8000
British Embassy (nearest, Santo Domingo)
+1 809 472 7111
Important Warnings
- THE FCDO ADVISES AGAINST ALL TRAVEL TO HAITI. This is the highest level of travel warning the UK government issues. Any travel to Port-au-Prince must be treated as a specialist high-risk deployment requiring experienced operators, current intelligence, and contingency planning for medical evacuation and extraction. Source: FCDO Haiti travel advice (2026).
- The US State Department classifies Haiti at Level 4 (Do Not Travel) as of 2026. This is the highest US advisory level. Source: US State Dept Haiti travel advisory (2026).
- Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in Port-au-Prince has experienced severe disruption. Gang activity in 2024 shut the airport and threatened the perimeter. Operations have been intermittent. Confirm airport operational status immediately before any planned departure. Private charter via Cap-Haitien (CAP) in northern Haiti, which has a comparatively more stable environment, may be a viable alternative entry point for specific operations.
- There is no reliable national ambulance service across Port-au-Prince. Serious medical incidents in gang-controlled areas may not receive timely emergency response. Medical evacuation insurance with a provider experienced in Haiti operations is essential. MSF maintains emergency medical capacity in Haiti. Plan for medical evacuation before any visit.
- Kidnapping risk applies to all international visitors regardless of profile. Avoid establishing any predictable patterns of movement, even within Petionville. Vary routes and timings. Maintain minimal public visibility and avoid disclosing your organisation, employer, or accommodation to unknown contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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