How the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program can assist you on your next international journey

While careful planning and common sense are crucial for staying safe while traveling, security conditions can change quickly in other countries.

This is why the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs established the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to keep you informed about important security updates from the nearest U.S. consulate, no matter where you are in the world.

Here’s how to enroll in STEP.

Who should sign up for STEP?

The main aim of STEP is to ensure the safety of American citizens. Here are several reasons to think about registering:

• You’re visiting a region with political instability or a risk of violence.
• You’re planning an extended trip (lasting several weeks or months) with limited internet access.
• You’re attending a significant event, summit, or conference (like the World Cup) that could be targeted by protests or attacks.
• You belong to a minority group traveling to an area where you may be seen as an outsider.
• You want an extra layer of safety support during your travels, regardless of your destination.

Some group trips or programs may require participants to enroll. For example, I had to register when I studied abroad in college.

In case of a rapidly worsening situation, such as a coup or natural disaster, STEP can link you to evacuation resources or provide crucial safety updates to help you manage your situation.

How to enroll

To enroll, simply create an account and input your personal details along with your emergency contacts.

After setting up your account, log in and register each specific trip or stay abroad. Repeat this for every new journey to get STEP alerts.

You will then be asked to enroll any upcoming trips to receive STEP notifications. Choose the closest U.S. consulate to your location. Remember, 'destination' refers to the country, not a particular city or state, and the options will automatically fill in as you type.

Next, enter your trip dates, the purpose of your travel, and how to contact you while you're overseas. If there are any urgent alerts related to your destination, you'll receive that information at this stage.

In conclusion

You might think of STEP as akin to travel insurance: if everything goes smoothly, you won’t need to rely on it, and you might even forget it exists.

Yet, if something goes wrong while you're abroad, your nearest U.S. embassy is the fastest route to assistance; their mission is to ensure all Americans in their area are safe and accounted for. This is where STEP notifications become particularly crucial.

The whole sign-up process takes under five minutes, while registering for a trip takes around one minute.

For more resources, be sure to follow the State Department on Twitter and save their international travel page for the latest updates on country alerts.