Although careful planning and common sense are two of the best ways to stay safe when traveling, security situations can change quickly in foreign countries.
That is why the Office of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State has created the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to help you stay informed about relevant security updates from the nearest US consulate, wherever you are in the world.
Below we explain how to register in STEP.
Who should register for PASO?
The primary goal of STEP is to keep American citizens safe. Here are some reasons to consider signing up:
- You are traveling to an area that is politically unstable or prone to violence.
- You are taking an extended trip (several weeks or months) with limited Wi-Fi access
- You are traveling to attend an important event, summit or conference (such as the World Cup) that could become the target of protests or attacks.
- Travel to an area prone to natural disasters (such as the Caribbean during hurricane season)
- You are a member of a minority and traveling to an area where you might be considered an outsider.
- You want an additional safety feature during your trip, regardless of the destination
Some trips or group programs may require participants to register. For example, I had to register when I studied at university abroad.
In the event of a rapidly deteriorating situation, such as a coup d’état or natural disaster, STEP can connect you to evacuation efforts or provide you with important safety information and help you take care of yourself.
How to register
To register, create a Login.gov account and complete your personal information.
Once your account is set up, log in and record each specific trip or residence abroad. You will repeat this process for each new trip to receive STEP alerts.
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You will then be asked to register any upcoming trips to receive STEP notifications. Fill out your travel dates, the reason you are traveling, and how you can be contacted while you are abroad. If there are timely alerts specific to your destination, you will also be notified at this time.
Select the United States Consulate closest to where you will be staying. Please note that “destination” refers to the country (not a specific city, state or territory) and the available options will be automatically populated as you type.
You will also be asked to add an emergency contact for each trip.
In a nutshell
It may be helpful to think of STEP as travel insurance: if all goes well, you won’t need to use it and might even forget you have it.
However, if something goes wrong while traveling abroad, your local US embassy is the quickest way to get help; The embassy’s goal is to ensure that all Americans in its jurisdiction are safe and responsible. This is when STEP notifications can become incredibly important.
Although the website estimates that it will take approximately 20 minutes to complete, the entire registration process took around five minutes and the ride registration process only took two to three minutes.
For additional resources, be sure to follow the State Department at X and mark your international travel page to know the latest alerts in the country.
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