Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

STEP – one of the best things you can do when traveling overseas

One of the best things you can do during this busy holiday travel season (besides putting AirTags in your luggage to find out why they’re in Pago Pago instead of Paris) is to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) when traveling overseas.

The STEP program is a free service provided by the US government that allows US citizens traveling or living abroad to receive the latest security updates from the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

When you enroll in STEP, you’ll provide the details of your specific trip, including dates of arrival and departure for the countries you choose. Once you’re enrolled, the State Department will send you the latest safety and security information for your destination(s) including:

• Alerts from the U.S. Embassy about safety and security
• Updates to the country’s Travel Advisory.
• Messages about U.S. embassy events and services, such as town hall meetings, voting information, federal benefits, and U.S. citizens' legal obligations (taxes, selective service registration, etc.).

Also, once you’ve enrolled, you can add trips later for all your future travel plans, so no need to re-enroll for each trip.

Enrolling in STEP helps the U.S. Embassy contact you and provide assistance during an emergency overseas. And, if your family or friends in the U.S. are having difficulty contacting you with urgent news while you’re traveling, the Embassy can use the information in STEP to try and reach you.

To enroll in STEP, visit https://step.state.gov/step/ and sign up. You can also visit a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in person to enroll or fill out a paper enrollment form and mail it to the appropriate Embassy or Consulate for the country you’ll be visiting, or to the Department of State.