5 Reasons You Need the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
Have you ever heard of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)? It a free, safety service for US citizens either traveling or living abroad. Enrolling in STEP makes it easier for the local US Embassy to contact you, pinpoint your location, and help in case of a travel emergency. Such emergencies can include civil unrest, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or a family emergency. Smart Traveler Enrollment partners with the US Embassy and provides three, critical benefits while you’re traveling internationally:
✅ Sends updates on local safety and security situations
✅ Alerts you of current travel advisories in your destination
✅ Stores your contact information & assists loved ones to contact you
By registering your trip before you leave, the US Embassy will have an easier time contacting you and your loved ones during a travel emergency. Ready to sign up for your next trip? You can enroll your next trip here. If not, here are five, compelling reasons you should consider the Smart Traveler Enrollment for your international travels.
1. You’re traveling to an unstable region
STEP works best in times of crisis–when you need it most. If you’re entering a country with travel warnings, whether from crime trends, political demonstrations, or weather events, STEP provides travel alerts and emergency assistance to help keep you safe.
2. You’re overseas for months or living abroad
If you’re traveling for six months or more, you may want to consider additional travel protection. Or, if you’re living abroad, STEP provides the American expat with messages about local US Embassy events and services such as voting information, townhall meetings, and legal obligations for US citizens living abroad. You don’t want to miss critical information or an important deadline!
3. You’ll have limited phone and internet access
Maybe you’re traveling somewhere with inadequate coverage. Without the ability to check-in with loved ones, you or your family may feel anxious, especially if you’re going overseas. STEP will add reassurance and give you confidence, as it will help your loved ones contact you in case of a travel emergency.
4. You’re attending a worldwide event
Think Olympics. If attending a global event, you’re joining hundreds and thousands of tourists from around the world. Increasing people and publicity also increases the probability of entering a targeted area. If an emergency were to occur, it might become difficult to pinpoint your location or contact you. Be smart. Be safe. Take the extra steps to enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment before you leave.
5. You want added travel protection
Although STEP isn’t a travel insurance policy, it’s a “step” in the right direction. STEP’s number one priority is to keep traveling US citizens informed, connected, and safe. You’ll feel at ease no matter where you go.
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Why Should I Sign Up for The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program?
It is time for that big adventure! You are almost ready to go when someone says, what will you do if (insert something horrible) happens? Luckily for you, you read our Have a Safety Plan from our ABCs of Self-Defense. You know that it is important to have a safety plan and one of the best actions that you can take is to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Note: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase a product through my link, The Ninja Gypsy will make a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
What is STEP?
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service provided by the U.S. government to give U.S. citizens and nationals the ability to enroll their trip, traveling or living abroad, with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Benefits of Enrolling in STEP
Enrolling in STEP is clear and simple. First, it will supply you with up to date and important information from the Embassy about your destination country. It will provide the safety conditions, travel warnings, upcoming possible threats, and more.
Second, this program will help the U.S. Embassy contact you in case of an emergency. You will not be alone in case of a natural disaster, civil unrest, terrorist attack, or family emergency.
Third, the U.S. Department of State will have the ability to contact your family and friends in case of an emergency so that they may get a hold of you.
How to Enroll in STEP
1. Create a Profile and Give Access Permission
The first thing you must complete to register your trip with STEP is to create a personal profile. This will include providing your name, address, telephone number, email, emergency contacts, and a password. It is pretty simple and will only take a few minutes.
Note: You must authorize the disclosure of your contact information. If you do not, the U.S. State Department will be unable to notify any of your emergency contacts of your location because of the Privacy Act.
2. Enter Trip-Specific Information
Do you know where you are headed on your next trip? If you want, you can enter your trip information. This includes the country, time period, purpose, and a phone number and/or address. You can register multiple trips or countries as far in advance as you wish. By completing the trip registration, you will be able to receive destination specific emails detailing what is happening in the countries you are planning to visit. If something goes awry, the U.S. State Department will be able to contact you with up to date and accurate information.
3. Subscribe to Travel Advisories
You have the option to subscribe to travel advisories provided by the U.S. Department of State. All you have to do is provide your name, email, and desired countries. Simple, huh? You can change the countries at any time or unsubscribe with ease.
Resources Provided by STEP
Whether you enroll in STEP or not, you have the ability to use the resources provided by the U.S. Department of State: You can access information on what to know before your go, country information, life events while abroad, and emergencies.
Before you go, I suggest downloading the Traveler’s Checklist. Next, learn about your destination. They provide safety and security information about every country in the world. This includes everything from local laws to visa information. Be smart and informed about the country that you are traveling to.
Information is also provided for life events that happen while abroad such as marriage/divorce, birth/death, retirement, voting, and more. If you plan on doing something that could change your life forever or life simply happens, make sure that you do it correctly to cause less headache in the future.
In addition, they provide step-by step instructions on what to do in case of an emergency. Losing a passport, getting arrested, and needing evacuation are some of the topics that they cover to provide you with all the information you will need at those scary times.
Other Important Resources
Linked into the U.S. Department of State are two other resources that I recommend you review. First is the U.S. Department of State Diplomacy of Action website. Here you can learn about the relations between the U.S. and your destination country. Are we friends or foe; more importantly, how much help will the U.S. be able to help you while you are there.
Second, is U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security (OSAC). OSAC provides detailed crime and safety reports of your destination country. Learn what kind of crime is common in that country, where it occurs most often, and how to avoid it.
Know the Limits of STEP
This service isn’t like the movies. There will be no personal helicopter pick-up service if you have an emergency. There are limits to what the U.S. State Department can do, especially given what country you are in. Learn what they can and can’t do for you as well as creating your own safety plan to fill in the gaps.
Note: STEP if for U.S. citizens and nationals only. Do not fear, many countries have programs like these. For example, the one for Canada is HERE!
My Experience with STEP
I have been enrolled in STEP since my first backpacking trip through Europe in 2016. Since then, I have always kept my travels current by inputting my destinations in advance. This service has provided me with wonderful information. This has included an earthquake notice, warnings of possibly violent protests, and more. I am always grateful when I receive an email because I know that the U.S. is looking out for me and wants me to be safe, just like I do.
Going to a foreign country shouldn’t be scary, therefore taking the necessary safety precautions will help ease some of that stress away. This program is simple and easy, and it may just save your life!
Want to learn more about staying safe while abroad? Take a peek at our safety advice HERE!
Everything you need to know about the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
Ethan Steinberg has been a frequent flier for as long as he can remember. He went from studying abroad in Paris to moving to Shanghai after graduating college, where he covered all things travel in the Asia-Pacific region for TPG.
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While careful planning and common sense are two of the best ways to stay safe when traveling, security situations can change very rapidly in foreign countries — and if you’re not carefully following the news, you might miss an important update.
That’s why the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has created the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to help keep you up-to-date on relevant security updates from the nearest U.S. consulate, wherever in the world you happen to be.
Today we’ll take a look at who should register for STEP and what the sign-up process looks like.
Who should register for sTEP?
The primary purpose of STEP is to keep American citizens safe. While you probably don’t need to register if you’re taking a weekend trip to Canada, here are a few reasons to consider signing up:
- You’re traveling to an area that’s politically unstable or prone to violence.
- You’re taking an extended trip (several weeks or months-long) where you may have limited internet access.
- You’re traveling for a major event, summit or conference (like the World Cup) that might become the target of protests or attacks.
- You’re a minority traveling to an area where you might be targeted as an outsider.
- You’d like an additional safety resource during your trip, no matter the destination.
Some group trips or programs may even require participants to enroll. When I studied abroad in Paris during college, we weren’t allowed to so much as begin our housing applications until we’d submitted proof of enrollment in STEP. This, unfortunately, proved to be a very useful tool, as the devastating 2015 Paris attacks took place during our program. Before the official number of casualties had been announced, my university was able to work with the U.S. embassy and confirm in mere hours that every member of our program was safe.
In the event of a rapidly deteriorating situation, such as a coup or natural disaster, STEP can connect you with evacuation efforts, or provide important safety information and help you take care of yourself.
How to register
The registration process is broken down into two steps. First, you’ll have to create an account and fill in your personal information (date of birth; passport info), contact information and provide emergency contacts. This process is incredibly straightforward and can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Once your account is set up, you’ll need to log in and register each specific trip or residence abroad. You repeat this process for each new trip if you’d like to receive STEP alerts.
You’ll then be prompted to fill in information about your upcoming trip and select the nearest U.S. consulate to where you’ll be staying.
Note that “destination” refers to the country, not specific city, state or territory, and the available options will auto-fill as you type.
You’ll then fill in the dates of your trip, the reason you’re traveling and how you can be reached while abroad.
The entire process takes less than 60 seconds, after which you’ll be brought to a page of specific information for your country.
When I registered for my move to China, one thing jumped out at me: a link to follow the State Department on WeChat (the prominent Chinese messaging app similar to WhatsApp). It’s great to see the State Department working to make communication seamless and finding a way to reach me on the platform I’m already using, increasing the chance that I’ll see important alerts.
I also found it interesting that the information presented was about China as a whole: not Shanghai, where I’m currently living (though it’s certainly possible that there are no specific alerts for the Shanghai area at the moment). Another thing that gave me pause? This bulletin was last updated in January 2018. The U.S.-China relationship is dynamic, to say the least, and a lot has happened recently. While I don’t think the information presented is necessarily out of date, just because you enroll in STEP does not mean you should close your eyes and stop paying attention to developments around you.
Bottom line
STEP is a lot like travel insurance: If all goes well, you’ll never need to use it and you might even forget you have it. But unfortunately, bad things do still happen all the time, all over the world. When things go wrong and your local U.S. embassy or consulate kicks into high gear to make sure all Americans in their jurisdiction are safe and accounted for, STEP notifications can be incredibly important. Since the entire sign-up process takes less than five minutes, you should really just sit down and do it.
Source https://www.volunteercard.com/2019/07/5-reasons-you-need-the-smart-traveler-enrollment-program/
Source https://theninjagypsy.com/why-should-i-sign-up-for-the-smart-traveler-enrollment-program/
Source https://thepointsguy.com/guide/smart-traveler-enrollment-program-step/