What to know about the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service for U.S. citizens whenever they leave the country to live, work or play. It can help travelers stay connected and get important information to help them stay safe during their international travel. 

Learn how you can register your contact and travel information for your upcoming trip. 

What you’ll learn:

• The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, is a free service for U.S. citizens.

• STEP emails can warn you about health, weather, safety and security issues at your destination.

• Family at home can also use the information you provide in STEP to try to contact you if there’s an emergency. 

• You can enroll online, by mail or in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

STEP is a free service to help U.S. citizens traveling abroad stay connected and aware of potential emergencies. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs offers the program. 

Participants provide contact and travel information so the embassy can email travel warnings and advisories. STEP can also be used to help people at home stay connected.

Travelers can enroll in STEP online, by mail, or in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate. It might be useful for students studying abroad, expatriates who plan to live or work in another country and people traveling on vacation. 

STEP uses email to send alerts. Advisories are given a 1-4 risk level of a specific situation, which indicates whether you should cancel or consider your trip or take normal or increased precautions.

And you can request to be notified about:

• General news, updates and current events

• Dangerous weather conditions, such as blizzards, flash floods or extreme temperatures

• Natural disasters, such as volcano eruptions, wildfires, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis or earthquakes

• Health issues, such as disease outbreaks or sudden, severe air or water pollution 

• Civil unrest, such as riots or violent protests

• Security issues, such as terrorism, criminal activity or tourist attacks

• Evacuation instructions

Besides general travel alerts, the embassy can also provide helpful local information. That might include direction if you’re dealing with legal, medical or financial issues. The embassy might also have the names of English-speaking doctors or attorneys.

You can register an upcoming trip for STEP, or you can create an account on the STEP website that stores your information. If you travel often, that can make it faster to enroll new trips or update your information.

If you’re traveling with family, there’s an option to list accompanying travelers. Large groups can create an organization or group account.

You can also mail a paper form or fill it out in person at an embassy or consulate.

You can sign up for STEP before or during your trip abroad. It can help you stay connected with your family and informed about events that could affect your trip.

To prepare for your trip, you can also read a few tips about using a credit card while outside the U.S. And if you don’t have a credit card, you can learn how Capital One travel credit cards reward you for the way you travel.