Traveling to unfamiliar locations abroad can present a myriad of challenges. Encountering security, legal, financial or medical issues while away from home can be daunting. Fortunately, the United States Department of State provides a number of resources to help mitigate such travel risks.
One resource is: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/. Here the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs posts Travel Advisories. Travel Advisories are issued for each country of the world, follow a consistent format and use plain language to help U.S. citizens find and use important security information. Travel Advisories apply up to four standard levels of advice, i.e., Levels 1-4, describe the risks, and provide clear actions U.S. citizens should take to help ensure their safety.
U.S. embassies and consulates abroad issue Travel Alerts to inform U.S. citizens of specific safety and security concerns in a country, such as demonstrations, crime trends, and weather events. A standard, easy-to-read format makes them easy to access, understand, and take action.
Country-by-country information for every country of the world is provided on the travel website. Postings include the location of the U.S. Embassy and Consular offices, visa requirements, crime and security information, and health and medical considerations. It is prudent to access this information before traveling to a specific country(ies).
Another resource maintained by the Department of State is the network of U.S. Consulates. A consulate may be co-located with an embassy or maintain a separate location. There may be multiple consulate locations. Consular Agencies are located in some countries. These agencies provide a limited number of services. Travelers should make certain that they have contact information for the nearest U.S. Embassy, Consulate or Consular Agency with them when they travel abroad.
The Department of State encourages U.S. citizens traveling abroad to notify the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate with their contact information. This facilitates getting in contact with the traveler in the event of an emergency, or to provide important safety and security information or support during a crisis. The Department of State has made notification easy by instituting the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program: http://step.state.go.
STEP streamlines the notification process. By visiting the program’s website U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad can enroll a trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The site also allows registrants to receive country specific Travel Advisories and Travel Alerts by email notification. Frequent travelers can create an account and enroll individual trips separately. Enrollment in STEP is free and can help the U.S. Embassy get in touch in the event of an emergency.
A few simple steps taken before traveling abroad can help make travel safer. The Department of State provides a number of tools to facilitate the process.