Are you traveling or living outside the United States? Our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that sends you email updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy.
Get U.S. embassy updates in your inbox while you’re abroad.
Join our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) today.
When you subscribe to STEP, you get important updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy for the destination you are visiting or living in. STEP messages are sent to your email. It also helps the U.S. embassy contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency.
You’ll receive messages for emergency situations with instructions on what to do, so you can make informed travel decisions. STEP messages include:
Follow these simple instructions to start using the STEP program.
The STEP program is ideal for anyone traveling or living abroad.
Contact the help center if you have any technical issues using your STEP account.
The U.S. Department of State is committed to ensuring that any personal information received by our overseas U.S. embassies and consulates pursuant to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) process, whether in person or otherwise, is safeguarded against unauthorized disclosure. The data that you provide the U.S. Department of State is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act (5 USC § 552a). This means that the U.S. Department of State will not disclose the information you provide us in your STEP application to any third parties unless you have given us written authorization to do so, or unless the disclosure is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.
AUTHORITY: The information solicited in this form is requested pursuant to provisions in 22 U.S.C. § 2715 and 22 U.S.C. § 4802(b) of the U.S. Code and 22 C.F.R. § 71.1 and 22 C.F.R. § 71.6 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
PURPOSE: To notify and assist U.S. nationals in the event of a disaster, emergency, or other crisis, and for evacuation coordination.
ROUTINE USES: The information solicited in this form will become part of the Overseas Citizens Services System of Records and may be disclosed to another domestic government agency, a private contractor, a foreign government agency, or to a private person in accordance with certain approved routine uses. These routine uses include, but are not limited to, law enforcement activities, employment verification, fraud prevention, border security, counterterrorism, litigation activities, and activities that meet the Secretary of State's responsibility to protect U.S. citizens and non-citizen nationals abroad. The information may also be made available to private U.S. nationals, known as citizen liaison volunteers, designated by U.S. embassies to assist in communicating with the private U.S. community in an emergency. More information on the Routine Uses for the system can be found in the System of Records Notice, State-05, Overseas Citizen Services Records.
DISCLOSURE: Providing the information requested on this form is purely voluntary. Failure to provide the requested information on the form could make it more difficult for the Department to notify and assist the U.S. national in the event of an emergency.
