Advisory level 2 or higher
Increased caution, reconsider travel or do not travel — the embassy's alerts are the fastest source of change on the ground.
U.S. Department of State · free program
Register your trip with the nearest U.S. embassy
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) tells the closest U.S. embassy or consulate that you are in the country. If there is an earthquake, an evacuation, a coup or a family emergency at home, that is how they reach you. It takes about ten minutes and costs nothing.
What you get
- Safety and security alerts for your destination, sent to your email.
- A way for the embassy to contact you during a natural disaster, civil unrest or a crisis affecting Americans in the country.
- A way for family or friends in the U.S. to reach you through the embassy.
- Faster help replacing a lost or stolen passport abroad, because the post already has your record.
What it is not
- Not a visa, and not a substitute for one. Check entry requirements separately.
- Not a passport application or renewal.
- Not location tracking — nothing follows your phone or your movements.
- Not travel insurance. It does not pay for evacuation or medical care.
- Not a guarantee of rescue. It is a contact channel, not an entitlement.
Should you enroll?
Any American abroad can enroll. It matters most in these situations.
Long stays and study abroad
A semester, a work posting or an extended stay means more chance conditions change while you are there.
Families with children
One account can cover every traveler, so the embassy knows who is with you.
Dual nationals
Consular access can be limited in a country of your other nationality. Being on record helps.
Remote or adventure travel
Trekking, diving, safari or off-grid regions where communication may be lost.
Hurricane and monsoon seasons
Weather-driven evacuations move fast. Alerts land in your inbox before the news does.
Pick how you want to enroll
One trip
The common case. Answer three short screens, get a summary of everything the official form asks for, then complete it on state.gov.
Prepare one tripAll my saved trips
Signed in? Pull any trip from your account into the enrollment prep, and track which ones are already registered.
Open my accountFamily or group
One STEP account can list every traveler on the trip. Set the traveler count in the wizard and print a summary sheet per person.
Prepare a groupHave these ready before you start
- Passport book number, issue date and expiration date, for every traveler.
- Arrival and departure dates for each country you will be in.
- Your address abroad — hotel, host family, dorm or office.
- A phone number that works overseas, plus your email.
- An emergency contact in the United States, with phone and email.
- Your U.S. home address.
Travel budget calculator
Estimate the paperwork side of a trip: visa fees, passport costs and travel insurance. Government amounts come from our verified fee tables; insurance is shown as a market range.
Estimated cost
- Passport fees (1 × $0)
- $0
- Visa or entry fee — choose a country
- $0
- Travel insurance (4–8% of trip cost)
- $100 – $200
Total estimate
$100 – $200
Estimates only. Government fees change and insurance pricing depends on age, coverage and medical history — always confirm on the official source before you pay.
How your information is handled
You complete our registration form here and we store it as your record: name, email, phone, trip dates, address abroad and emergency contact. We never ask for passport or Social Security numbers. The official State Department roster still lives on mytravel.state.gov — there is no public API that lets any third party file for you, so your confirmation page carries a one-click link to file the same details there, and you can mark it done in one tap.
STEP questions, answered
- Is STEP free?
- Yes. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is a free service of the U.S. Department of State. There is no fee to enroll a trip, and no company can charge you to do it for you.
- Do I need a passport number to enroll?
- Yes — the official State Department form asks for your passport details. You enter them directly on mytravel.state.gov. We never ask for, collect or store your passport number.
- Does STEP replace a visa or a passport?
- No. STEP is only a safety registration. You still need a valid passport and any visa or travel authorization the destination requires.
- Does the government track me if I enroll?
- No. STEP records the trip details you choose to submit so the nearest embassy can contact you. It does not track your location or your movements.
- Can I enroll for my whole family?
- Yes. One STEP account can hold multiple travelers and multiple trips. Add each family member as a traveler on the same trip record.
- What if my plans change after I enroll?
- Sign back in to your STEP account and update or delete the trip. Keeping dates and your foreign address current is what makes the alerts useful.