What Is the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)? Why Every International Traveler Should Enroll
What France reminded us this month
In mid-October, protests that started with students in France grew into nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and school conditions. On October 17, crowds filled streets in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other cities. Some groups set fires and damaged shops and public buildings, and police made more than 1,800 arrests.
Most travelers in France were never in danger. But plenty of them spent that weekend wondering which streets to avoid, whether their train would run, and how to know what was happening. That's exactly the gap STEP helps fill.
What the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
is
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. When you register a trip, you get email alerts about safety, security, health, and weather issues where you're going.
It also does two quieter things that matter a lot in a crisis:
The nearest U.S. embassy or consulate knows you're in the country and how to reach you.
Family at home has a way to get word to you through official channels if there's an emergency.
How to sign up
Go to mytravel.state.gov/s/step, create an account, and add your trip. It takes a few minutes. Once your account is set up, adding future trips is even faster. You can enroll before you leave or while you're already traveling, and you'll register each new trip separately.
While you're there, check the travel advisory for your destination. The State Department rates every country from Level 1 (exercise normal caution) to Level 4 (do not travel).
What STEP doesn't do
STEP keeps you informed and findable. It doesn't pay for a canceled train, a missed flight, a hotel change, or a medical bill. If your plans get disrupted by unrest, the right travel insurance policy can help with costs like trip interruption or emergency evacuation, depending on the plan and when you bought it.
Think of the two as a pair. STEP tells you what's happening. Insurance helps you handle what it costs.
Your five-minute to-do
Before your next international trip, enroll in STEP, check your destination's advisory, and make sure your travel insurance covers the kind of trip you're taking. If you're not sure what your policy covers, I'm happy to look at it with you.
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