How to Register for the Smart Traveler Program

What the Smart Traveler Program Does and Who Should Register

The Smart Traveler Program is a free service run by the U.S. State Department that sends you alerts about safety conditions, health emergencies, natural disasters, and other events that affect Americans traveling or living abroad. When you register, the State Department can contact you directly if a crisis happens in the country where you are, and your family can reach the embassy or consulate if they need to find you.

You do not have to register to travel internationally, but the program is most useful if you are spending more than a few days in one place, traveling to a country with known safety concerns, or traveling alone. Registration is free and takes about five minutes. You can register for multiple countries if you are planning to move between them.

The program does not track your location or monitor your movements. It simply keeps your contact information on file so the State Department can reach you if something happens in the specific country or region where you said you would be.

Key Takeaways

• You register through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) website, which is run by the U.S. State Department and costs nothing.
• Registration requires a valid U.S. passport number, your travel dates, and at least one way for the State Department to contact you (email or phone).
• You can register for one trip or multiple countries, and you can update or cancel your registration at any time.
• The program sends alerts about safety conditions, natural disasters, health emergencies, and other events that affect Americans in the countries where you registered.
• Your family members can also register to receive alerts about the same country, or they can use the emergency contact feature to reach you through the embassy if needed.

How to Register on the STEP Website

Go to step.state.gov and click "Create New Enrollment." You will need a valid U.S. passport number and your passport's expiration date. If you do not have your passport number memorized, have it nearby before you start.

Enter your full name, date of birth, and passport number exactly as they appear in your passport. The State Department uses this information to match you to your passport record, so any mismatch will cause problems later if you need help at an embassy. Then enter your email address and at least one phone number where you can be reached.

Select the country or countries where you will be traveling, and enter your expected arrival and departure dates. If you are not sure of exact dates, enter your best estimate — you can update this information later. The State Department uses these dates to know when to send you alerts and when to stop sending them.

Review all the information you entered, then click to confirm. You will receive a confirmation email at the address you provided. Save this confirmation or take a screenshot, because it contains your enrollment number.

What Information You Need Before You Start

Gather these details before you open the STEP website, so you do not have to leave the form and come back:

• Your U.S. passport number and expiration date
• Your full legal name as it appears in your passport
• Your date of birth
• Your email address
• At least one phone number (mobile or landline)
• The name of the country or countries where you will be
• Your expected arrival and departure dates

If you have a U.S. passport card instead of a book, you can use that number. If you do not yet have a passport, you cannot register until you receive one, because the State Department matches your enrollment to your passport record.

Updating Your Registration or Adding More Countries

Log back into step.state.gov using your email address and password to change your information. You can update your phone number, email address, travel dates, or emergency contact at any time. If your plans change and you are staying longer than you originally said, update your departure date before the old date passes.

To add a second country to your trip, log in and click "Add Enrollment." You will go through the same process again, entering the new country and dates. You can have multiple active enrollments at the same time, one for each country or region.

If you registered for a country but your plans changed and you are not going, you can cancel that enrollment by logging in and selecting the option to delete it. Canceling does not affect any other enrollments you have active.

How the State Department Contacts You During a Crisis

If a natural disaster, health emergency, security threat, or other major event happens in a country where you are registered, the State Department will send you an alert by email and phone call to the numbers you provided. These alerts tell you what is happening, what the U.S. embassy or consulate is doing, and what steps you should take.

Alerts are not sent for minor events or routine safety information — only for situations that directly affect Americans in that country. The State Department also publishes country-specific travel advisories on the Smart Traveler website, which you can read anytime without being registered.

If a crisis happens and you cannot reach your family, your family members can contact the embassy or consulate in the country where you registered and ask them to check on you. The embassy will use your enrollment information to locate you. This is why it is important to keep your contact information current.

What Happens If You Lose Your Password or Forget Your Enrollment Number

If you forget your password, go to step.state.gov and click "Forgot Password." Enter the email address you used to register, and the State Department will send you a link to create a new password. Check your spam folder if you do not see the email within a few minutes.

If you forget your enrollment number, log into your account and it will be displayed on your dashboard. You can also find it in the confirmation email you received when you registered. If you cannot find that email, log in to your account and take a screenshot of the enrollment number for your records.

If you cannot remember the email address you used to register, you will need to create a new enrollment with a different email address. The old enrollment will remain in the system, but you will not be able to access or update it.

Registering Family Members and Emergency Contacts

Each person traveling needs their own enrollment with their own passport number. You cannot register your spouse or children using your passport information. Have each family member create their own account on STEP using their own passport number and email address.

When you register, you can list a family member or friend as an emergency contact — someone the State Department can notify if something happens to you. This person does not need to be registered in STEP. You simply provide their name, relationship to you, and phone number.

If your family members want to receive the same alerts you do, they should register for the same country with their own accounts. This way, each person gets alerts directly rather than relying on one person to share information with the others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to register before I travel?

No, but registering before you leave is better because the State Department can contact you immediately if something happens. You can register after you arrive in a country, but you will miss any alerts sent before you registered. Registration takes about five minutes, so most travelers register a few days before departure.

What if I am traveling to multiple countries on one trip?

Create a separate enrollment for each country. Each enrollment has its own set of dates and alert settings. If you are moving between countries, register for each one with the dates you expect to be there. You can have up to 10 active enrollments at the same time.

Will the State Department know where I am if I register?

No. STEP does not track your location or monitor your movements. It only stores the country name and dates you provided when you registered. The State Department uses this information to send you alerts about that specific country, not to follow where you go within it.

Can I register if I do not have a U.S. passport yet?

No. STEP requires a valid passport number because the State Department matches your enrollment to your passport record. If you are still waiting for your passport to arrive, you can register as soon as you receive it and have your number.

What if I change my travel dates after I register?

Log into your STEP account and update your departure date. If you are staying longer than planned, update it before your original departure date passes. If you are leaving earlier, you can update that too. Changes take effect immediately.