Register Your International Travel With the State Department

We live in turbulent times.

But we continue to go on, trying to live our life as best we can, without thinking too much about strife in the world.  Sometimes, we travel to areas that are the center of strife, and when we do, there are some precautions that should be taken.

One of the simplest precautions, and potentially most important, is to register with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you will be visiting.  The State Department says this is particularly important if:

You are planning to stay in a country longer than one month
You are traveling to a country that ix experiencing civil unrest, has an unstable political climate or is undergoing a natural disaster (i.e., earthquake, hurricane)
You are traveling to a country where there are no U.S. officials

Travel registration is free, can be done online, and is a way to record information about your international travels, so that you can be contacted in an emergency, and if necessary, evacuated.  Although millions of international travelers experience NO PROBLEMS when traveling abroad, each year the embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 American each year who have been the victim of crime, accident, illness, or whose family has an emergency need to contact them.  After the tsunami in Asia last year, many people experienced first hand how the State Department could assist in an emergency.

Consular officers can also assist Americans who run into serious legal, medical, or financial difficulties.  They will provide names of local attorneys or doctors, and can provide loans to destitute travelers.  They can also help with more routine things like absentee voting, filing of tax forms, notarizing documents, and issuing passports. 

While registration is not required, it is highly recommended.  The website registration provides a short-term traveler option (under 6 months), as well as an option for long-term travelers (people living abroad).    The Privacy Act of 1974 protects the information that you provide.

I’ve never registered my international travel, although I’ve been to places where it might be considered good to do so.  Nothing bad has ever happened.  But I think I’ll stop tempting the fates, and start registering my information.  Just in case.

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