US State Department STEP

Never heard of it before, so... no. I'm not sure how it could be helpful. I would think that they would already know your departure date via passport processing at the airport. What kind of emergency could they assist with?

Nancy, That's what I was wondering.

I don't want the State Dept. to know any more about me than they already do. I'll gladly pass on this.

Gary, I believe the U.S. State department also has an iPhone app that's attached to that program. Hopefully our External Affairs department will develop something similar in the near future.

STEP makes sense for Americans traveling to places where they may be exposed to a higher probability of danger: Sudan, Pakistan, Iraq, etc. Probably not necessary for Paris.

When I was living in Hungary , I enrolled in the program. I actually found their emails usefulmore often than not they were a heads up as to planned protests or situations where riots could break out and relevant information concerning times, places, etc. I did actually reschedule a trip to Budapest because the protest was planned for the district I had to visit (I lived out in a village). While certainly not as essential as it would have been in a more unstable country, I was glad for the information.

I have signed up with it on some trips but not all. Hope I don't ever need it, but just in case an emergency happens there I'd like someone to know I'm missing. ( thinking Tsunami, earthquake, general insurrection)
In October I received a call and an email from a credit card company offering assistance since I was in Turkey when the earthquake hit. That was a first.

If you don't tell them you are going, they don't know you have left the USA. I paid particular attention recently when I managed to lose both my US and Israeli passports in the stratosphere somewhere between the Pacific and the Great Lakes. The only travel document I was able to obtain was from the Israelis (bless them or hate them, they have us all on their database at the stroke of a key). I was worried that someone at border control wouldn't like my not having a US passport. Not to worry, the agent spent about 12 seconds verifying that my Israeli laissez-passe and BA boarding pass weren't fakes, looked up and said "next." Bottom line, the US doesn't care who leaves. Generally it's only the airline who really looks at your passport - they want to make sure wherever you are going will let you in, so they don't get stuck with you!

Chani, I'm a little confused by your experience. You were entering the US, not going abroad, right? How would being registered with the State Dept have helped in that case? My family would know that I was out of the country, and what country I was in. I just don't understand why this program would be helpful (which was the OP's question - if it had been helpful to anyone).

I know a friend of a friend who was living in Lebanon when the Israel-Lebanon (Hezbollah) war broke out in 2006. Because she registered with STEP the US Embassy in Beirut was able to directly contact her with details on the evacuation of US Citizens from the country via a cruise ship the State Department hired to perform the task. Had she not registered and not known of the evacuation, it's entirely possible she would have been caught up in the cross fire. It may not be of much use for those traveling in Europe, but for more riskier locales it could save your butt;)

Since my upcoming travels will be in Ireland and the UK, I'd say this program will be of little value. Thanks for the replies.

I've used it for several trips. Whether it's valuable, or not, depends on what happens during your trip. If, for example, a major disaster (like the Haiti earthquake) hits the area where you are traveling, the State Department works to identify all American citizens/residents affected by the disaster and help with information, advice, assistance or, in an extreme case, evacuation. In addition to natural disasters, there can be political upheaval, terrorist attacks and/or war. A lot also depends on how much information you can give the State Department. If you know hotels, contact numbers, etc., you are much easier to track down. If, on the other hand, you travel without reservations, the best they can do is send emails or other information to the contact information they have and hope you act on it. Even though I've traveled to some sketchy areas, nothing major has occured while I've been there - so the extent of State Department service has been occasional emails about advisories or other potential problems/service disruptions.

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse. A point was brought up that the govt would know when you leave the US without notifying the State Dept. I just pointed out that no one knows when you leave unless you tell them. My main problem was that in order to get a replacement passport, I had to bring proof of my US citizenship. All my documents were at home in Israel. Photo ID only proves who you are.

I have registered in the past, although I can't say I found it particularly useful. France/Paris were on heightened alert due to the headscarf ban.

I will say it's useful for US citizens living abroad. They send emails fairly infrequently, but they are useful - like letting you know that it's time to request an absentee ballot for the elections, or that the services in the nearest Embassy are changing.