Q: I am an American citizen living in Jamaica. How will I be notified if the US Embassy sends out a safety and security pessage?

Protecting the lives and interests of US citizens abroad is a core mission of US Embassies and Consulates. We encourage all US citizens travelling or residing overseas to notify the closest US Embassy or Consulate of their contact information so that, in an emergency, we can contact them to provide important safety and security information, or support during a crisis. Participating in the Smart Traveller Enrolment Programme (STEP) is an easy way to send your contact information to us online.

Q: Does STEP work for other countries besides Jamaica?

Yes. We encourage all American citizens to sign up when they travel or reside outside of the United States.

Q: Sounds great, how do I sign up?

STEP is free for all US citizens and nationals. The easiest way to sign up is to go to step.state.gov/step/ where you can sign up for notices for Jamaica or other countries where you intend to travel. Alternatively, you can visit the embassy or consulate in person to enrol, or fill out a paper enrolment form and mail it to the embassy, or to the Department of State. The paper form can be found at www.state.gov/documents/organization/83011.pdf.

If you are a frequent traveller, or if you want to have the ability to modify your travel information in the future, select “Create an Account” and enter the information requested. To enrol a single trip only, select the “Enroll a trip?” option (first section on left) on the STEP homepage. Note that if you do not create an account, you will not have the ability to modify the information later.

Q: I am a legal permanent resident (green card holder). Can I sign up for STEP?

STEP is intended for US citizens. Please contact the embassy or consulate of your country of citizenship for assistance. For US legal permanent residents who will be travelling with US citizen family members, we suggest you create the enrollment in the name of the citizen family member and then list the other travellers in the “Accompanying Travelers” section.

Q: I already subscribe to travel warnings and alerts by email. Why do I also need to enrol my specific travel plans in STEP?

Travel alerts and travel warnings are relatively uncommon because they are only issued for the most severe, usually country-wide conditions. In addition to these, US embassies and consulates also often send out more specific messages to people who have enrolled, because we know they are currently in or planning imminent travel to a specific region. If you are or plan to be in a foreign country, these more local messages can provide extremely useful safety, security, or practical information. You will only receive these messages if you enrol, because they are tailored to your dates of travel and specific destination information.

Q: Are there any other resources available where I can learn more about the country (or countries) where I will be travelling?

Visit travel.state.gov for detailed information about your destination country. Check out our Traveller’s Checklist for information that can help you prepare in advance for a safe and secure trip abroad. This list will provide contact information for the nearest US embassy or consulate, will offer details about the country you are visiting, any health precautions, and other helpful tips. That website can be accessed attravel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/checklist.html.

You can find more information about how to travel to the US on our website, www.jm.usembassy.gov . Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.