A good thing to consider when traveling abroad is to register your travel plans with the U.S. Department of State. Now, why would you do this? Millions of Americans travel abroad with no difficulties each year. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency.

The registration allows you to record information about your trip so that the Department of State can use it to assist you in case of an emergency. Registration is voluntary and does not costs, but it should be a part of your travel planning.

To access registration with the U.S. Department of State visit travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/index.aspx and click on “Create Account.” From there you can register and individual or an organization.