The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: October second, finding a safe haven abroad.

The U.S. Department of State operates a system of embassies and consulates in major cities around the world. Their primary missions are to expedite diplomatic relations and foreign trade and to provide assistance for U.S. travelers in times of need. If, for example, your passport is ever lost or stolen, embassy staff can verify your citizenship and provide replacement papers. If your credit cards or travelers checks disappear, the Embassy staff can also document their loss. They can also perform a host of other functions such as registering births, notarizing documents and processing benefit claims.

If you get sick, the embassy can provide a list of English- speaking local physicians and hospitals. They can help get a message to or from the U.S. If you're arrested abroad, the Embassy staff can arrange for an English-speaking lawyer and work to insure your basic rights aren't violated. When traveling in dangerous areas, it's wise to let the embassy know your itinerary. In an emergency, the embassy be a place of refuge or provide safe passage out of the country.

But there are also things the embassy isn't. For example, it's not a travel agency. Its staff won't book hotels, arrange sight-seeing tours, make flight reservations, nor collect or forward mail. While the State Department can help you contact people and transfer funds, it will not advance you any money.

But in many cases when you're a traveler in need, the U.S. government can be a good friend indeed.

FMI State Department Citizen's Emergency Center Web site: www.travel.state.gov

 

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