Overview

The Department of State utilizes this program to inform U.S. citizens/nationals of potential threats to their health or safety abroad. U.S. law requires that the Department share information with U.S. citizens that will assist them in making prudent decisions about their own safety. The Bureau of Consular Affairs is responsible for issuing Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets on behalf of the Department of State. All these documents are posted on the State Department's internet site, travel.state.gov. Our embassies and consulates are responsible for sending information to Americans resident abroad through what we refer to as Warden Messages. If the Warden Message concerns a threat to safety or security of U.S. citizens, it must be approved by the Department before release unless immediate notice is critical to the security of U.S. citizens/nationals.

The "No Double Standard" Policy

In administering the Consular Information Program, the Department of States applies a "no double standard" policy to important security threat information, including criminal information. Such information, if shared with the official U.S. community (generally defined as Americans working for the U.S. government abroad), must be made available to the wider American community if the threat applies to both official and non-official Americans.

Types of Documents

There are three main types of documents issued through the Consular Information Program:

1. Travel Alerts (including Worldwide Caution Travel Alerts and regional Travel Alerts): Travel Alerts are issued to inform the American public quickly about relatively short-term conditions posing imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens/nationals. Examples of events that might prompt a Travel Alert include terrorist attacks, coups, election-related demonstrations or violence, or demonstrations related to an international conference or sporting event.
2. Travel Warnings: Travel Warnings advise U.S. citizens about the risks of travel to countries where conditions are dangerous or unstable and/or where the U.S. government's ability to assist its citizens is constrained because of an Embassy drawdown or closure.
3. Consular Information Sheets (CIS): CIS provide basic information to enable travelers to make an informed decision about travel to a particular country. For example, a CIS will include (among other things) entry and exit requirements, road safety, crime information, health conditions, customs information and the contact information of the U.S. Embassy in that country.

The Consular Information Program also includes Warden Messages issued by posts abroad, Fact Sheets issued by the Department to address topical issues (for example, avian influenza) and travel brochures.

Warden Messages and Systems

Warden Messages are used by U.S. embassies and consulates to disseminate information about routine topics such as voter registration, income tax season, new passport procedures, and other non-security related issues of importance to the local U.S. citizen community. Warden Messages are also used to inform U.S. citizens about events or threats that can affect their personal security. In addition to being disseminated to and by the wardens through a number of different methods (for example, by phone, fax, email or text messages), warden messages are posted on the Embassy's public website.

Who are Wardens and What Do They Do?

The origin of the word "warden" means "to guard" or "to watch." The modern use of the term "warden" dates back to World War II, when air raid wardens alerted their neighbors to danger and ensured that safety rules were followed. Wardens are usually, but not always, U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals resident in the host country who volunteer to assist in disseminating important information to the wider U.S. citizen community.