Festive Greetings and Reminder about Personal Security During the Holidays

Season’s greetings from the U.S. Embassy New Delhi!  I hope you have been enjoying the holiday season and are able to take some time at the end of the year to spend with family and friends.  Unfortunately, many routine holiday activities such as setting up electric lights, lighting candles, shopping in crowded places, attending holiday parties, and cooking feasts can present opportunities for incidents to occur in the home, in crowds, or on the roads.  Whether you live in New Delhi or are traveling away from home, we hope you exercise caution over the holiday season and keep your personal security and safety in mind.

As the New Year arrives, consider taking a moment to enroll in the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (STEP).  Despite the word “travelers,” even those Americans who live in India full-time can still benefit from registering.  U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at their destination.  By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

As always, we want to be sure that U.S. citizens in India have quick and easy access to information related to their health and safety as well as information about our services.  To this end, we have created an American Citizen Services India Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/AmericanCitizenServicesIndia.  We encourage you to “like” the page to receive regular updates.

Updated information on travel and security may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  For further information, please visit travel.state.gov and consult Worldwide Caution and other consular information sites, including Country Specific Information, for specific countries.  These products and the latest international travel information for U.S. citizens are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

Happy Holidays,

Julia Stanley

Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, U.S. Embassy New Delhi