<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, presented this Thursday the annual #ViajaSeguro (#TravelSafe) campaign that the Ministry launches every summer so that citizens can enjoy "a peaceful and safe vacation" if they have chosen a destination outside of Spain.</strong></h4> In a video aimed at citizens, the minister offers "five practical tips for informed and safe travel": consult the travel recommendations offered on the Ministry's website, purchase travel insurance, register in the Travel Registry, respect local laws and customs, and save the emergency consular telephone number of the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Regarding the first recommendation, the Foreign Ministry indicated that, through the Ministry's website, you can access the <a href="https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/Recomendaciones-de-viaje.aspx"><strong>Travel Recommendations</strong></a>, which contain useful information for each country, such as the necessary travel documentation, vaccinations, and safety conditions. This data is constantly updated with information provided by Spanish embassies. There are also practical recommendations to help travelers who have chosen that country as their destination. Albares also emphasizes the importance of learning about the legislation and customs of the chosen destination, as each country has its own regulations, and respecting them is key to avoiding legal problems or cultural misunderstandings during your stay. Before traveling abroad, the minister also recommends registering your information in the <a href="https://registroviajeros.exteriores.gob.es/"><strong>Traveler Registry</strong></a>, a completely free tool that, with full confidentiality guarantees, makes it easier for Spanish authorities to locate or contact, if possible, registered Spanish travelers in the event of a serious emergency (natural disaster, armed conflict, etc.). Albares also emphasizes the importance of always purchasing travel insurance to cover potential expenses arising from a variety of incidents: from flight cancellations or suspensions of transportation services in the destination country due to various circumstances, to medical care needs arising from health problems or accidents, including hospitalizations or medical repatriation. Having travel insurance facilitates this necessary assistance, which can also be very expensive in certain countries. <h5><strong>Consular Offices</strong></h5> Finally, in case of need, the minister explains that Spanish consular offices located across the five continents handle any emergency that may arise. Once abroad, all Spanish citizens have the right to use the services offered by their consulates within the scope of their powers: a 24-hour emergency telephone number, emergency assistance for issuing safe-conduct passes and temporary passports, assistance for victims of gender-based violence, and general consular protection. Saving the consular emergency telephone numbers of embassies and consulates and following official social media accounts is also very useful for receiving urgent notifications in real time.
