The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) officially launched on Thursday the "Travel Informed" application, a digital services platform designed to publish alerts, notifications, guides and other relevant information for citizens travelling abroad.
Speaking at a press conference, Director General of the Consular Department Oana Darie said the total value of the project's financing contract amounted to 14,920,994 lei, of which 12,584,528 lei represented non-reimbursable European funding and 2,336,465 lei national co-financing. The project was implemented over a period of 45 months, between 4 December 2019 and 3 September 2023, when the IT system underwent final acceptance.
"Aligned with the MAE's ongoing commitment to effective, citizen-focused communication, the "Travel Informed" application represents an enhanced and updated version of the former "Travel Safely" platform. Already available free of charge on Google Play and the App Store, the application can be easily downloaded to mobile devices and provides Romanian citizens planning to travel abroad with essential information, including travel conditions, advisories and warnings," Darie said.
Beyond its informational role, she added, the application is also a highly effective tool for reporting special situations or events, including those with potential consular crisis implications, allowing users to notify authorities in real time if they find themselves in an emergency requiring immediate consular protection.
The MAE official stressed that the platform enables the real-time dissemination of relevant travel-related information through an accessible and user-friendly tool, while also improving the efficiency of consular protection provided by diplomatic missions and consular offices. This includes the possibility of accessing, in real time, data on the number of Romanian citizens present in a specific country at a given moment, based on information voluntarily submitted by users.
"The application also facilitates real-time information and notifications for users regarding new developments, as well as instructions or recommendations in the context of consular crises. We have high expectations for this application, particularly in terms of how it will be used by citizens. Our aim is to strengthen the habit of Romanian citizens to consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel information before travelling abroad, thereby supporting responsible and informed decisions both prior to and during travel. At the same time, we seek to increase the number of citizens who register their trips abroad by providing a tool aligned with current digital trends. We want to encourage Romanian citizens to prioritise notifying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the event of exceptional situations with potential consular crisis implications," Oana Darie emphasised.
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