The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long set up a foreign travel registration system in 2002 for those going abroad. So when disasters take place in other countries, the government will rely on the information to send out search and rescue assistance.

Passport applicants preparing to travel abroad arrive at the Bureau of Consular Affairs. However, few of them are aware of the existence of the BCA's foreign travel registration website.

The website was established in 2002 so that the Republic of China government could send aid or search assistance to ROC nationals traveling abroad during disasters.

Basic personal information and itineraries submitted on the website are emailed to the ROC's consulates so that foreign representative offices can take immediate action in the event that a traveler goes missing.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs statistics, more than 9 million R.O.C nationals traveled abroad last year, but only 5,000 made use of the website.

The ministry says that travel safety handbooks are available at both the BCA and airports, and that information on the website can be found on Page 23 of the handbook.