After surviving an exciting 2 weeks of the World Cup group stage, the U.S. Women’s National Team advances to play Brazil in the quarterfinals on July 10 in Dresden.

The U.S. opened the World Cup with a 2-0 win against North Korea. Then they dominated Colombia in a 3-0 rout last Saturday before a sold out crowd of 25,475 at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. The U.S. women hit a road block in Wolfsburg on Tuesday, losing 2-1 to a disciplined squad of Swedes. This loss ended the team’s unbeaten streak in group play after 18 matches.

The U.S. finished the first stage with 6 points for second place in Group C and therefore will face the winner of Group D. [...]

The Agency will provide services at its current location through Wednesday, May 11, 2011. After that it will close until June, with an opening date still [...]

U.S. Embassy operations in affected areas will continue to the extent possible under the constraints of any evolving security situation. U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. Embassies and Consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Media coverage of local events may cause family and friends to become concerned for their loved ones traveling and residing abroad. We urge U.S. citizens to keep in regular contact with family and friends. U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), to receive the latest travel updates and information and to obtain updated information on travel and security issues. [...]

In other words, RSS is a mechanism in which websites post information online in a format that can be processed by external applications like web browsers, RSS readers, or email programs. That way, information can be pushed out to readers instead of making the audience come and get the info themselves. Our Blog, For the People, uses RSS to keep our readers informed. [...]

During one particular scene, Dr. Harris (played by Liam Neesom) finds himself in a distressing situation and demands to speak to his Embassy. The head of security at his Berlin hotel informs him that this is not possible, as the Embassy is closed for Thanksgiving.

In real life, Dr. Harris could have called the Embassy duty officer to receive assistance at any hour, on any day, 365 days a year! [...]

Note: The Embassy and Consulates will be closed over the Easter weekend from April 22nd, 2011 through Monday, April 25th, 2011.

American citizens resident in Germany for one year or more must be in possession of a German license six months after entering the country, if they wish to continue driving. [...]

Used in conjunction with information and instructions from local emergency management offices and the American Red Cross, Are You Ready? will give you what you need to be prepared.

Visit the FEMA website to download ” Are you Ready?”.

IRS Free File is brand-name software that is offered exclusively at IRS.gov, through a partnership with the tax software industry. There are five companies that accept foreign addresses. Taxpayers should review the list of tax forms supported by the company to ensure it meets their needs, especially Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit, and/or Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income.

To be eligible, taxpayers' adjusted gross income in 2010 must be $58,000 or less. Some overseas taxpayers may exclude $91,500 of their 2010 foreign earnings, which would make more people eligible for IRS Free File [...]

Appointments are required.

To make an appointment, please go to the Stuttgart ACS appointment form.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in April.

• Affidavits: written declarations made under oath of affirmation; a sworn statement.
• Acknowledgments: an acknowledgement of the signatures on documents that will be used in the United States attesting to the identity of the person executing the document. Generally used with deeds, powers of attorney, bills of sale, corporate acknowledgements, etc.
• [...]

If you reside overseas, or are in the military on duty outside the U.S., you are allowed an automatic 2-month extension to file your return until June 15. However, any tax due must be paid by the original return due date (April 15) to avoid interest charges.

Visit the IRS website for more information.

• Who is responsible for the ad?
• What is the ad actually saying?
• What does the ad want me to do?
• [...]

For the first time ever, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is opening its biennial voting poster and slogan contests to U.S. citizens worldwide!

Slogan Contest

The FVAP Slogan Contest asks for slogan ideas that inspire members of the military, their families and U.S. citizens residing overseas to participate in elections while away from home. Partake in the Absentee Voting Slogan Contest.

Poster Contest

The FVAP Poster Contest seeks artwork illustrating what it means to be an American voter anywhere in the world. Partake in the Absentee Voting Poster Contest.

The winner for each contest and a guest will receive a trip to the nation's capital to participate in special events and tours.

• Save important files on an external hard drive or transfer them to a new computer.
• "Wipe" your hard drive clean - use software available both online and where computers are sold. They're generally inexpensive; some are available on the internet for free.
• [...]

All IRS forms and publications are available at www.irs.gov and can be downloaded and printed on any computer. This is your 24/7 resource for U.S. Federal tax information.

The IRS office in Frankfurt will accept tax returns, tax payments, W-7 applications, and taxpayer correspondence. [...]

• Luggage, suitcases, or backpacks
• Electrical, electronic, or battery-operated items - including CELL PHONES, MP3 PLAYERS, computers, video games, or electric toys
• Firearms and edged weapons, including toy weapons
• Explosives
• Chemical agents, liquids, and gasses
• Any other items that are primarily weapons by design and/or use

As you will be denied entry to the Consular section if you arrive with any of these items, we recommend that you leave them at home, with a friend, or locked in your car.

To read about our security procedures in more detail, please read our security procedures handout.

When outside the United States, the passport card can be used as valid citizenship identification. And because it’s about the size of a credit card, it fits perfectly inside a wallet for easy carrying.

Adults who currently have valid U.S. passports may apply for the passport card. Visit our website to learn how to apply.

For specific information for U.S. citizens wishing to depart Egypt on U.S. government-chartered transportation, click here: http://go.usa.gov/YIH.

To continue monitoring this situation, check travel.state.gov regularly or follow the State Department on Twitter @TravelGov or @StateDept.

Check out this amusing YouTube clip to learn more about the website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WEwrxw21ZA

Male U.S. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register with the Selective Service no matter where they currently reside. Not registering is a felony!

Registering with Selective Service does not mean you are joining the military nor does it mean that you are signing up for the all-voluntary armed services. The fact that a man is required to register does not mean that he will be drafted. No one has been drafted since 1973. A draft would most likely occur only in the event of an extreme national emergency. [...]

Berlin - December 30
Munich - December 29

Berlin will be open for limited American Citizen Service appointments on December 23, but the visa section will be closed.

We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

Voting is the right of U.S. citizens, everywhere. However, we recognize the challenges faced by U.S. voters abroad who want to exercise this right. DoS and our partner, FVAP, want to know about your voting experience so we can take concrete steps to improve the process.

Please click the link below to access a survey that asks you about your voting experience — even if you have never actually voted overseas. The information you provide now will help us improve the voting experience for overseas U.S. citizens in the future. The survey does not require you to provide any personally identifiable information and all responses are kept confidential.

http://www.drcsurveys.com/PEV2/DoS/

[...]

Read the official statement from the German Ministry of the Interior: in English | in German

Or you can read more about it in the Spiegel English article. This is in line with actions taken earlier by other European governments and underlines the continued importance of our October 3 travel alert. [...]

STEP is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S. citizens who are travelling to, or living in, a foreign country. Enrollment allows you to record information about an upcoming trip abroad that we can use to assist you in case of an emergency. [...]

The Department of State has issued this Worldwide Caution to update information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This replaces the Worldwide Caution dated February 12, 2010, to provide updated information on security threats and terrorist activities worldwide. [...]