Frequently Asked Questions

World Youth Day is an incredible opportunity for young people to deepen their faith, share hope, prayerfully journey on pilgrimage, and immerse themselves in the true universality of the Church. Want to know more about this global event? Read on.

We are happy to announce that World Youth Day 2023 will take place from August 1st to August 6th! To learn more about the dates, click here.

As Pope Francis announced at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama City, Panama, Lisbon, Portugal will host World Youth Day 2023.

WYD 2023’s theme is from the Gospel of Luke: “Mary arose and went with haste,” (Luke 1:39). From the logo, to the theme, and eventually, the week of WYD itself, evangelization will be what Pope Francis hopes is instilled into the hearts of the world’s youth. Learn more about the theme by clicking here

After a global competition, dozens of entries from five continents, and input from the Vatican itself, a new logo for World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 has been announced. Click here to view the logo and learn more about it!

World Youth Day is filled with so many wonderful experiences! Click here to check out 12 things you can expect during this absolutely unforgettable opportunity.

• Don’t worry, we are here to help and support you as you prepare for this amazing opportunity and journey. Our ministerially trained, travel-expert staff will be with you throughout your preparation to answer your questions, guide you spiritually as you cultivate a pilgrim’s heart, and walk alongside you before, during and after your pilgrimage to WYD 2023. 
• Check out our blog post about everything you need to know to get ready for this trip of a lifetime.

• Small group? No group? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Open Enrollment is available for individuals and groups of 14 or less to experience all that WYD has to offer. Open Enrollment pilgrims will be divided into two groups — young adults (ages 18-39) and youth and families. Contact us to learn more about joining the Open Enrollment group.
• Click here to learn more about our Open Enrollment groups and get registered!
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• We accept credit/debit card and check payments. After you pay your initial deposit online using a credit or debit card, you are welcome to submit payments by check or credit/debit card (fees apply).. 
• To pay by check, please make checks payable to “Verso Ministries, LLC” and include the booking number listed at the top of the invoice in the memo line. Please mail check payments to Verso Ministries, P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, IN, 46556.
• Credit card payments are also accepted with a 3.5% processing fee per transaction. To pay by credit card, please call us at (574) 383-9396.

In order to secure your space, Verso Ministries requires a non-refundable deposit of $300 per person. All final balances are due by April 1, 2023. Your group’s payment plan can be found on page 2 of your invoice.

• To catch up on missed payments, please submit payment as soon as possible by check or credit/debit card (fees apply).
• If you need to adjust your payment plan, please contact us at WYD@versoministries.com and we will suggest an alternative plan for you.

If you need a different payment plan, please contact us at WYD@versoministries.com and we will suggest an alternative plan for you.

• Verso Ministries will purchase post-departure benefits of the Student Deluxe Group Plan from Travel Insured International on behalf of all pilgrims (U.S. only).
• Pilgrims have the option to upgrade their travel protection to plans that include Trip Cancellation, Cancel For Any Reason coverage, and other benefits. We highly recommend all our pilgrims to purchase CFAR coverage.
• In the next month, you will receive an email with your group’s specific Student Group Deluxe Plan link, which you can use to purchase a policy. 
• Rates are based on overall trip cost and not age. 
• You will need to enter the cost of your full trip cost and make your purchase prior to final trip payment on the Student Deluxe Plan in order to qualify for the pre-existing medical condition waiver.
• For questions on the plan, coverage or procedures, please contact the Group Support Desk at Travel Insured 844‑440‑8113.

• You can purchase the Student Group Deluxe Policy benefits, minus time-sensitive benefits, until 48 hours prior to departure. 
• If you want to take advantage of the time-sensitive benefits, such as Cancel For Any Reason coverage or to qualify for the pre-existing medical condition waiver, you will need to purchase the plan prior to submitting final trip payment.

• If your parish/diocese/organization is submitting a payment/scholarship is submitting payment on your behalf or you’ve been awarded a scholarship, your organization will send us a list of pilgrims and the amounts they will be covering. If your name is on the list, then we will apply the amount they indicate to your account. 
• Meanwhile, you are welcome to submit payments for your invoice balance for the portion of which you are responsible. You’ll find instructions for paying by credit card or check on page 2 of your invoice. Please note, there is a 3.5% processing fee for credit card payments, so people usually opt to pay by check, which has no transaction fee.

If there are any errors in the information you entered during the registration process or errors in the confirmation email, please contact us WYD@versoministries.com with detailed information of what is erroneous and how it needs to be fixed.

Yes, you will need a valid passport in order to travel to Lisbon, Portugal for WYD 2023. Per US and international border regulations, U.S. citizens must have a passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 months after the date of their return from international travel. So for WYD, passports will need to have an expiration date no earlier than February 8, 2024.

If your passport is expired or expires on or before February 8, 2024, you will need to renew your passport. We recommend beginning the renewal process now. According to the State Department website, routine processing of all passport services take between 7-10 weeks, not including mailing time.

• As of October 2023, U.S. citizens traveling to Portugal for 90 days or less are not required to apply for a visa.
• If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must check visa requirements with the country in which your passport is issued. Obtaining the necessary documentation needed is the responsibility of each individual traveler.

Great question! Please complete your registration with your legal name as it appears on your government issued passport and then enter your religious name in the “Preferred Name” field in your Traveler Form. This ensures that all flight documents, etc., will match your passport information, but all correspondence from us will address you according to your preferred name.

Yes, we will need that information and more in order to make arrangements on your behalf. You will receive an email with a link to your individual Traveler Form, which each pilgrim will receive. You may have already filled out some information in the form, but we will be sending the Traveler Forms weekly to all pilgrims starting mid-November and will require all pilgrims to complete their form by December 31, 2022.

Yes! This is possible. To pay by check, please make checks payable to “Verso Ministries, LLC” and include the booking number listed at the top of the invoice in the memo line. Please mail check payments to Verso Ministries, P.O. Box 986, Notre Dame, IN, 46556. To pay by credit card, call us at (574) 383-9396, and please note there is a 3.5% processing fee per transaction.

Your invoice is sent to you via email in advance of your upcoming payments and afterwards if payment is not processed by the deadline. This email  includes both your payment schedule and your remaining balance. Try searching your inbox for an email that says “Your Updated Invoice” from wyd@versoministries.com. If you can’t find your invoice, please contact us.

Absolutely! You are welcome to pay off additional portions of your remaining balance at any time.

You can send a money order to Verso Ministries PO Box 986 Notre Dame, IN 46556. Please be sure to include your booking number on the order and sign it before sending!

You will receive an email confirmation as soon as your check has been processed with an updated invoice reflecting your new balance. If you have not received this confirmation within two weeks after mailing your check, please contact us. You can contact us WYD@versoministries.com or (574) 383-9396.

No, your WYD package price does not include tips for your local guides, drivers, hotels, or Verso Ministries Pilgrimage Director. 

Yes, you can pay for their tips in advance of WYD. We are offering an optional collection and distribution service for tips on your behalf. This means you can pay for all your tips ahead of time, either as a group or individually on your Pilgrim Portal, so you don’t have to worry about carrying cash or calculating tips per service during the pilgrimage.

We sent out an individual email containing the recommended trip amount per person for your group. However, if you need the amount again, please feel free to reach out to us at WYD@versoministries.com.

Please email us at WYD@versoministries.com to request a group invoice for your group’s tips. Once the invoice is generated, you will receive it via email and payment must be completed by July 1, 2023. 

If your group has elected to allow pilgrims to pay individually in advance for their tips, then you can add the add-on item of “Tips” to your invoice through your Pilgrim Portal. All tip payments must be completed by July 1, 2023, to take advantage of the advance payment option.

If you prefer to distribute tips on your own, we have broken down the suggested tip amounts per person, per service, below.

Suggested Tip Amounts per person:

• • $7 per day for pilgrimage directors
  • $8 per day for local guides
  • $5 per day for bus drivers
  • $1 per night for hotel cleaning/housekeeping/hotel meals
  • $2 per meal not being held in the hotels

All tip payments must be completed by July 1, 2023, to take advantage of the advance payment option.