1-800-537-3537 ext. 2-5111 or 1-801-240-5111
General Travel Information
Where can missionaries find specific information about the visa instructions for a certain country?
Missionaries should visit the Select Mission Location page and choose the appropriate country.
Missionary Visa
General Travel Information
Frequently Asked Questions for U.S. and Canadian Residents
Where can missionaries find specific information about the visa instructions for a certain country?
Missionaries should visit the Select Mission Location page and choose the appropriate country.
Where can I find the address to a particular mission as well as pouch mail instructions?
Why does the travel itinerary include a return flight to the U.S. or to a different country after missionaries arrive in the mission?
This is a return ticket and is on the reservation for visa purposes.
If parents haven’t yet received the itinerary for their missionary returning home, how can they find out more information?
The mission president assigns the release dates. The Missionary Travel Office asks the mission to submit the release date and destination airport three months in advance so the travel office can purchase the missionary's flight home. Once the travel office gets the request, they will send a copy of the return flight to the mission and the parents if an email address is provided by the mission. Otherwise, it is the mission’s responsibility to notify the parents. If parents would like the release date with more than three months' notice, they should contact the mission directly.
What should parents do if they want to pick up their missionary at the end of his or her mission?
Parents should contact the mission office where their missionary is serving to find out the release date and visa requirements, if applicable. Then parents should contact the Missionary Travel Office to obtain the travel allowance amount. This will assist parents as they move forward with their travel plans. Parents will need to make travel arrangements for themselves and their missionary and inform the mission and the Missionary Travel Office of these plans. Missionary Travel will mail parents a reimbursement check in the amount that Missionary Travel quoted, or if the ticket the parents purchase is less, Missionary Travel will reimburse the lesser amount, approximately four weeks prior to the release date.
If parents have a missionary going to an international missionary training center, can the parents arrange to fly with their missionary?
This is strongly discouraged for the following reasons:
- Parents would need to purchase their missionary’s ticket, and Missionary Travel would need to send parents a check for the amount Missionary Travel would have spent.
- If there is a problem with the missionary’s visa, parents would likely be left with two or three non-refundable international tickets that will not be used because the missionary would then attend the Provo Missionary Training Center.
- If the missionary’s missionary training center date is changed or if for some reason the missionary is redirected to attend the Provo Missionary Training Center, parents will be left with non-refundable international tickets.
- If parents have delays or travel problems along the way, they (the parents) are responsible to pay for and resolve those problems.
- The international missionary training center does not have any sort of welcome program.
- It would be the parents' responsibility to coordinate the arrival with the international missionary training center staff.
How should parents coordinate traveling with their missionary to the Provo Missionary Training Center?
Parents should contact the Missionary Travel Office to obtain the travel allowance amount. Parents will need to make travel arrangements for themselves and their missionary. Parents will need to email their travel plans with the amount spent to the Missionary Travel Office. Missionary Travel will mail a reimbursement check in the amount originally quoted, or if the ticket the parents purchase is less, Missionary Travel will reimburse the lesser amount when the missionary enters the Provo Missionary Training Center.
What if parents and family are driving to the Provo Missionary Training Center? Will they be reimbursed for driving?
The Church will only reimburse airline tickets from a missionary's home to the Provo Missionary Training Center. If a missionary's parents and family will be driving the missionary to the missionary training center, parents will not receive reimbursement.
Where can information be found regarding current airport security regulations?
This information is available on the TSA website at http://www.tsa.gov (click on For Travelers).
Baggage Questions
What is the baggage allowance?
Generally missionaries are allowed to bring two bags at 50 lbs. each measuring 62 total dimensional inches. Dimensional inches are height plus width plus length. Most airlines will allow one carry-on bag (check airline website for carry-on weight restrictions) and one personal item like a laptop case, purse, scripture bag, or a jacket that can fit under the seat.
Exceptions:
One 70 pound bag:
Cape Verde Mission: According to the airline, only one checked bag of 70 lbs. maximum is allowed. No excess weight or extra pieces are allowed on the flight. (Missionaries should not ask for any exceptions; the airline will not grant them). Only one carry-on bag (11 pounds maximum) and one personal item (backpack or purse, etc.) are allowed. All other items are to be left at home or missionaries will be requested to discard all excess items at the airport before going to Cape Verde. Excess domestic fees apply for the 70-pound bag from Salt Lake to Boston. Missionaries should check www.delta.com for excess weight fees. These luggage restrictions apply to all missionaries going to or from the Cape Verde Mission.
Cape Verde Mission: According to the airline, only one checked bag of 70 lbs. maximum is allowed. No excess weight or extra pieces are allowed on the flight. (Missionaries should not ask for any exceptions; the airline will not grant them). Only one carry-on bag (11 pounds maximum) and one personal item (backpack or purse, etc.) are allowed. All other items are to be left at home or missionaries will be requested to discard all excess items at the airport before going to Cape Verde. Excess domestic fees apply for the 70-pound bag from Salt Lake to Boston. Missionaries should check www.delta.com for excess weight fees. These luggage restrictions apply to all missionaries going to or from the Cape Verde Mission.
One 50 pound bag:
- Sierra Leone Freetown Mission for missionaries attending the Ghana MTC. (Missionaries attending Provo may have two 50 pound bags.)
One 44 pound bag:
- Brazil Belem Mission
- Brazil Manaus Mission
- India Bangalore
Two 44 pound bags:
- Madagascar Antananarivo Mission
How do missionaries pay for any excess baggage charges?
It is advised that missionaries travel with $200 available to cover any charges by the airlines for baggage and to use in case of an emergency with flight delays.
Does the Church pay for baggage fees?
- Missionaries and their families are responsible for any baggage fees when traveling from their home to the missionary training center (this includes any international training centers).
- When missionaries travel from the missionary training center to their mission destination, they should be prepared to pay any excess baggage fees BUT retain their receipts. The missionaries' mission office will cover the baggage fees for two checked bags at 50 lbs. each.
- For returning missionaries, the mission office will either pay the fees at the airport, give missionaries cash, or make sure that missionaries' mission credit card has enough money on it.
What if missionaries' bags weigh more than 50 lbs or they want to take an extra bag?
The Church will only cover the cost of two bags at 50 lbs each (62 total inches per bag). Any additional baggage fees will be the responsibility of the missionary, and the Church will NOT reimburse the extra weight/bag fee.
Some airlines will not accept excess weight or baggage. For the most up-to-date information, missionaries and their parents should visit the airline's website for fees and restrictions.
Some airlines will not accept excess weight or baggage. For the most up-to-date information, missionaries and their parents should visit the airline's website for fees and restrictions.
Where can missionaries find information about baggage fees and excess baggage fees?
Baggage fees are constantly changing. For the most up-to-date information, missionaries should visit the airline's website for baggage fees and restrictions.
