Q: How do I sign up a group for a trip?
A: By sending or faxing in a completed Expedition Form with a selected destination, number of travelers and requested dates. You can find the Expedition form on our website under the Forms link.

Q: How does each traveler sign up for a trip?
A: By sending in a completed application, a signed Payment and Trip Policies and non-refundable deposit to the Joshua Expeditions office. After one Expedition Form has been submitted for the group, applications will be sent to the trip leaders so that they can distribute them to their students. You can find the application on our website under the Forms link.

Q: Where do I send applications and payments?
A: Make all checks payable to Joshua Expeditions and forward applications and payments to: Joshua Expeditions, PO Box 952108, Dallas, Texas 75395-2108. On the check, please write the name of the traveler, the name of the school/group, and the trip destination.

Q: What is the deposit amount I need to include with the application?
A: All participants who will be traveling with Joshua Expeditions must submit a non-refundable $200.00 deposit with their completed applications. (Some 2 - 4 day land-only trips have a $100.00 deposit. Please check with your trip leader to see if this applies to your trip).

Q: How late can someone be added to a trip?
A: All additions must be made 45 days before the group departure date and are subject to availability. A $50 late registration fee and $50 airline fee may apply, as well as additional trip costs and fees. No additions will be accepted after this 45-day deadline.

Q: I'm an adult - do I have to pay more to travel on a student program?
A: No. Adult participants pay the same program price as the student participants (unless your group chooses to have separate prices for students and adults). But, if you have requested an alternate rooming arrangement (other than what is included in the program), then what you pay will naturally be different from the students due to the extra hotel charges for alternate rooming arrangements.

Q: Can I accumulate any frequent flyer miles while on a Joshua Expeditions Tour?
A: Because we book tickets as a group, airlines normally do not issue frequent flyer miles, but it is worth asking the ticket agent when you check in.

Q: Can I redeem my frequent flyer miles and use them for my ticket?
A: Yes, but it must be the exact itinerary of the group, and you are responsible for every aspect of ticketing, including obtaining the ticket.

Q: Will students need a passport for travel outside the U.S.?
A: Yes, all students will need passports for international travel, including Mexico and Canada. Visas are necessary for some locations. Please check with your Joshua Expeditions trip coordinator. NOTE: for all international trips your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after your departure date.

Q: How can I apply for a passport?
A: If you are a United States citizen, to obtain a passport for the first time you need to go in person to one of 6,000 passport acceptance facilities* located throughout the United States. You will need proof of U.S. citizenship, a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license, and two photographs of yourself. (Photos must be a specific size; Kinko’s, Costco and other businesses offer services for passport-specific photos.)

You must apply in person: if you are applying for a U.S. passport for the first time; if your expired U.S. passport is not in your possession; if your previous U.S. passport has expired and was issued more than 15 years ago; if your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under 16 years old; or if your currently valid U.S. passport has been lost or stolen.

*Acceptance facilities include many federal, state and probate courts, post offices, some public libraries and a number of county and municipal offices. There are also 13 regional passport agencies, most of which serve only those who are departing urgently. Appointments are required in such cases.

Q: What if my son or daughter is a non-U.S. citizen and needs a visa for his/her trip overseas?
A: All non-U.S. citizens are responsible for securing the proper documentation (passports, visas, etc.) prior to the group’s departure. Joshua Expeditions can provide you with an official letter from our company headquarters stating that the participant will be traveling over a specific period of time, to specific countries. Please note: If a non-U.S. citizen has not secured, or cannot secure, the proper documentation before the group departs, Joshua Expeditions standard cancellation policy will still apply.

Q: What happens if a student signs up for a trip and then chooses to cancel?
A: Please refer to the Joshua Expeditions Payment and Trip Policies for all policies regarding cancellations, refunds and optional trip cancellation insurance. A copy is also included with your application.

Q: Why should I purchase the cancellation insurance?
A: For a small amount of money, you can protect your investment against any unforeseen circumstances or emergencies that would make going on the trip impossible. Group travel insurance can be purchased from Travel Guard at $40 per person if the whole group purchases the insurance.

Q: Are there any additional fees?
A: We try our best to cover all costs but some destinations will vary. Your detailed itinerary will clearly state what is not included, and you will know before departure how much money you will need.

Q: How do students raise the funds for trips?
A: Some families have the resources to simply pay for the trip. Other students send out letters to raise support from friends and family. Still other students have obtained jobs to help finance this opportunity. And of course, there are many who do a combination of all three!

Q: What are the luggage restrictions for the trip?
A: Due to the space limitations of the transportation at your destination, each person should bring no more than one suitcase and one carry-on bag, such as a backpack. The important thing is for participants to pack according to their own physical abilities since each person must carry his own bags. To be sure, contact the airlines to get their updated policies since they change periodically. As airline policies change, all baggage fees are the responsibility of the traveler.

Q: Will someone meet me at the airport?
A: Your Joshua Expeditions guide will be at the destination airport waiting for you with an orange sign.

Q: Where will students stay while traveling?
A: Students will stay in hotels and ministry facilities. All hotels are clean and reputable and are centrally located. We will provide the school with the phone numbers of each hotel for each night of the trip.

Q: What supervision is provided for each trip?
A: Each trip will have an official JE guide who makes your arrangements in each location and accompanies the group throughout the trip. In addition, a school representative acts as the group leader for the students. Schools are encouraged to provide additional chaperones.

Q: What kind of ministry opportunities will students participate in?
A: Depending on the particular trip, ministry opportunities could include presenting chapels and assemblies, helping with service projects, conducting “children’s clubs”, sharing testimonies, helping at orphanages, and participating in street evangelism. Students are prepped for ministry during the course of leadership training. If requested, we can mail community service report forms to the students.

Q: What will the weather be like?
A: On our website, under the Travel Links section, you will find a link to the Weather Channel. During the week prior to your departure, take a moment to go online and check the forecast for your destination to help you plan accordingly.

Q: How much cash should a participant bring?
A: In most countries, it is now routine to accept ATM/Debit cards for purchases and cash withdrawals. This is a good way to minimize the need to carry large sums of cash. However, it is a good idea to bring at least $10-15 per day in cash. NOTE: If you plan to use ATM/Debit cards, you will need to notify your bank of international travel plans prior to departure.

Q: How can I contact my child/family member/friend during the trip?
A: It is our policy to provide each group leader with a detailed itinerary, including locations and phone numbers. To protect your child, we do not relay this information over the phone to individuals, including parents and guardians. Please make sure that your leader provides you with the information before departure. Another simple solution is to buy an eKit phone card so that you can e-mail messages and they can easily contact you. We will send you these cards to purchase about 30 days before departure date.

Q: Is any health/accident insurance included in the price of the trip?
A: It is first important to note that one of JE’s top priorities is student safety. All guides are certified in CPR and first aid. For international tours, Joshua Expeditions provides comprehensive accident coverage for each student that is designed to act as secondary coverage for anything your primary policy would not cover. This coverage is included in the price of your trip. JE also recommends Travel Guard Insurance for parents wishing to obtain additional insurance coverage, which includes trip cancellation insurance. You will find information regarding Travel Guard Insurance on our website under the Forms link.

Q: Is it safe to travel after 9/11 and the Iraq war?
A: Joshua Expeditions always monitors the State Department Travel Advisories. Many groups have continued their travel plans successfully prior to, during and after the events of 9/11 and the conflict in Iraq. All report safe airport conditions and favorable response to Americans traveling abroad. Safety measures have been so drastically improved for airports that our children are probably safer now than they ever have been. Ultimately, safety rests only in the hands of God.

If a warning is ever issued for the location of one of our trips, we would simply reroute that trip to a safer location. If you feel uncomfortable about the risk of losing money due to a change in events that is beyond the control of JE, please consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance. The ultimate decision, of course, is yours. If you do not feel comfortable then you should not go.