How to Request Tickets for Papal Masses and Papal Audiences

Tickets to Papal events are always free. Always.

Never pay for someone to get you tickets – even if it includes “help” in getting you through the line and in a good seat. Just don’t.

When are tickets required?

The individual event on the Papal Calendar is always the most current source for whether that particular event requires tickets.

No tickets are ever required for the Angelus or Regina Caeli in Saint Peter’s Square.

Tickets are usually required for Papal Audiences and Papal Masses in Saint Peter’s Square. Though tickets are required for most of these outdoor events, sometimes tickets are not checked. So don’t be surprised if you go through security and nobody ever asks to see your ticket.

Tickets are required for Papal Masses and Papal Events inside Saint Peter’s Basilica and the other churches he visits throughout Rome. These tickets can be very hard to get. It’s best to make the request as soon as you know you are coming to Rome.

How far in advance should I request tickets?

Request tickets as soon as you know your travel dates. This matters most for papal Masses and any event inside Saint Peter’s Basilica, where availability is much more limited. For a routine General Audience you don’t need to rush, but earlier is still better.

Requesting Tickets

Prefecture of the Papal Household

This website was finally launched in January of 2025. Before this, you needed to fax the Vatican to request tickets. The website is very well done and it’s one of the greatest updates to come out of the Jubilee. Here’s the link to the Prefecture of the Papal Household.

US Visitors’ Office

Americans can instead request tickets through the U.S. Visitors’ Office. I recommend this method as picking up tickets takes a lot less time – and your time is very important when traveling. Use the Papal Audience request form on the U.S. Visitors’ Office website.

Swiss Guard

If you happen to be in Rome and did not request tickets to the Audience, you can sometimes get a few tickets from a Swiss Guard at the Sant’Anna gate in the Vatican. Simply walk up and ask.

Winging it

No tickets? No problem! Usually. If you are unable to get tickets for a Papal Audience or a Mass in Saint Peter’s Square, go anyway. You may have to stand further back in the Piazza, but you’ll still be able to see and hear the Holy Father.

If you are unable to get tickets for a Papal Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, that’s a bit more risky. If you try, just know you may wait for hours to get in, only to be turned away without tickets.