Each time you are about to visit a Schengen Country, the Embassy or Consulate of the particular Schengen country will often ask you, as a foreign national who needs a Schengen Visa, proving to hold a Booked Flight Itinerary and/or Flight Reservation. Sometimes, they might even ask you to submit the actual Air or Flight Ticket for your intended destination.
Do not get lost by the dissimilarity of terms resulting from your search online for a Flight Itinerary/Reservation, such as:
- Booked Flight Itinerary
- Flight Itinerary for Visa Application
- Flight Reservation
- Air Ticket Booking
- Dummy Air Ticket for Visa
- Dummy Ticket
- Flight Confirmation
- Return Ticket
But wait, isn’t it all just confusing for you?
We bet getting along with this Schengen Visa Requirement is not your only worry, knowing the number of documents the Embassy or Consulate requires you to provide when applying for your visa. Yet, all the aforementioned terms used as alternative expressions to describe a single visa requirement as “proof of booked flight itinerary” are confusing. So also is the fact that you risk losing your money from paying for the real Flight Ticket, even by knowing that your visa can be denied.
You are also questioning:
- Where and how to obtain a Flight Itinerary and Confirmed Flight Reservation?
- Do I Need a Return Air Ticket Before I Apply for a Visa?
- Can I make a Flight Ticket without paying the full price?
- And many other nerve-wracking questions!
Go easy because all your above worries will be gone once you read our simple explanations in the following parts of this article!
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Am I Going to Lose My Money in the Case of Visa Rejection?
We do not suggest risking your money on buying a full flight ticket before getting the visa! This is because even Embassies and Consulates can understand that it is not clever to push applicants to buy the complete Airline ticket. Besides, even if you do so, you will be suggested by these diplomatic offices about getting the Flight Ticket with a “free cancellation” option. But, if you plan to buy one, remember that tickets possessing such an available option often tend to be much more costly than the regular ones.
Moreover, the European Union’s visa consulate advice has been amended.
“Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state. Some Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but, request the original air ticket when the visa is collected“
Still, there is nothing that you should be so concerned about! There is always the opportunity to obtain a Flight Itinerary and Reserved Flight Ticket instead of buying a costly Flight Ticket. A Fight Itinerary for Visa Application is not a real Flight or Air Ticket that you have to spend so much money buying. Not often, you might find airline companies that charge you zero amount of money for getting one Dummy Flight Itinerary with a reservation number, but typically, a very economical fee is charged to get a Flight Itinerary and Flight Reservation for visa application.
What Is a Flight/Travel Itinerary?
A Flight or a Travel Itinerary for Visa Application, as aforementioned, is not an actual air ticket you spend money for without ensuring that your Schengen Visa will not be denied. A travel itinerary for a Schengen visa is not much more than a document of a detailed plan of your flight or travel journey to the Schengen Area. In fact, it is only a flight timetable on the chosen flight airline, comprised of a flight name, your name, a valid flight reservation number or booking ID, arrival and departure date and airport IATA codes, as well as the price of a real Flight Ticket.
Thus, fulfilling the requirement of the Embassy or Consulate when striving to get a Schengen Visa with a Flight Itinerary or a Flight Reservation is the greatest and cheapest option! In such a case, you are not actually risking your entire money since you do not buy the actual Air Ticket for Visa.
How to Get Flight Itinerary Without Paying for the Actual Ticket Flight?
Getting a Confirmed Flight Itinerary and a Flight Reservation for your visa application is not something that it can always be done completely free of charge. It is normal to get charged a symbolic amount of money for getting your confirmation over your Flight or Travel Itinerary. Few air companies might do this for free by not charging you anything until you buy the actual Flight Ticket. Anyways, searching online for companies with such offers as Dummy Flight Itinerary can be time-consuming, which might even result in not finding one at the end.
In its place, you can also use the visa consultation services of a travel agent or find one online, like Visa Reservation. The guys from Visa Reservation can handle most of your visa requirements, such as flight itineraries and hotel reservations, and free consultation over email.
What Is a Flight Reservation?
Different from an actual Flight Ticket, a Flight Reservation for Schengen Visa or a Booked Flight Ticket is, in fact, a document showing that you have a reserved seat for flying on a specific date, in a particular destination of the Schengen Area, with a specific airline company. Usually, the reservation or booking is valid only for a week, so be careful afterwards! The company might cancel your reservation if you do not buy the flight ticket by then – risking losing the money you’ve spent on the reservation.
How Can I Get a Confirmed Flight Reservation?
You can buy a Confirmation of a Flight Reservation directly from the airline company or through online travel agents, also known as online search travel engines. These travel agents enjoy a lot of information about different airline companies and the online markets in general. Thus, they can offer you great and cheap deals by charging you 10% of the fixed ticket price. This way, you will cut the risk of buying a real Airline ticket before knowing if you will obtain your Schengen Visa.
Getting a Flight Itinerary with a Booking number without paying the full price for the flight ticket is simple:
- Go to Visa Reservation
- Choose the right travelling package for you,
- Submit your flight details and proceed with the payment,
- You will receive an email with all the details of your flight reservation.
What Is a Flight Ticket?
A flight or airline ticket is either a paper-printed or an electronic document purchased by a traveller from an airline company or a travel agency. The ticket proves that the traveller has a reserved seat on an aeroplane, which will take them to their destination.
Almost all Embassies or Consulates of the Schengen Area are clear towards their visa applicants, telling them not to buy the full Return Air Ticket before the visa is actually issued.
Still, sometimes you will not get along with visa requirements by submitting only the Flight Itinerary and Flight Ticket Reservation. Since the particular Embassy or Consulate of Schengen country has the authority to ask you to provide the actual Airline Ticket, ensure you have a planned trip to a specific European destination. Most of the Embassies or Consulates accept Round-trip Flight reservations with a Flight Itinerary as a form to prove you have a prearranged journey. But, again, they want you to provide the actual Flight Ticket once you get your visa approved.
The moment you own a Flight Ticket, you have in your hand the ticket with which you can travel to your destination once getting the visa. However, we recommend you not buy the full Air Travel Ticket before being certain you will get your Schengen visa approved. If failing to follow our advice, you can risk losing your money on a costly Flight Ticket without actually travelling to your planned destination.
Sample Flight Reservation for Your Visa Application
Click here for more itinerary templates and samples.
Why do Embassies or Consulates Need Proof of a Booked Reservation?
You are so curious to know why the Embassy or Consulate needs a “Proof of Flight Ticket Booking” from visa applicants.
Well, there are some real reasons behind it, as follows:
- To avoid overstaying in the Schengen Area. The first reason is that the Embassy or Consulate wants to control the interval of stay of foreign citizens in the relevant Schengen country. Thus, it wants to ensure they cope with the allowed number of days given by the Schengen Visa. And so, the best way to avoid overstaying in the Schengen Area is a booked Round-trip Flight Ticket. Furthermore, as this document shows the time of departure and arrival in the home country, it assures the Embassy or Consulate that the visa holder doesn’t exceed their allowed days of stay in the Schengen Area.
- To Decide on The Length of the Visa. The Embassy or Consulate often gets to decide on the number of allowed days of stay in the Schengen Area based on the travel dates provided in your submitted Booked Flight Ticket. Sometimes, the decision is tough because few applicants are prone to present a mismatch of declared days of stay in the application form, with dates presented in a Confirmed Travel Ticket. This may even penalize the applicant with a visa denial in such a case.
- To Double-Check If The Applicant Is Applying at The Appropriate Embassy or Consulate. Another reason why a Booked Flight Itinerary is necessary because the Embassy or Consulate wants to know if you are applying at the accurate Embassy or Consulate. Hence, based on the Travel Itinerary you present, i.e., if it shows you have planned to stay two days in Austria, seven days in Belgium and one day in Luxemburg, you must apply at the Embassy of Austria. So, generally, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country where you are planning to stay the most. This is important because the Schengen Agreement embraces the port of entry rule on which each Schengen country must rely.
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Will the Embassy or Consulate Accept a Booked Open or One-Way Flight Ticket?
Remembering what we just explained before, booking an Open or One-Way Flight Ticket might not be the right choice for you. This is because the Embassy or Consulate requires a Round-Trip Booked Travel Itinerary displaying your arrival and departure time from the Schengen country, as it wants to ensure you do not exceed the allowed days of stay in Schengen. Otherwise said, it wants to control your exit date from its country. If you purchase a one-way ticket, this might also be a sign that you do not want to return to your country within the allowed period by Visa. So instead, you should provide to the Embassy or Consulate only a Booked Round-Trip Flight Itinerary, which shows the dates of your leaving your country and the hosting Schengen country.
Should I Buy a Return Air Ticket Before Applying for a Visa?
No, buying a return air ticket is not recommended before applying for a visa. Because if your visa gets denied, you will lose your money. We recommend getting a flight itinerary, and once your visa is granted, you can purchase a real travel flight ticket.
How Can I Reserve a Flight Without Paying the Full Price for the Airline Ticket?
There are three simple steps you must follow to reserve a flight without making the full payment for the flight ticket:
- Call your preferred travel agent or visit the Visa Reservation website.
- Submit your travel flight details.
- Receive the flight itinerary in your email account.
How Does Group Booking Work?
If you plan to go on a group visit to Europe, you can book Group Flight Tickets. Group bookings are often shown in a single document, so make sure your name and your reservation number or booking ID are included in it. If not, you should contact the airline company or the online travel agent and ask them to do so.
What Should I Do in the Case of Incorrect Booking?
If you have made a mistake while booking your Flight Itinerary, the best thing to do is cancel it and book another. If not, you can contact the travel agent or the company and ask them to make the necessary changes to the booking system.
We cannot promise you that the company or travel agent will not charge you money for making the needed changes to your booking order.
Does the Embassy or Consulate Tell Me Where to Book My Flight?
That is an absolute no. The Embassy or Consulate does not oblige you or recommend any airline company or travel agent where to book your travel ticket. You are free to choose amongst available options online or from local airline companies.
Citizens of Which Countries Need to Show a Proof of Onward Travel?
The countries whose citizens are required to obtain a visa in order to enter Europe are obliged to show proof of onward travel ticket when applying for a Schengen visa. Those countries are:
| Afghanistan | Gabon | Oman |
| Algeria | Gambia | Pakistan |
| Angola | Ghana | Papua New Guinea |
| Armenia | Guinea | Palestinian Authority |
| Azerbaijan | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Bahrain | Guyana | Qatar |
| Bangladesh | Haiti | Russia |
| Belarus | India | Rwanda |
| Belize | Indonesia | Sao Tome And Principe |
| Benin | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Bhutan | Iraq | Senegal |
| Bolivia | Jamaica | Sierra Leone |
| Botswana | Jordan | Somalia |
| Burkina Faso | Kazakhstan | South Africa |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kenya | South Sudan |
| Burundi | Kosovo | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Kuwait | Sudan |
| Cameroon | Kyrgyzstan | Suriname |
| Cape Verde | Laos | Swaziland |
| Central African Republic | Lebanon | Syria |
| Chad | Lesotho | Tajikistan |
| China | Liberia | Tanzania |
| Comoros | Libya | Thailand |
| Congo | Madagascar | Timor-Leste |
| Cote D’ivoire | Malawi | Togo |
| Cuba | Maldives | Tonga |
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Mali | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mauritania | Türkiye |
| Dominican Republic | Mongolia | Turkmenistan |
| Ecuador | Morocco | Uganda |
| Egypt | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Equatorial Guinea | Namibia | Vietnam |
| Eritrea | Nepal | Yemen |
| Ethiopia | Niger | Zambia |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
| North Korea | Northern Mariana’s | Vanuatu |
Can We Make a Fake Flight Reservation?
Technically, you can create a fake flight itinerary by editing an existing template or using an online generator to create fake itineraries. But, instead of asking if you can create a fake flight reservation or a dummy ticket, ask yourself what will happen if the consular officer finds out that your flight reservation is fake.
For sure, you already know the answer. If the visa officer finds out that you have provided a fake travel itinerary, your visa will be refused, and what is even worse, your visa application might get denied in the future. So, think twice before deciding if you should or shouldn’t use a template or a fake/dummy flight generator.
What Should I Do if My Reservation Gets Cancelled Before I Get a Response on My Visa Application?
There is a great likelihood of booking cancellation before you know if you will or will not get a visa. This is because booking is usually valid for a week, while the visa might need 10-15 working days to process. That is why we recommend you find a travel agent who can agree with you a greater booking validity period, at least up to 10-15 working days.
A good alternative for anyone applying for Schengen Visa is getting Booked Flight Itinerary from Visa Reservation, a user-friendly website with high-flexibility options.
Visa Reservation offers travel booking itineraries for almost any visa application, including a Schengen visa, Canadian visa, UK visa, US visa, Japan visa, Indian visa, Singapore visa, etc. For more information, visit the Visa Reservation website.
The Difference Between Return Ticket, Onward Ticket And One-way Ticket
A ticket is a document that permits the holder to travel by public transport. Trains, buses, taxis and airlines are some of the public transport systems that issue tickets to their passengers. There are different types of tickets. A ticket can be a return ticket (also known as a round-trip ticket), an onward ticket, or a one-way ticket.
What is a Return ticket?
A return ticket or a round-trip ticket is a type of ticket that allows the holder to travel to a destination and then return back to the original starting point.
What is an Onward ticket?
An onward ticket is a flight reservation or airline itinerary. It looks like a regular airline ticket with a valid PNR / booking code or reference number. And it permits the holder to travel from a destination or country to another destination other than where the traveller is arriving from.
An example of an onward ticket is the type that a passenger from travels from India to Austria and then from Austria travels to Turkey.
If the passenger travels from India to Austria and then it flies back to India, this is a return ticket.
Onward tickets are usually required if the traveller is transiting a country.
What is a One-way ticket?
A one-way ticket permits the holder to travel from one country to another without returning. An example of a one-way ticket is a trip from the Philippines to Germany without returning to the Philippines.
Read also:
- How to get Hotel Booking for Visa Application
- Apply for a Visa from India
- Apply for a Visa from the UK
- Apply for a Visa from the US
- Apply for a Visa from Australia
- Apply for a Visa from Canada
- Apply for a Visa from South Africa
- Apply for a Visa from the Philippines
- How To Get Compensation When Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled