So, you want to apply for a visa that requires flight booking. Why would I even book a flight and make travel plans when I don’t have a visa yet, right?
It seems absurd yet you will find that many consulates and embassies require a flight booking when applying for a visa. For some, they will also want to see details of your accommodation. The consular may even go over your day-to-day plans during your stay in that country.
Depending on the country, the consulate may also refer to the flight itinerary as-
- Confirmed booking
- Booked flight itinerary
- Flight confirmation
- Proof of onward travel
Why do Consulates and Embassies need a flight itinerary?
1. Every visa has a certain interval of stay for foreigners visiting the country. The embassy or consulate wants to make sure you’re not overstaying your visit in the country. The flight itinerary assures the consulate on this.
2. It helps the consulate decide on the length of the stay. Many countries have a fixed duration of visas that they grant. Eg. If you want to visit a country for 7 days and the standard tourist visa for that country is 14 days, the consulate will grant a 14-day tourist visa to you as per protocol. However, for some countries, the visa is granted for your exact travel dates of arrival and departure, particularly when you apply to Schengen visa for the first time.
3. For Schengen visa, the consulate will want to make sure that you are applying to the right consulate. Schengen visa rules suggest that you apply to the consulate of the country in which you will be staying maximum during your visit. Eg. Let’s say, your Europe trip includes 4 days in Spain, 12 days in Germany and 7 days in Hungary, then you will have to apply with the German consulate. If you apply at the Spain embassy/consulate, they will most likely not accept your application.
Do I need to purchase flight tickets and book my hotels even before getting the visa?
It is not obligatory to BUY flight tickets to apply for a visa. Most of the consulates accept flight BOOKINGS/RESERVATIONS. It is a financial risk to buy tickets and hotels before getting your visa approval. If you are confident that you most likely get the visa approved within a certain time-frame without any complexity, only then you should purchase the itinerary.
How to book flights as proof of flight itinerary?
Option 1: Cancel a flight within 24 hrs of booking
By US law, the airlines allow you to cancel a flight reservation within 24hrs of booking. Go to online booking US websites such as Skyscanner or Expedia. Find a flight that matches your travel dates. Book the flight with the correct traveler details and dates of travel. Make sure to confirm the 24hr cancellation policy on the website of your choice. On Expedia, you will find this feature next to the purchase button. Purchase the ticket. Print your itinerary or save it as a PDF for printing it later. Within 24 hours, log back to the website and cancel the flight ticket to get your full refund. Take this printout to the consulate during your visa interview/application process.
Always check for Expedia's 24 hr cancellation notice before booking
Option 2: Hold a flight for an extended period
With certain carriers such as American Airlines, if you’re booking your trip 7 days or more before departure, you have the option to hold a ticket for more than 24 hours for a period of three, five or seven days with a small fee starting at $10.
American Airlines allows free 24hr hold and extended hold for a small fee
Option 3: Book a fake ticket
With services such as Keyflight.io/fake and Onwardticketmonk.com, you can book a fake flight ticket. They use real flight date and actual ticket templates to generate realistic looking flight ticket. The flight ticked you get from such services is NOT a real ticket. It does not create a reservation with the airline carrier. So proceed with caution. You are solely responsible if you choose this hack. These services charge a few of $5 for fake tickets.
The service searches for real flights
A sample generated free ticket
Option 4: Book a verifiable reservation
With Keyflight.io/book, you can book a verifiable airline reservation that is valid upto 7 days. It only costs $14.99 to use this service.
How to book flights as proof of onward travel?
This applies when you have purchased a one-way ticket and plan on traveling to multiple countries or have a flexible travel plan. In some countries, you require proof of onward or return ticket upon arrival to prove you are leaving the country within the said period. The same process described above applies to this scenario.
Can I just book a fully refundable flight ticket?
Many airlines allow you to book refundable tickets which are expensive. Even if you book a refundable ticket and cancel it later, there are fees associated with the cancelation. Unless you have a high airline status with an airline, you will most likely have to pay the cancellation & rebooking fee. Your insurance will not cover this fee unless under certain circumstances.
How to book accommodation as proof of itinerary?
This part is easy as most hotels have a free last minute cancellation policy. Visit a website like Skyscanner, Expedia or Booking.com and look for hotels that match your travel dates and locations. Make sure to book the hotels/hostels/Airbnb in each city for legitimacy. You want to make sure that they match your application details. Book hotels that you are likely to stay at but also have 24hr cancellation. This is a good approach incase you don’t have time to re-search hotels later or want to book early to get better prices. Print out the hotel reservation details that highlight your name and use them for your visa application. If you are traveling with a partner or friend, their name does not need to be on the hotel reservation but is good to have.
