Why do you need a flight reservation for a Schengen visa application?

 

When you apply for, let’s say Schengen visa, the embassy or consulate will ask for proof of a return flight. This is to ensure that you are planning to return to your home country and that you will not stay illegally in the country you are visiting.

Other common phrases that are used interchangeably for flight itinerary are below. Basically, all of these refers to the same concept and have the same meaning.

1.       Booked flight itinerary

2.       Confirmed flight itinerary

3.       Detailed flight reservation

4.       Flight itinerary for flight visa application

5.       Air ticket booking

6.       Dummy air ticket

7.       Dummy air ticket for visa

8.       Flight confirmation

9.       Flight reservation

Embassies also recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets before you receive a decision about your visa:

This requirement for a flight reservation is necessary for your visa application to be processed. Without one, your application could be rejected.

But, imagine having to buy a flight ticket for your visa application and then it gets rejected. You would be left with a flight ticket which you cannot use and a massive hole in your wallet! However, there is a way around this situation. Instead of directly purchasing a flight ticket, get a flight reservation for your visa application. There are a few reasons why you should do this:

1.       You will have the required document for your application

2.       You won’t have to fork out hundreds of dollars first

3.       The flight reservation will give all the information that the embassy requires

4.       You will have flexibility to book a flight once your visa gets approved or cancel the reservation if your visa is rejected

5.       If the visa application takes longer to process, you are able to change the dates of travel

6.       In the event of your visa application being rejected, you may not get a full refund from the airline

 

As you can see above, a flight reservation document looks almost like a flight ticket, except that it does not have a price tag attached to it. Hence it is also sometimes referred to as a dummy Flight ticket. It comes with a unique reservation ID or code that can be verified from the airlines’ website if the embassy wants. In addition, the flight reservation contains all the information that you would normally have on a flight ticket – point of boarding, point of entry, travel dates, etc.

Most embassies accept a flight itinerary or reservation document as proof of travel on the specified dates. However, do keep in mind that if you are reserving a flight itinerary for your visa application and not actually buying a ticket, it makes good sense to disclose that to the embassy upfront. The flight reservation document helps the embassy validate what you have mentioned in your application form. So, in such cases, honesty is always the best policy. You don’t want to get rejected for forging documents or providing false information.