Should I Book Actual Flight Ticket Instead of Flight Reservation and why is a Flight Reservation Required for a Schengen visa?

 

No. Buying flight tickets prior to your visa approval is a very risky move, one that is not recommended by any embassy in any country. By purchasing flight tickets, you risk losing money should your application be declined. Also, visa applications can take slightly longer depending on the demand and how much information you have provided. In some cases, people have purchased Flight Tickets and Hotel Reservations before they received their visas and, because of the processing time, missed their flights and lost their money.

Why is a flight reservation required for a Schengen visa?

When you apply for a Schengen visa, you will be asked to provide a list of required documents:

1.       Passport

2.       Photographs

3.       Proof of legal residence

4.       Travel insurance

5.       Return flight reservation

6.       Proof of accommodation

7.       Proof of funds

The above documents are standard for everyone and no matter why you wish to travel to the Schengen Area, you will have to provide proof that you have a flight reservation. There are three main reasons why this is:

1) Proof that you will not overstay

The embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit needs to see proof that you do not plan to overstay or remain illegally in the country you are going to. They will be able to see your date of entry and when you plan to leave the Schengen area. By providing a flight reservation, there will be more chance that your visa application will be approved.

2) The embassy can decide on the start and end dates of the visa

Based on the dates provided by you and the dates that show on the flight reservation/itinerary, the embassy will decide the start and end dates of the visa. Your dummy ticket will show a date when you plan to leave the Schengen area, so this would be the date that your visa would expire. It is very important that you ensure the dates you have given in all of the documents that you provide match. If they do not, this could lead to your application being rejected.

3) To ensure you are applying at the correct visa office

The flight reservation specifies the country or countries you are planning on visiting, so the embassy or consulate can be sure if you are applying at the correct office. For example, if you are going to Italy and then onto France, you need to apply at the Italian embassy or consulate in your area.

To make a Flight Reservations without paying the price you could use the services of Schengen Visa Itinerary. We also offer Hotel Reservations and affordable Travel Insurance to complete your visa requirements.