How to Book a Round Trip Reservation or Flight Itinerary for Visa Application
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
But wait, isn’t it all just confusing for you?
We bet getting along with this Schengen Visa Requirement is not your number one worry, knowing the amount 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 it is “proof of booked flight itinerary” are so confusing to you. Also is the fact that you risk losing your money from paying the real Flight Ticket, even by knowing that your visa can be denied.
You are also questioning:
- Where and how to get a Flight Itinerary and Confirmed Flight Reservation?
- Is it possible to pay for the Flight Reservation and Flight Ticket after I get awarded with 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’ll read our simple explanations in the following parts of this article!
Am I Going To Lose My Money In The Case of Visa Rejection?
We do not suggest to risk your money on buying a full flight ticket before getting the visa! This since even Embassies and Consulates are able to understand the fact that it is not a clever thing to push applicants on buying 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, keep in mind 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 get a Flight Itinerary and Reserved Flight Ticket instead of buying a costly Flight Ticket. A Fight Itinerary for Visa Application is not actually a real Flight or Air Ticket that you have to spend so much money buying it. 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 aforesaid, is not an actual air ticket that you spend money for, without being sure that your Schengen Visa will not be denied. A Travel Itinerary for Schengen Visa it 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, also 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 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 the Actual 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 with a symbolic amount of money for getting your confirmation over your Flight or Travel Itinerary. Though, 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, that 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, hotel reservationsalong with free consultation over email.
What is a Flight Reservation and How can I get a Confirmed Flight Booking?
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 after that! This as the company might cancel your reservation if you do not buy the flight ticket until then – risking to lose money you’ve spent on the reservation.
You can buy a Confirmation of a Flight Reservation directly by 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 online market in general. Thus, they can propose you great and cheap deals by usually charging you 10% of the fixed ticket price. This way you will cut the risk of, from getting a real Airline ticket bought before knowing if you will get 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 traveling package for you,
- Submit your flight details and proceed the payment,
- You will receive an email with all the details of your Flight
What is a Flight Ticket?
A flight or airline ticket is either a paper-printed or an electronic document, purchased by a traveler from an airline company or a travel agency. The ticket proves that the traveler has a reserved seat on an airplane, which will take him / her 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 Air Ticket before the visa will be actually issued.
Still, sometimes you will not get along with Schengen Visa Requirements submitting only the Flight Itinerary and Flight Ticket Reservation. This since particular Embassy or Consulate of Schengen Area has the authority for asking you to provide the actual Airline Ticket, if it needs to make sure you actually have a planned trip to a specific destination in Europe. Most of the Embassies or Consulates accept Round-trip Flight Reservation with a Flight Itinerary as a form to prove you have a prearranged journey. Though, 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. We recommend you not to 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 Embassies or Consulates Need a Proof of a Booked Reservation?
As you are so curious to know the reason why the Embassy or Consulate needs a “Proof of Flight Ticket Booking” from visa applicants.
Well, there are some real reasons behind it, as it follows:
- To avoid overstaying in the Schengen Area – The number one reason is because the Embassy or Consulate wants to control the interval of stay of foreign citizens in the relevant Schengen country. Thus, as it wants to make sure they cope with the allowed number of days given by Schengen Visa. And so, the best way to avoid overstaying in the Schengen Area is a booked Round-trip Flight Ticket. 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 your 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. In such case, this may even penalise the applicant with a visa denial.
- To Double-Check If The Applicant Is Applying at The Appropriate Embassy or Consulate – Another reason why a Booked Flight Itinerary is necessary is 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. in case it shows you have planned to stay 2 days in Austria, 7 days in Belgium and 1 day in Luxemburg, then 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 an important aspect because the Schengen Agreement embraces the port of entry rule in which, each Schengen country must rely on.
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 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 make sure you do not exceed the allowed days of stay in Schengen. Otherwise said, it wants to set control over your date of exit from its country. If you purchase a one-way ticket, this might also be a sign that you do not want to get back to your country within the allowed period by Visa. Instead, you should provide to the Embassy or Consulate only a Booked Round-Trip Flight Ticket which shows dates of your leaving your country and the hosting Schengen country.
How Can I Reserve a Flight Without Paying the Full Price for the Airline Ticket?
There are 3 simple steps you must follow in order to reserve a flight without making the full payment for the flight ticket:
- Call your preferred travel agency or visit this website.
- Submit your flight details.
- Receive the flight itinerary in your email account.
How group Booking works?
If you are planning to go on a group visit to Europe, then you can book Group Flight Tickets. Group bookings are often shown in a single document, so make sure your name and your reservation number of 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 Case of Incorrect Booking?
In case you have made a mistake while booking your Flight Itinerary, then the best thing to do is to cancel it, and booking another one. If not, you can contact the travel agent or the company and ask them to make the necessary changes in 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 you any airline company, or travel agent where to book your travel ticket. You are free to choose amongst different available options online or amongst local airline companies.
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 for the fact that booking is usually valid for a week, while the visa might need 10-15 working days to process. That is why we recommend you to find a travel agent that can agree with you a greater period of booking validity, at least up to 10-15 working days.
A good alternative for anyone seeking to apply for Schengen Visa is getting Booked Flight Itinerary from VisaReservation, a user-friendly website with high-flexibility options.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon