Getting a travel itinerary for visa application is the most difficult and confusing parts of the visa process. Consulates insist on providing with confirmed flight and hotel bookings. But they do not recommend purchasing an actual ticket. They just want an itinerary. Did you see how confusing is that?
Often times the consulates ask for one of these –
- Flight tickets
- Flight itinerary
- Flight confirmation
- Confirmed flight tickets
- Confirmed flight itinerary
- Round trip flight tickets
- Proof of onward travel
They all mean the same thing. “Flight tickets”. Consulates understand the fact that a visa application does not result in a guaranteed approval. Therefore, they only recommend you to “hold” a flight reservation, not actually “purchase” the flight tickets.
If your visa application is denied or delayed, you will lose the money that you have spent on the flight tickets. Airlines and insurance providers do not consider visa denial as a reason for refund claims. So, do not purchase your flight tickets until your visa application is approved.
If consulates would like to see purchased tickets, they will specifically ask for it. For example, Chile visa application mentions that you may have to show your purchased ticket on visa approval.
Not every airline service every route. You have to play around with different airlines and different booking sites to avail the hold option. Below are 15 proven ways to get a travel itinerary for visa application.
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Flight itinerary for visa application
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01. Purchasing a refundable ticket
Refundable flight tickets on Aeromexico
This is the best and foolproof option for your flight itinerary. A refundable ticket is a purchased ticket. No one can question its authenticity.
Most airlines offer this option at a higher price. Usually 5-10 times higher than a non-refundable or sale ticket. Most airlines process refunds fairly quickly within a few days to a few weeks.
One thing to keep in mind is even though it’s a refundable ticket, some booking sites and airlines charge a fee to cancel the tickets. Few examples –
- Cheapoair (Cancellation fee is $150 USD)
- Etihad Airways (Cancellation fee is $75 USD on “refundable” tickets. Etihad calls this some kind of “tax”)
PRO TIP:
Always purchase a refundable ticket directly from the airline website. I suggest you call the airline first inquiring about the cancellation policy of their refundable tickets.
Pros
A refundable ticket is a valid ticket. You do not need to worry about the consulate verifying it’s authenticity.
Cons
You need to pay for the ticket first which usually is about 5-10 times more than a sale price ticket. Refunds take from a few days to a few weeks depending on the airline. You also need to keep the credit card open to receive the refund.
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02. Using a local travel agent to hold a flight reservation
Kim Travel, a local travel agent in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This is the second best method. Travel agents can hold tickets for up to 7 days. They may charge a small fee for this service.
Pros
For just a small fee, you can hold a flight ticket for as long as 7 days.
Cons
This option is good only if the visa processing takes maximum 7 days.
Also Read: What to pack for international travel
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03. Using a visa ticket booking website
Dummy Ticket, an online ticket booking agent for visa
There are quite a few online travel agents providing this service for a small fee. They can hold a reservation for up to 21 days. They also provide express service if you are in a hurry.
Examples
- Dummy Ticket | Price $19 USD | Booking valid up to 21 days
- Flight Reservation for visa | Price €25.99 EUR | Booking valid up to 21 days
- OneWayFly | Price $19 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Visa Reservation | Price $30 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Schengen Visa Flight Reservation | Price $15 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Schengen Visa Itinerary | Price $30 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Visa Bookings | Price $20 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- KeyFlight | Price $14.90 USD | Booking valid for 7 days
- Booking for Visa | Price $15 USD | Booking validity unknown
- Ticket Hotel Visa | Price $20 USD | Booking validity unknown
- Travel Visa Guru | Price $14 USD | Booking validity unknown
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04. Using award miles and hold option
Award miles flight ticket hold option on American Airlines
Some airlines will let you hold your reservation for up to 5 days if you are purchasing an award ticket or using your airline miles. The held reservation is a printable itinerary that you can use for your visa application. The reservation might say that it needs to be purchased within a given time. But, it is still an acceptable option for visa applications. Few examples –
Examples
- American Airlines | Free hold up to 5 days using AAdvantage miles
Pros
This option works perfectly fine for visa applications. This service is offered free of charge for the airline award members.
Cons
You must have a frequent flyer account and a few thousand miles to avail this option. It may not be useful for visa applications that take longer than 5 days to approve.
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05. Free ticket hold option by airlines
Free flight ticket hold option on Copa Airlines
Quite a few airlines have the option to hold a fare for up to 48 hours.
Examples
- Copa Airlines | Free hold for 48 hours
- American Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours
- United Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours with pay-in-person option
- Turkish Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours or more
- Aeroflot | Free hold for 24 hours with cash option
Pros
This service is offered free of charge by many airlines.
Cons
This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 2 days to approve.
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06. Free ticket hold option by online booking sites
Free flight ticket hold option on Yatra.com
There are some online booking sites that let you hold a reservation for free.
Examples
- Yatra.com | Free 3 day hold. Yatra is an India based booking website, but anyone can hold and book international tickets
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07. Ticket hold option for a fee by airlines
United Airlines Farelock option
Some airlines allow you to hold your ticket for a small fee for a few days. Different airlines have different hold days and different fee. Usually, the fee is $5-20 USD depending on the hold days.
- United Airlines Farelock | 3 day hold for $6.99 USD and 7 day hold for $8.99 USD
- British Airways Hold Flight | 3 day hold for $10 USD
- Air France Time to Think | 3 day hold for $20 USD
- Air New Zealand Fare Hold | 3 day hold for $30 USD
- Swiss Airlines Secure Price | 3 day hold for $27 USD
- Lufthansa Secure Your Fare | 2 day hold for $25-40 USD
- Aeroflot Deferred Payment | 2 day hold for $16 USD
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08. Email price quote or itinerary option from airlines
British Airways price quote email
Some airlines allow you to print an itinerary or email a price quote. These look similar to a reservation that can be used for visa applications. Few examples –
Pros
This option works perfectly fine for United Kingdom visa applications. I have used a British Airways price quote email for my UK visa application and it worked fine. The UK is not asking for flight itineraries anymore for their visa applications. If they do for some reason, you can always use this option.
Cons
You may not be able to use this option for visas other than the UK.
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09. Free 24 hours ticket cancellation from United, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.
United Airlines free cancellation within 24hrs
A few airlines and online ticket booking websites provide options for free cancellation within 24 hours of booking. These sites allow you to cancel a flight ticket within 24 hours of booking. Few examples –
- United Airlines | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Expedia | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Priceline | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Orbitz | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Travelocity | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Yatra | Free cancellation within the same day of booking
PRO TIP:
Tickets from budget airlines, such as Airasia cannot be cancelled even when booked on Expedia/Priceline/Orbitz. You must read the fine print on the checkout page carefully to make sure that the ticket can be cancelled for free within 24 hours. For more information, check out my step-by-step guide on how to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia
Pros
This is a great option as proof of onward travel or return ticket if you are availing Visa on Arrival. You have to time it well so that you are still in the 24 hours period when availing the Visa on Arrival. You can cancel the ticket right after you complete your Visa on Arrival formality.
Cons
These tickets must be canceled within 24 hours. After that, you cannot cancel and cannot get a refund. This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 24 hours.
Also Read: How to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia – A step-by-step guide
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10. Using an onward ticket booking agency
Onward Ticket, an online onward flight ticket booking agent
There are a few onward ticket booking sites that provide this service for a small fee. They cancel the ticket after 24 hours on your behalf.
Examples
- OnwardTicket | Price $12 USD | Ticket valid for 48 hours | Instant booking
- BestOnwardticket | Price $12 USD | Ticket valid for 48 hours
- AirOnwardTicket | Price $7.99 USD | Ticket valid for 36 hours
- RentOnwardTicket | Price $9 USD | Ticket valid for 72 hours
- OnewayFly | Price $19 USD | Ticket valid for 14 days
- OnwardFlights | Price $7 USD | Ticket valid for 24 hours
Pros
These are great as a proof of onward travel for visa on arrival. You have to time it properly so the ticket is still valid while going through the visa on arrival formality. For a small fee, you will have a legitimate and verifiable flight ticket.
Cons
This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 24 hours.
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11. Using a fake ticket generator
Fake Flight Tickets, an online fake flight ticket generator
There are a few online fake airline ticket generators. These tools generate a fake flight ticket that looks similar to actual booking. These bookings are not real and cannot be verified.
This is an extremely risky option, so use it at your own discretion.
Examples
- FakeFlightTickets | Price $5 USD | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- KeyFlight | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- NomadProof | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- ReturnFlights | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
WARNING
Using dummy/fake flight tickets is illegal and against the law. If caught, you may be fined, prosecuted or jailed. Please use fake tickets at your own risk.
Pros
Easy to generate fake tickets on the fly at your convenience.
Cons
These tickets are fake and it’s against the law to use them.
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12. Purchasing non-refundable flight ticket
Non-refundable flights on Skyscanner.com
Purchase non-refundable flight tickets only if you are 100% certain that your visa will be approved. I have booked non-refundable flight tickets myself a few times. But, I was applying for a visa that I have applied a few times before and approved.
For best non-refundable flight deals, use the booking site listed below.
Examples
Pros
You have the actual ticket. No need to worry if the consulate verifies it’s authenticity. Since you bought it early, it probably was cheaper than purchasing after the visa approval.
Cons
In the case of visa denial, you will lose the money since the ticket is a non-refundable ticket.
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Hotel itinerary for visa application
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Hotel itinerary is much easier to obtain than a flight itinerary. Many hotels and most hotel booking websites offer refundable or pay-at-check-in options.
13. Refundable or pay-at-the-property option
Refundable or pay-at-the-property hotels on Expedia.com
These options sometimes do not even require credit card information. Just make a note of when the booking needs to be canceled. Create a calendar reminder to make sure you cancel these bookings right after your visa approval. Few examples –
- Expedia | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Booking.com | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Agoda | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Orbitz | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
Pros
No pre-payment is necessary. Just book refundable hotels/hostels and cancel once your visa is approved.
Cons
You have to remember the date by which the reservation needs to be canceled. Otherwise, you will be charged for the booking.
NOTE:
Not all “pay-at-check-in or pay-at-the-property” bookings are refundable. Read the description carefully when making a hotel booking.
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14. Pay deposit option
Pay deposit on Hotelworld.com
Some booking sites let you hold a reservation by paying a small deposit upfront. You pay about 20% of the booking as a non-refundable deposit. You can cancel the booking after your visa application is approved. You will lose the deposit, but if you pick a cheap dorm room for a few days, 20% deposit will not be that much.
Examples
- HostelWorld | 20% non-refundable deposit
Pros
For a small deposit, you can book a hostel dorm bed. You can cancel it right after your visa is approved.
Cons
20% is still a big amount if booking in cities like Paris where a dorm bed costs about €10.00 per night. You must make sure to remember the date by which the reservation need to be canceled.
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15. Non-refundable hotel/hostel
Non-refundable hotels on Expedia.com
Book a non-refundable hotel/hostel only if you are 100% certain that your visa application will be approved.
If you are re-applying for a visa that was approved previously with the same documentation, then there is a good chance that your visa application will be approved this time as well.
Even in this case, I do not suggest to book a non-refundable hotel. But if you see a really good hotel deal that you can’t pass up, you can probably consider.
How to get a British Airways email price quote for UK visa application- A step-by-step Guide
How to get Thailand Visa on Arrival – A complete guide
How to travel 49 non-Schengen countries VISA-FREE with a Schengen visa [2020 edition]
Mahwish Abbasi says
Hi! You mentioned that we are required to “hold” a reservation and not buy it. I intend to apply for a Canadian visa and I am required to provide the consulate with my flight itinerary. I found some airlines that hold the tickets for 24-72 hrs. Can I apply with that ticket which says “On Hold” on top?
Thirumal says
Hi Mahwish! Absolutely. Consulates recommend not “purchasing” the flight tickets before your visa approval. So having “On Hold” on the top of your itinerary is perfectly alright. I have used itineraries with “On Hold” on them for most of my visas and I was fine.
Kate says
Hi Thirumal! My friend is having her interview next month and she asked me if I could help her do the travel itinerary. You mentioned on one of the comments that you don’t need or not required to book and hold flight reservations. Can you tell me what is the best way to do a travel itinerary? Please she had been declined 2x already so I want to help her get approved this time.
Thirumal says
Hi Kate! Which country visa are you referring to? Without knowing the country, it’s difficult to give you the exact information you need.
Seerat Gill says
Hello Thirumal! First of all, thank you so much for providing such great information. Your blog had helped me a lot in gathering the documentation and planning of my dream visit. If you do not mind I have a few questions that I hope you would be able to answer:
– I am planning an approx 14 days visit that will cover the whole of the UK. Personally I have funds to cover the visit but just to keep the visa process simple I am planning to mention just the 5 days of the visit so that my funds do not look insufficient or trip does not look longer than necessary.
-Will it cause any issue at the time of arrival in the UK? Like will the entry officer there have access to application detail saying I mentioned only 5 days but the return ticket that I will be having at that time will show my return on 14th day?
– Do I have to travel on the same dates that I have mentioned in my visa application itinerary or can travel on any dates within the granted visa period? Again will it cause any issue at the time of entry?
Please guide me so that I can proceed appropriately. Once again thank you so much for your informative blog.
Thirumal says
Hi Seerat! Thanks a lot for the kind words!
– Yes. When you actually travel, you can travel longer than what you have mentioned in your visa application. The visa is granted for 6 months for that specific reason, so it can accommodate any itinerary changes.
– The immigration officers at the airport can access your visa application if needed. But 14 days is not too long. Even if you are questioned, if you can prove that you have enough funds to sustain yourself, a detailed itinerary and hotel bookings for those 14 days., then you will be fine.
– No. UK visit visas are issued for 6 months. You can travel on any dates within the visa validity period.
Javed says
Hi Thirumal,
Thanks for writing such a useful post. I have a Turkish eVisa and I have been trying to get one for my wife. Since it should be a sticker Visa hence I will have to go through the entire documentation. Do you have any idea that for how long we can hold the flight on Turkish Airlines?
I would really appreciate it if you can provide me any insight on this.
Thanks,
Javed
Thirumal says
Hi Javed! The minimum is 24 hours and the maximum I have seen was 2 weeks. The farther out the flight, the longer the hold. For example, if your flight is 1 week from today, you may be allowed to hold it for only 24 hours. But if your flight is 3 months from today, you may be able to hold for 1-2 weeks.
William says
Hello good morning. Please, I’m a musician from Ghana and I’m applying for a UK Tourist Visa and I would like you to assist me with these questions?
1. Am I supposed to provide details of what I’ll be doing daily? Do they want full details of my day to day itinerary?
2 What am I supposed to state in the cover letter?
3. It’s actually a 6-day trip so please what estimated budget do you think will be good for me to provide in the application form?
4. Please with the amount of the money I have in my savings bank account. Let’s say £5000 and I plan to spend £2500 on my trip, is it ok? If not can you assist me with what I should do?
Thirumal says
Hi William!
1. Yes. To maximize your chances of visa approval, I suggest providing a day-to-day itinerary in your cover letter.
2. In your cover letter, you will mention your purpose of the trip, dates and itinerary, current employment (self-employed, musician, etc), financial solvency (how much you earn, etc), travel history, any family ties, etc.
3. You must show about £150 GBP per day estimated budget. So, it would be about £900 GBP total for your 6-day trip.
4. Your estimated budget must be less than half of your current savings. So yes, if you have £5,000 GBP, then planing to spend £2,500 GBP or less is perfectly fine.
I suggest referring to UK visa refusal reasons article for more details.
IMRAN KHAN says
Hi Everyone
I used this service to apply for my wife Visit visa to sit in the PACES exam in the UK. These guys are very helpful and they sent the confirmation of Flight & hotel well before the time mentioned.
Thank GOD my wife visa was granted and I am really thankful to them for their services. Recommended to all who need Flight + Hotel for their visit visa purposes.
Thirumal says
Hi Imran! I’m glad the services I mentioned here were helpful. Congratulations and good luck to your wife on her PACES exam!
Sid says
Hi Thiru,
Thanks for your informative answers. Appreciate your help.
My question is slightly different. I applied for a Schengen visa (in a group with 2 families). The French consulate has refused the visa for everyone in the group since one of the child’s passport had a photo of not to their liking.
My family passports and other documents were all fine. Is there a way I can appeal against the same to French consulate? I actually booked non-refundable flights etc.
Can you assist?
Regards,
Shashank Arora
Thirumal says
Hi Shashank! Yes, you can appeal to consider only your’s or your family’s applications. You have a valid reason to appeal the decision. I have never appealed a Schengen visa decision myself, so I am not aware of the process. But you can refer to the article from Schengen visa info for the procedure. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Rahul says
Hello Thirumal. Hope you are doing fine. I am going to apply for a UK tourist VISA and my travel agent provided me an original Emirates ticket hold which will last for three days. My question is whether can I use this flight itinerary for my UK Visa application and I would also like to know whether the UK home office won’t mind even if the flight itinerary becomes invalid or cancelled after the three-day hold since it’s an original reservation.
Thirumal says
Hi Rahul! Yes, you can use your 3 day hold Emirates ticket for UK visa. I have used a BA price quote (not even a hold) for my UK visa and it was fine with the home office. I know many readers here also have used BA prices quote and 3-7 day hold tickets without any issues.
Rahul says
Dear Thirumal, thank your for the information. Just to reconfirm, as you know Since the UK Visa processing takes at least a week, by the time the Home office checks my itinerary’s validity, most probably it would be invalid by that time since it’s just a 3-day hold. Therefore, I would like to know whether my VISA would get rejected due to this issue or they would ignore it since it’s an original itinerary?
Thirumal says
As long as you are eligible for the visa and meet all the requirements, you will secure the visa. Your flight itinerary is only to show the entry/exit dates and duration of stay in the UK.
All consulates including the UK recommend not buying flight tickets prior to your visa approval. Therefore, they all know that your itinerary/reservation will expire at some point. That being said, at least submit an itinerary that is still valid at the time of application submission.
RAHUL says
Hello Thirumal. Thank you for the information. However, since it’s an itinerary with a validity of only 3 days, unfortunately it has expired yesterday. Can I still use it for my application? Furthermore, my intended date of travel is August 25th and I am going to apply with priority service on August 7. Will I get a decision within August 20 at least? Kindly help me, please.
Thirumal says
No. Don’t use the expired itinerary. I suggest getting a new itinerary right before you submit your application. That way, it would be valid for 3 days from the day of submission.
Priority service has a guaranteed 5 working day decision time. You will hear the decision within 5 working days of application submission. If you apply on Aug 07, you will hear the decision by Aug 14. Add a few more working days for receiving your passport (courier/postal time).
Vijay J says
Can you help with more instructions on how to get this? Will it have passenger names? Can I also include hotel in it?
Thirumal says
Hi Vijay! Yes, I can help you with getting an itinerary from Emirates or BA. Yes, these itineraries include the names of the passengers. They are “flight only” itineraries, so there will not be any hotel included in them.
Send me an email from the contact page, so I will send you the steps on how to get the itinerary on Emirates or BA.
Manoj says
Hi Thirumal! I wish you a Happy New Year! So glad to have found a blog for visa guidance, grateful and appreciate your service here. Please, could you help me with the steps to get the price quote from BA website?
Thirumal says
Hi Manoj! I plan to write a separate step-by-step article on how to get a price quote from BA website. Meanwhile, I will email you the steps and screenshots.
sam says
I have a roundtrip flight ticket from USA to the UK and then from the UK bought a tour for Europe by Coach and will be applying for schengen visa. Can I submit my round trip flight to UK and USA and the tour details purchased which will be by coach? Will it be enough when applying for Schengen visa or do I need to buy flight tickets to the Schengen country I am applying for?
Thanks,
Thirumal says
Hi Sam! You haven’t mentioned whether you already hold a visa for the UK. If do, then yes, you can just show your round trip tickets to the UK and the coach from there.
If you don’t have a UK visa, then I suggest applying for your UK visa first.
khalil says
How can one get a 5-year multiple entry Schengen visa C or a longer validity like USA and Canada? Please share tips with me.
Thirumal says
Hi Khalil! Schengen C-type visas with longer validity (3 or 5 years) are only issued to those who travel to the Schengen zone frequently. Ex: Having a business presence in the Schengen zone and need to travel monthly.
If you can prove that you have a need to travel to the Schengen zone frequently, then you have a fair chance of getting a 5-year visa.
MK says
Do not use those websites to buy tickets, those are Indians scammers be aware do not use this kind of websites these are all the same people looking to scam you. Better get your reservation on any airline. Cheaters!
Thirumal says
Hi MK! Could you be more specific? Which website are you referring to?
I provide all options and links to all services available out there including major airlines. If you just say “websites”, it’s confusing to me and to my readers. If you want to warn the readers about a specific company, please be specific. That way, you can prevent the readers from getting scammed from such companies. If you just say “websites”, it’s not going to help anyone.
SP says
Hi Thirumal! Thank you for the great information. I have a Schengen visa appointment coming up soon and would like to use one of the flight reservation websites you recommended. Will it be a problem if the hold is only for 7 days when the visa processing time will take 15 days?
More importantly, will I need to provide train and flight tickets within the same Schengen country? What if I need to go to Spain and Portugal? Will that be a single-entry visa? And do I need to provide flight tickets from Spain to Portugal within my trip?
Thank you very much!
Thirumal says
Hi SP! You can use any of those flight reservation websites. But talk to a representative first on the validity and such. Yes, a ticket with a 7 day validity will work for Schengen visa.
No. You don’t have to show internal flights within the country. But if you are traveling to more than one Schengen country, then you have to provide flight or train tickets.
It will be single entry since both Spain and Portugal are in the Schengen zone. But you have to show a flight or train ticket from Spain to Portugal in your itinerary.
Truong says
Hi Thirumal,
This has been the most informative and best post on the web. Thank you for your hard work and hopefully, you have some time to help answer my question.
I am an Australian citizen and do not need a Schengen Visa however my wife who is residing in Australia has a Vietnam passport and she will need one.
Will I need to also provide all of my travel itinerary to the consulate when she applies for the visa?
She does not work but I will be the funding the whole trip and I do have all of the savings record etc and employment status, will sending these documents help increase the rate of the visa?
Do you recommend using Travelvisabooking to get two of the same sets of travel itinerary to send to the consulate and on the cover letter explain that we will be travelling together and I am the one funding the trip?
Do you recommend using the travel insurance on the travel agents website then cancelling it after and using one from Australia when the visa is approved? Do I also have to show them my travel insurance as well as I am travelling with her?
Thanks a million.
Thirumal says
Hi Truong! Your wife has to provide the following
– Flight itinerary showing you and your wife as passengers flying on the same flight (Use FlightReservationForVisa or OneWayFly. TravelVisaBookings have too many complaints and I removed from the list)
– Hotel bookings showing 2 people on the booking (it can be on your name or your wife’s)
– Insurance on your wife’s name (yes, use a travel agent for now and get insurance from Australia after the visa is approved)
– Your employment proofs
– Your financial proofs
– Your marriage certificate
– A letter from you stating that you will be traveling together and funding the entire trip
– A cover letter from your wife that her husband will fund the trip
Truong says
Thank You very much!!
sonia says
Hi Thirumal, I checked with British Airways about the Flight itinerary and they said I have to either purchase the ticket or pay to hold it for 72 hours. I am applying for Visit visa for my family for the UK.
Thirumal says
Hi Sonia! First of all, flight itineraries are not required for UK visas anymore (in most cases). Check your application and the checklist to make sure if you really need to submit a flight itinerary.
Second, the email price quote option is still available on the British Airways website. I did not see the 72 hours hold option though. Is that only through the phone or available on the website as well?
Sidd says
Dear Thirumal,
I’m looking for a genuine/trustworthy website where I can hold flight reservations for my US visa interview. You have given a list of websites, but please suggest me one from India.
Thanks in advance.
Thirumal says
Hi Sidd! Flight reservations are NOT REQUIRED for US visa. You don’t need to hold any flight reservations. Even if you do, the VO will not ask for it during the interview. So, it would be a waste of money.
Bhawna says
Thanks for your reply! Yes, my flight from London to Barcelona is also through British Airways.
Thirumal says
Hi Bhawna! In that case, you’re fine. You don’t need to worry about anything. Enjoy your trip!
Bhawna says
Hi Thirumal,
I’m an Indian Passport holder with valid US Visa and traveling to Barcelona, Spain from San Francisco via British Airways. I have a 2 hr layover at London Airport. Do I need a UK transit Visa?
Thanks in advance!
Thirumal says
Hi Bhawna! You DO NOT NEED a transit visa for the UK. If you have a valid US visa or Schengen visa (you do since you are traveling to Spain), you do not need a transit visa for the UK.
Question: Is your flight London-Barcelona is on British Airways as well?
Deepak Jindal says
Hello brother. I am Deepak. I am planning to apply for a Schengen visa to Iceland. I am first time to apply for Schengen visa. I have a small travel history. What do you think? And any experience about Iceland visa process? Should I use a flight reservation/dummy ticket? Any guidance? How much gap I should keep from applying to traveling? Means aise aaj apply krna hai.. toh kitne din ka gap rakhu jab mujhe flight ticket or plan apna embassy ko show krna chahiye? I hope you got it!
Your blog is just mind blowing.. so much information man.. great job.
Thirumal says
Hi Deepak! The more travel history you have, the better it is for visas. See if you can work on improving your travel history a bit more before your Schengen visa.
Yes, you should use a flight reservation for your visa. You should not purchase your flight tickets before your visa approval. You can apply for a Schengen visa up to 3 months in advance. Therefore, I suggest applying for your Schengen visa about 2-3 months before your travel dates.
Naveen G says
Hi Thirumal
I am from India and for the past 5 years, I am working/living in the San Francisco area. I am planning to visit Spain in Sep’19 for tourism. The trip will be for 12 days. I have the Schengen Visa appt coming up in 10 days at the Spanish embassy in San Francisco. I landed on your blog while searching for tips to get required documents for visa appt such as Flight reservations, Hotel bookings, etc. I looked at many of the responses you provided and they looked very precise and very helpful. I want to thank you for the service you are providing to travelers from all over the world especially the ones with “powerless” Indian passport. Kudos to you.
After looking at some of the responses, I contacted travelvisabookings in order to get information on the flight/hotel/insurance booking. I wanted to check on how long they can hold the flight reservations once they finalize the itinerary. They mentioned that they will give me a reservation which will be valid for a very long time but they will not be able to provide me with a PNR which I can look up. When I inquired how will the embassy inquire my flight reservations they said that the embassy has access to another database which they can look up even though there is no PNR. When I asked if they could give me a reservation with PNR they said that the PNR will be valid only for 2-3 days. The reservation without PNR option did not make sense to me.
Next, I started exploring another option you have mentioned on your blog, flight reservations through Turkish Airlines. I see that I can hold those reservations for 3 days. Here is my question to you.
If I create a flight reservation on Turkish Airlines hours before my Visa Appt, do you think that will be enough time for embassy people to check the status of the bookings? Or you think embassy people may take longer than 2-3 days to verify the reservations. What could happen if they verify the reservation after 3 days and by that time the bookings have expired? Thanks so much.
Best regards. Naveen.
Thirumal says
Hi Naveen! I have included every option that’s out there. The reader is free to choose the option that works for them. But personally, I don’t recommend those online travel agents. You can see a lot of complaints about them in the comments. And, I don’t believe their story about “another database”.
A Turkish airline reservation with a 3-day hold is perfectly fine for your Spain visa application. The good thing with Schengen visa application is that if the consulate has a question, they will contact you and ask you. They won’t deny the visa just because your reservation is not valid anymore. If at all the Spain consulate thinks that your flight reservation is not valid anymore, they will contact you and ask you for a new one. Just get another reservation from Turkish airlines and sent it to them. You will be fine.
Deepak says
Hello Thirumal, I am planning the following trip :
New Delhi – Singapore – New Zealand – Australia- New Delhi
I have tried to fill the online form for New Zealand and Australia visa they are asking for a complete itinerary. I am unable to find any website which provides a hold other than yatra that is only for 3 days. How should I proceed for the same?
Thanks in advance!
Thirumal says
Hi Deepak! In my opinion, it’s perfectly fine to use Yatra itineraries for your New Zealand and Australia visas. I haven’t used Yatra itineraries myself or readers for NZ or OZ visas. But I have had many readers use them for Schengen visas without any issues. So I believe they can be used for NZ and OZ visas as well.
If you are hesitant to use Yatra option, the other option is to get “refundable” tickets. They will cost you a lot but it’s the safest option.
Sarwar says
First of all, thank you for the information.
My question is of all the travel agents I have inquired for Singapore tourist visa said they need a CONFIRMED return flight ticket and they will only send the application for visa ONE month prior to the departure date. But if I wait for that long the flight prices already start soaring high. And if I book a flight early then I am in dilemma if my visa is rejected I will lose all my flight booking amount.
Even the embassy customer support said about the submission of the documents is allowed 1 month early only.
Is there any way to get the Singapore visa w/o confirm flight booking?
My itinerary is ind-malaysia-singapore-india
Can you guide me on how to go about Singapore visa?
Thirumal says
Hi Sarwar! Both Singapore and Malaysia eVisas can only be applied up to 1 month in advance.
It’s fine to PURCHASE your flight tickets for Malaysia and Singapore eVisas. These consulates rely heavily on the CONFIRMED return flight tickets rather than on the applicant’s profile such as employment, financial stability, etc. That is the reason they don’t ask your employment proof, bank statements, etc. Therefore, as long as you have your flight tickets and hotel bookings, you will be issued the visa.
Rekha says
Hi, I have applied for Schengen visa from India for 2 months. My planned travel date was 21st may. But the visa is not approved till now. So we changed the travel date to 3rd June. Will this affect visa approval?
Thirumal says
Hi Rekha! If there isn’t enough time for visa processing, the consulate or VFS will not accept your application. If they accepted it and your intended travel date has already passed, it will not affect your visa result. It’s a delay on their side. In such cases, they either approve your visa or ask you to provide new flight bookings.
Anonymous says
Hi Thirumal, Thanks a million for this “Wikipedia of priceless info for Travellers” of all sorts. Kudos to you and your big heart to share these tips and life’s experiences with your fellow travellers.
I have a query and hope you can give me the right advice on how to move forward. I have previous history (past 5 years) of travelling to Ireland, Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, Qatar, UAE & Oman. In my old passports, there are stickers of Irish visa, French Schengen visa, Canada vis,a Ukraine visa and Belarussian visa. Last year March, I was granted a 19-day multiple entry Schengen visa from the German embassy (not VFS), but I couldn’t travel/use due to HR deficit in my company and so company asked to work. Recently, I got a fresh B1/B2 10-year US visa stamped. Intending to travel via Germany to US, I made an itinerary with few days stay right before & soon after my journey to US in Frankfurt, Germany, I applied for a Schengen visa at the German consulate (via VFS) last week. After 7 days, I got a call from the VFS and the staff told me that the rules of German embassy require me to have 1-month more validity to my residence visa in GCC country (where I’m staying) , i.e, after I exit Germany, my GCC resident visa should be valid for another full month, but I was short of 3 days. The staff told I can collect my passport from VFS to extend my resident visa, and then submit my passport again. I didn’t know the above-said 1-month rule earlier and neither did I read anything about it on their website or VFS website. But never mind, now I know.
After a friendly, explanatory chat with the VFS staff, I agreed to his suggestion that I shorten my trip (exit 3 days early to compensate on the 1-month rule), submit a revised Hotel booking in Frankfurt, and a revised Flight Itinerary (I used https://schengenvisaflightreservation.com/pricing/ but they ripped me off when I asked for a date change in my last return leg, but it’s okay as I don’t have time to waste, fighting with them, their small print says “changes/modifications should be made in 24 hours of itinerary issuing” – I should have read Mr.Thirumal’s blog and the readers comments a bit earlier – I’m sharing this info to benefit future travellers so that they don’t do the same mistake as I did – Read the Small Print, the T&C’s and the FAQ’s on online vendor’s website) . Last year, I have used this site ( https://flightitineraryforvisa.com ) with no issues. But just today, I found that the cheapest vendor found so far is this site ( ) who charges $14 for just the Flight itinerary and if you Tick the box which says “Discount code”, it will go down to $12 (no code to be inserted). That’s a deal though, but honestly, I haven’t used it so far, but I might in the future. These are my 2 cents.
Since I am a bit confused and doubtful, my query is : which is a safe path to take, i.e,
1. revise my itineraries or
2. collect my passport & extend my GCC resident visa?
My GCC visa renewal time is 3 & half months away from now, and usually my company will renew only in the last week before expiry. In fact, I had included a NOC letter from my Company which amongst other things like leave consent, etc, also confirms that they will renew my Contract and my Resident Visa for another 2 years upon my return to country after US/German leisure trip. I had given a similar letter from company to US embassy and there were no questions asked.
Mr.Thirumal, thanks again for the loads of information here on your Blogs. Love you and bear hugs !! (Sorry that I have to put my name as Anonymous as I need privacy. Hope everyone will understand). Chao ! and HAPPY VOYAGE EVERYONE !!
Thirumal says
Hi Anonymous! Both options are great but it all depends on how long can you wait. If you can wait till you extend your GCC visa, you will be in a much better situation. But if you can’t wait, using a revised itinerary would work as well.
1. If you can’t wait, then go ahead with this option. I suggest shortening your itinerary by 4-5 days. That way, you will give 1-2 days buffer on top of those 30 days. 30 days is great and you meet the requirements. But 32 days is even better.
2. Go ahead with this option if you can wait. This is a much better option. Your GCC visa renewal is three and a half months away. I am not sure how long the GCC renewal will take, but I assume 2 weeks. Overall, you have to wait for about 4 months. You will then have GCC visa valid for 2 years. The German embassy may even issue a 30 or 90 visa this time.
JJ says
It’s JJ here…….Thanks for your feedback, Thirumal. In fact, I was waiting to hear from you, checking my Email inbox quite often.
I intend to travel on 10th July 2019 and come back on 30th July (this was my initial plan). My GCC visa expires on 27th August. If I knew the 1-month rule earlier, I’d have adjusted the dates on itinerary, and would have avoided all this conundrum. 🙂 I have vacation leave anyway for 6 weeks, from 4th week of June to 1st week of August. I am blessed with a sponsor/employer who is ready to support me unlimited. Any documents within the company’s policies, they will issue me upon request, mainly because of the work ethics and warm relationship we have so far.
Also, FYI, I can modify my travel dates anyway I want as I haven’t bought my air tickets, and that I am waiting till I get my Schengen visa stamped. The itinerary I gave with my visa application is only a provisional one.
Now that I have an advantage that I have all necessary documents ready (employment, financial, travel insurance, etc), I also have a plan to apply for a Canada visa (after Schengen is stamped and I get my passport back) to make a short visit to my family friends in Vancouver while I am in the US. For this, I am deeply researching the articles in your Blog. Any other websites you can recommend, please do. Very long time back, I was issued with a Canada visa, but unfortunately I couldn’t travel at that time. Mr.Thirumal, is there any new info or advice or rules that I should be careful about while making the Canada visa application?
While in US and since I’m travelling solo, I have a special interest to visit these places for 3-4 days each – Anchorage in Alaska, El Salvador & Trinadad (as you know, for the last two, Indians don’t need visa). But, I’m thinking how to plan my trips wisely and from which part of US to fly out and back in in order to save on air fares. Any pointers?
For long haul flights, due to grounding of Boeing MAX flights and June-July peak summer time, the fares have sky-rocketed, but I can’t help as I need to travel.
Now regarding my Schengen visa, as you suggested, due to time constraints I have altered the dates of Flight itinerary and Hotel booking and have forwarded to VFS. Waiting now, hope to get visa soon! fingers crossed!. Usually in this part of the world, they take one week to respond.
Sorry that I am once again bothering you with a few more questions. Thanks again – that in your busy schedule , your take time to write. God bless. //
Thirumal says
Hi JJ! Sorry for keeping you waiting. Swamped with too many comments, so took a while to get to yours.
Canada visa process is quite easy and straight forward. I have applied for it twice and the process was much easier. The only thing that’s new with Canada visa is biometrics. They have made biometrics mandatory to all nationalities now. That means you have to make an appointment and give your biometrics. My Canada visa guide still holds good (except the biometrics part). Also, refer to the CIC website.
Apart from those countries that allow visa-free entry with India passport, you can enter many other countries in Central America, Caribbean and South America using your US or Schengen visa. Refer to my article on VISA-FREE travel with US visa.
Flights from the US to the Caribbean or Central America can be expensive during Jun-Aug. The best way is to find a cheap ticket to one of those countries and bus from there. If this is your first time traveling in Latin America, I suggest opting for Mexico, Costa Rica or Chile. They have better infrastructure and much easier to travel. I’m currently in Honduras, I can say that traveling in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua is a lot difficult.
Hiren says
Hi Thirumal, your Blog is very useful for all kind of visa process.
My name is HIREN, I’m Indian. I am residing in Israel since 2010 as a Caregiver Worker, I visited two times, now I want to apply for UK tourist visa from Israel on 14/06/2019 then come back to Israel on 18/06/2019. (I just wrote in my application that I’m going to watch world-cup cricket match & travel .i booked cricket ticket also).
I don’t know how to write a Cover later for my tourist visa. I don’t have much time as I need to apply on next week on 30/04/2019. Please, can you help me? THANKYOU!
Thirumal says
Hi Hiren! Sure, you have a purpose and a vacation to travel. Just follow the procedure to fill the application form, make an appointment and submit the application.
Regarding documentation, I suggest the following –
– Employment letter stating your full name, job title, duration of employment, salary and duties
– Leave approval letter from your employer stating the dates of leave, country of vacation (UK) and the date on which you have to return to work
– 6 months payslips
– 6 months bank statements showing your monthly salary deposits (no large undocumented deposits though)
– Cover letter stating your dates of travel, the purpose of travel, detailed day-by-day itinerary, employment background, financial solvency, travel history and the obligation to return back after the trip (email me for a cover letter template)
Anonymous says
Hi Thirumal,
A BIG THANK YOU to you for your time and efforts in answering questions and helping fellow travelers! Your advice is clear and very informative, you are doing an awesome job!
I am planning my first Europe trip from the US on Indian Passport. July 1 to 15, the two-week plan includes France, Swiss, Belgium, Amsterdam and the UK! Max days in Swiss so will apply in the Swiss embassy. I have below questions/doubts:
1. Various forums say Schengen visa validity is 90 days from date of entry. But on application, if I give travel dates July 1 to 15, I’ll get the visa for only those dates, right? Then how validity is 90 days from date of entry? I’m confused.
2. I am planning to add buffer days to my plan so that visa is valid for 20-22 days rather than 15 days. Is this right strategy or do visa office add buffer days themselves?
3. Also, I’ll be in the UK for only 3 days, so UK visa will be valid for only those dates?
4. Finally, I know it takes approx. 15-20 days to get Schengen visa and another 15-20 days for UK visa. If I start with Schengen in last week of April, with travel dates July 1 to 15, and then apply for the UK, do you think I’ll have enough margin between getting the passport back and travel as planned? I can move my travel dates to July 15 to 30 if I don’t get the UK visa in time. But then my Schengen visa will show the validity of July 1 to 15!! Again confused with validity.
Please help me to prevent a visa mess 🙂
Thirumal says
Hi Anonymous! In a situation like your’s, I usually suggest applying for the UK visa first and then Schengen visa. UK visa is always issued with 6-month validity whereas Schengen visa is random, sometimes 90 days or sometimes just for the number of days you have asked for.
1. Schengen visa validity depends on many factors – country, consulate, itinerary, whether it’s the first Schengen application, etc. It’s really difficult to figure if they will issue a 90-day visa for you.
2. They usually add buffer days themselves. For example: when I applied for my Schengen visa from Spain consulate, I asked for 21 days. They gave me a 30-day visa. You can add a few buffer days from your side as well for just in case.
3. No. UK visa minimum validity is 6 months. The visa validty starts from the date of issue.
4. I suggest two things – (1) move your travel dates to July 15-30 and (2) apply for your UK visa first. UK visa takes about 30 days. Your passport will be at the consulate for those entire 30 days. There won’t be an option for you to know your visa status during those 30 days. It can be very stressful if you apply for your UK visa after your Schengen visa.
One more suggestion. If you can, do two trips. One EU only and one UK only. One now and one some other time. Since you will be traveling from the US, there are cheap flights all the time to EU or UK. There is no need to combine both EU and UK in one trip and complicate your visa situation.
Anonmyous says
Hi Thirumal,
Just wanted to thank you again for your advice and update the readers of your site of my experience. I applied for UK visa first, as you recommended, and then the Schengen visa.
UK Visa Application Submitted on April 25th, Biometrics was done at USCIS center on May 7th, Passport sent to UK embassy in NYC on May 7th, received my passport with visa on May 20th!! (14 DAYS) Got for 6 months multiple entry.
Schengen Visa Application submitted online on May 7th, first available appointment in the Swiss embassy in DC was on June 4th, received passport with visa on June 13th!! (9 DAYS) Got for exactly the dates mentioned on my application, July 1 to 21 days but multiple entry!
Tips for Schengen: Add buffer days to your itinerary for visa purposes. I had made flight booking just a day before the appointment and cancelled it a few hours after the appointment, cancelled hotel bookings only after getting the visa. All my real hotel bookings were done in anticipation of getting visa on exactly the dates I had mentioned on the application, so it is going to work out okay!! Europe here I come 🙂 GOOD LUCK to everyone! And THANKS AGAIN for your timely response and valuable advice!
Thirumal says
Hi Anonmyous! That’s fantastic! Congratulations and have a great trip!
Thanks for updating me and the readers with your personal experience and invaluable information for Schengen visas. Readers like you make the Visa Traveler community awesome. Thanks again!
Harsimran Singh says
Thanks for this blog and your time Thirumal. I am from India and I want to apply for Canadian visitor visa for 30 days. I have tried Turkish Airlines but there is no hold and pay later option for me, I want to add that Turkish Airlines had connecting flight with Air Canada from Toronto to Vancouver, is that the reason option was not available?
Please guide me to get hold on airline tickets so that I can apply for it. I want to fly from New Delhi to Vancouver in the month of August, 2019.
Thirumal says
Hi Harsimran! Partner airlines, origin and date of travel affect the hold period. In your case, you can try United Airline’s Farelock, if available. If not, try one of those online travel agents that can hold your ticket for at least 7 days.
JM says
Thanks Thirumal. Would it make sense to block a ticket using one of the travel agents you have shared above? Is it valid for applying to the Swedish Embassy?
Thirumal says
Hi JM! Yes, they all provide travel itineraries for Schengen visas. Make sure you talk/chat with them about the validity of the ticket and any hidden fees before placing the order with them.
JM says
Hi Thirumal,
An excellent blog on how to get a travel itinerary. I am traveling to Sweden in July and would like to know the best option to book an itinerary. Would blocking a ticket via Yatra work? Or do I need to look at other options you have suggested in your blog?
Thirumal says
Hi JM! If you can afford, go for a “refundable ticket” since Swedish (Finnish as well) embassy is quite strict. If not, Yatra would work as well. I have seen Yatra itineraries work for France, Switzerland and Italy embassies.
Anonymous says
Hi Thirumal,
1) Does Schengen or UK visa help in any way to enter UAE (especially Dubai) for 1-2 days? I am planning to spend 1-2 days in Dubai during my return from Europe. What’s the best way to get the permit for 2 days for Dubai?
2) Perhaps a frequent traveler like you can shed some light on this. I have a 5-year multiple entry Schengen visa issued by France. Do I need to have either an entry or exit stamp from France each time I travel to the Schengen countries? I mean can I avoid visiting France altogether on a particular visit; say enter through Italy and exit through Spain?
I would definitely be visiting France within the 5 years but how do I travel to other Schengen countries without passing through France every time, especially the Nordic ones which have strict controls in place.
3) Which cities can you recommend for 2 nights stay as a halt while returning from Rome to Delhi, preferably within 2-3 hrs flight from Rome?
Thirumal says
Hi!
1. Unfortunately no. You CANNOT use a Schengen or UK visa to enter UAE. You would NEED a residence permit in any EU country or UK.
The easiest way to obtain a UAE visa is to secure one from the airline or hotel in UAE. Emirates and Etihad airlines arrange UAE visas for their customers. Also, pretty much every hotel in Dubai arranges UAE visas for their customers.
2. You can, of course, arrive and depart from any Schengen country without even traveling through the country that issued the visa. A Schengen visa is valid for the entire Schengen zone and all participating countries will have your visa details in their systems.
It doesn’t make any sense to apply for a Schengen visa from Italy when you have a valid Schengen visa from France already. And, the Schengen visa is valid for the entire Schengen zone.
That being said, there is a fine line between necessity and visa abuse. If the authorities feel that you are abusing your Schengen visa, they may question you. If you are a frequent traveler and have tons of travel history, you will not be questioned at all.
3. I recommend either Istanbul or Dubai. Both these cities are fantastic for a layover of a couple of days or more. Many flights from EU fly to India via these two cities.
It’s quite easy to secure a visa for UAE from the airline or hotel. Since you hold a Schengen visa, you can secure an eVisa for Turkey.
Prasanth says
Hi Thirumal,
Very good article. I am in a complicated situation at this point in time. I have booked tickets From Chicago – Frankfurt – Chennai through Lufthansa. My H1 stamped visa is expired on December 2016 but I have a valid visa extension approved until Jan 2020. After going through a lot of forums I see that the airline would need a Transit Visa for the itinerary even though I am traveling to my home country. For apply Transit Visa to Germany, I do not have the appointments online before my travel date. So I thought I could apply for a tourist visa to Japan so that I won’t need a transit visa. But Japan visa condition say I would need an itinerary for visa application and a valid ticket to pick the visa for approval. What should I do? Please help!
Thirumal says
Hi Prasanth! Yes, unfortunately, you would need a “valid” US visa to transit through Germany.
For Japan visa, I suggest booking a “refundable” flight ticket. It would cost you a lot but you will be able to get a full refund when you cancel it. That way, you can use it as your flight itinerary for your visa as well as a valid ticket to pick up your visa.
Shane says
Hi Thirumal!
This is Very Helpful information! But need more information from you!
I was planning to apply for the NZ and AU tourist visas. Currently, I have a flight reservation and are valid for 2 months. I don’t have the travel plan itinerary from place to place yet. Because I am not traveling with tour guide or family, but traveling alone.
Here my questions is…
1) Can the travel agents or tour agents making a fake travel itinerary for me just for applications visa?
2) Can we make a travel itinerary without hotel booking but just indicate which place we going to visit?
3) Is it necessary to state the time as well like what time we are going to visit the place?
4) Can I make it simple and short for the itinerary? Or the embassy want details of day to day travel itinerary? Like place A (what you gonna do today, need to list out for whole days activities), and the next day place B and so on.
Thirumal says
Hi Shane! I have never been to AU and/or NZ. So I’m not too aware of the AU/NZ visa requirements and procedure. But I will try to answer your question for any visa in general.
1) Yes. Travel agents can make a travel itinerary for you. But all you need is a couple of hotel bookings and an itinerary (a sheet of paper with dates and places). It’s so easy and simple and there is no need to pay a travel agent for this.
Example: If you will be traveling for 18 days in Australia, pick any 3 places, say Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Make 3 “refundable” hotel reservations, each 6 days. One in Sydney, one in Melbourne and one in Brisbane. Cancel them after your visa is approved.
Write 18 days itinerary in an A4 sheet such as below. Do a Google search such as “places to see in Sydney” to find 3-5 places in Sydney. Similarly in other places. You can handwrite this or type in MS word and print.
Itinerary
=========
– 10 May 2019 – 15 May 2019: Sydney
— Place 1, place 2, place 3 and place 4
– 16 May 2019 – 21 May 2019: Melbourne
— Place 1, place 2 and place 3
– 22 May 2019 – 27 May 2019: Brisbane
— Place 1, place 2, place 3, place 4 and place 5
2) Yes. But most visa applications ask for flight and hotel bookings. You can make “refundable and pay-at-check-in” hotel bookings without paying anything. Once your visa is approved, cancel those bookings.
3) No. Just the dates in a given city.
4) Simple and short is fine. Some applications such as Schengen wants to show a detailed itinerary since multiple countries are involved in some traveler’s itineraries. But for AU and NZ just the dates in each city is sufficient and list out the places you will visit in each city.
GO says
You are doing pretty nice work here.
Please, can E-mail price quote from airlines be used for Schengen visa application? Thanks.
Kind Regards.
Thirumal says
Hi Go! I haven’t used the “email price quote” for Schengen visa myself. I haven’t seen any of my readers use it as well. So, I cannot say for sure if it works or not.
Shikha Pradeep says
Hi Thirumal,
Thank you for all the Valid information, your blog is really helpful. I need some suggestions from your side for my Europe travel plans in September month, from 10th Sep to 25th Sep I plan to travel Paris, Edinburg, London, Amsterdam and Brussels. So I need to apply for Uk Visa and Schengen Visa to cover these cities
My Supposed Itinerary is
Fly from Mumbai to Edinburg
Edinburg to London by Train
London to Paris by Train
Paris to Brussels by Train
Fly back to Mumbai from Amsterdam
I have many doubts before going ahead in executing above plan
1- Uk Visa can only be applied 3 months before one travels, in that case its impossible to hold flight tickets so early, only option I have is to book refundable tickets which is quiet expensive . Do you suggest any other good option to avail benefits of early booking of flight tickets
2- Since I will be travelling Solo I plan to stay in Hostels mainly, its compulsory to submit details of where you’ll be staying during your visit like address and telephone number. So here too I have to check refundable options?
3- Since I am staying in mumbai on rent, what all necessary residential proofs embassy will ask for and whats a probability of getting it rejected since i am staying on rent Or I should apply from my hometown delhi where I have my permanent house and proper documents like Pan card, Voter Id, Adhar Card etc
4- I am working as a freelancer in Advertising as a Casting Director, what all documents embassy might demand to prove my nature of job?
I am getting worried about above queries, it would be kind of you to help me with your valuable suggestions please
Thanks
Shikha
Thirumal says
Hi Shikha! Apologize for such a delayed response. Here is what I think.
1. For the UK visa, you can use the “email price quote” option from British Airways or “3-day hold” option from yatra.com. I have had readers use both those options without any issues for their UK visas.
2. Yes, you must furnish the details on where you will be staying during your trip. You can book hotels/hostels that offer “refundable and pay-at-the-property”. Cancel the bookings after your visa is approved.
3. If you have been living in Mumbai for long enough, you must apply from Mumbai. UK consulate does background checks and it can complicate if you try to show that you live in Delhi. You can provide your rental lease/contract in Mumbai and the rest of the documentation from Delhi.
4. As a freelancer, you have to provide your self-employment registration, income statements, bank statements, invoices, client contracts, portfolio, annual tax returns, etc. You don’t have to provide all of it but the more proofs you have the better it is.
Yousif says
Hello everybody,
Any help regarding the Canadian tourist visa !
I’ve started my online application but I faced an issue regarding the travel itinerary.
Canadian Visa usually takes 6 weeks processing time, How I can get a travel itinerary a free as the visa is not guaranteed at all for my nationality?
Thirumal says
Hi Yousif! It’s extremely difficult to hold a flight ticket for 6 weeks. Consulates know this and they don’t insist you on holding a ticket for that long. If you can hold a ticket for 1-2 weeks, you will be fine for Canada visa. I suggest using the United Airline’s Farelock for 7 days.
Anonymous says
Thirumal, for an UK visa, what kind of things would be considered as ‘Evidence of family members remaining in your home country whilst you travel’?
Thirumal says
This is a tricky one. I suggest providing some of the following –
– If married: spouse’s employment documents
– If has kids: kids’ school fee receipts
– If parents needing medical assistance: parents’ medical appointment/bills, etc
– If has siblings: siblings’ employment letters, school or college fee receipts, etc
If you provide any of the above, you should also provide documentation to prove the relationship (married certificate, birth certificate, etc)
bakul thummar says
Hi Thirumal, thanks for the article!
I purchased flight itinerary from “Schengen visa reservation” website and booked a hotel with booking.com and applied for Schengen visa for 15 days in France for our family of (couple + 2 children)
I got just refusal latter on 15 Feb 19 with reason no. 8 The information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and condition of the intended stay was not reliable.
Last year, Feb 18 I was refused by Netherlands embassy reason 2. justification for the purpose and condition of intended stay was not provided and reason no 9. your intention to leave territory could not be ascertained. Because during the telephonic interview I could not answer the hotel name and address. at that time also not submitted my business license. Applied as freelancer, also no travel history, so refused. Then in a week reapply in Czech republic again refused with the same reason 2 and 9.
Then immediately we went to Singapore, Malaysia, Srilanka
This time doing a lot of research. All thing makes perfect, bank balance, my property paper, mutual fund, CA certificate, my business license, there is no fault in the paper.
1. Is it a problem with the ticket or any?
2. Should I try with package tour? Is that can improve my chance? ( which I dislike, I like to travel on my own)
3. Should I try in any other Schengen country or should I wait for next year?
4. This three refusal impact on other county application, like Australia?
5. Is there any option to physically go direct embassy for visa application?
Please help me to take the decision.
Thirumal says
Hi Bakul! Before I answer your questions, let me clarify the reasons of your visa refusal and offer some suggestions first.
Refusal Reason 8 – “The information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and condition of the intended stay was not reliable.”
Reasons –
1. Your purpose of travel is not clear. Visa officers couldn’t clearly understand whether your travel was tourism, business, or both
2. Your itinerary was not clear and detailed. Visa officers couldn’t understand what all places you will be touring, how you will be going from place to place, where will you be staying, how long you will stay in each place, etc.
3. Your purpose is “tourism” but you submitted your business funds and bank statements (which are for business purpose only)
Suggestions –
1. Indicate your purpose of travel clearly in your cover letter
2. Indicate your day-by-day itinerary clearly in your cover letter
3. Show internal flight/train/bus tickets
4. Show hotel reservations in all places that you will be visiting
Refusal Reason 2 – “Your intention to leave territory could not be ascertained”
Reasons –
1. This could be due to the lack of strong ties with your home country
2. You do not have any family obligations that would make you return back to your home country after the trip
3. You do not have any business obligations that would make you return back to your country after the trip
Suggestions –
1. Submit employment letter and leave approval letter from your wife (if she is working)
2. Submit your children school fee receipts (if in school)
3. Submit client contracts stating your obligation for future work and commitments
4. Submit NOC documents from your business partners that you will return to business activities at the end of the trip
5. Indicate in the cover letter clearly that you intend to return back to your country after the trip as you are responsible for carrying on company activities, sending kids to school, etc
Here are the answers to your questions –
1. Is it a problem with the ticket or any?
It could be. Did you verify the authenticity of the tickets after you got them from Schengen Visa Reservation? Also, did you provide internal flight/train/bus tickets?
2. Should I try with package tour? Is that can improve my chance? ( which I dislike, I like to travel on my own)
Package tour will not improve your chances either. You have several rejections already and if keep trying, the consulates sense desperation and assume that it could be an illegal immigration attempt.
3. Should I try in any other Schengen country or should I wait for next year?
All Schengen countries can see your previous visa denials. So, it doesn’t really matter which embassy you apply from. You would need to figure what you are lacking and must fix that before. Embassy or country doesn’t really affect your result.
4. This three refusal impact on other county application, like Australia?
I think so. I don’t have evidence to prove, but most countries have access to visas and traveler information. I found out recently that UK can now check anyone’s US visa attempts, US can check for any Canada visa attempts, and so on. So, I’m certain that most countries now have access to visas and travel information.
5. Is there any option to physically go direct embassy for visa application?
Yes. Not all Schengen countries use VFS for visa processing. I think Spain, Belgium, Sweden, etc are still consulate based. Check the websites of other Schengen country consulates for details.
bakul thummar says
Many many thanks Thirumal for your wide reply! I’m a big fan of you as one is for a film star.
How can I verify Air reservation/ticket (15 days blocked fight itinerary) that I got from Schengen visa flight reservation?
I submitted my wife’s salary certificate and leave approval latter, children’s school NOC letter, four savings account (16 lac balance), two current account with proper transactions, my wife’s rented income proof (rent agreement), I am doing property dealing business with proprietorship, submitted firm registration, shop establishment license (office), which is only one year old, submitted various 8 property paper with translation, not submitted internal travel tickets (is it mandatory?)
Is the whole family visa I demanded is the problem? Should I apply for couple only? I live with my mother father but not submitted ration card.
Now with your suggestion decided to postpone Europe trip, and want to go elsewhere, to develop travel history, I completed Singapore, Malaysia, Srilanka.
My new travel history is will helpful for my future plan for Europe trip?
Europe trip is my big aim in my life, where should I go to improve travel history?
Thirumal says
Thanks, Bakul for the kind words! “Big fan of you as one is for a film star” makes be chukle, thanks a lot!!
How can I verify Air reservation/ticket (15 days blocked fight itinerary) that I got from Schengen visa flight reservation?
You can verify the reservation/ticket on that particular airline website. There are also third-party websites/apps such as CheckMyTrip where you can verify your reservation.
Is the whole family visa I demanded is the problem? Should I apply for couple only? I live with my mother father but not submitted ration card.
Applying for the entire family is not a problem if you have really strong ties with your country. If you don’t have strong ties with your country, I suggest traveling as a couple rather than the entire family.
My new travel history will be helpful for my future plan for Europe trip?
Yes. That will definitely help you in your future Schengen visas.
Europe trip is my big aim in my life, where should I go to improve travel history?
Travel to countries that issue visa stickers in your passport. VOA countries that issue visa stickers are Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. Visa required countries that issue visa stickers are UAE, South Korea, Japan, etc.
Anonymous says
Greatly appreciate the advice you are providing here to fellow travellers!
I have a few questions on my imminent trip to UK and Europe (traveling on Indian passport). I would be traveling with my parents, both retired and live in India. They are not dependents and have their own source of income. My plan is to first visit UK for 4 days, then travel to France, Switzerland and return to India from Italy. I am currently working as a freelance business consultant, so no ’employer’ as such. In the past I have lived in France for 3 years and have traveled to UK from France on a visitor visa.
My questions.
1. My trip will be total 20-22 days, split between UK-4, France-7, Swiss-4, Italy-7. I am going as a tourist but will be also attending an university reunion one full day in France, which is the main motivation for the trip. I want to apply for the Schengen visa first (at the French Consulate), then for the UK visa. Is this a good strategy, considering France is my main reason for the trip. or do you advise to apply the UK one first, then France? My reasoning being, the Schengen visa would increase my chance for the UK one.
2. I read in one of your earlier responses to show travel itinerary just for only 1 country for the visa (using hotel bookings and flight reservation for 3-4 places in that country) instead of showing many countries. Is this a good option in my case i.e. to show only French hotel bookings and flight reservations. In that case, would there be incentive for requesting multiple entries.
3. Do I need internal train/bus bookings in France and from UK to France while applying for both UK and Schengen visa.
4. As a self-employed person, I have bank statements, last tax return and invoices for my income. I do not have any leave approval or salary slips. What else can I provide to strengthen our application and prove ties to India (It might be worthwhile to mention here that I am not going for any professional reason, although my primary client now is a French one). I was thinking of showing my family’s property ownership in India, Aadhaar card for all family members (my brother and his family who are not traveling with us, niece’s school ID etc).
Thirumal says
Hi! I apologize for such a late response!
1. It doesn’t matter much. I have known readers who have applied for the UK visa first and Schengen later. They had similar itineraries comprising a trip to UK and Europe. In my opinion, going for the UK visa first is better since your passport will be away at the UK consulate for almost 30 days. You can neither track your visa status nor talk to someone at the consulate. It can be annoying if you already had your Schengen visa and the travel dates are approaching.
But, if you like to go with Schengen visa first, I suggest applying for Schengen well in advance so you will not panic while your passport is away at the UK consulate for over 30 days. Apply for Schengen at least 3 months before your travel dates. Even if Schengen takes 30 days, you will still have about 60 days to sort out your UK situation.
2. Showing an itinerary for just one country makes it simple and manageable. You don’t need train tickets or make too many hotel reservations. Since this is not your first Schengen visa, (a) you will get a multiple-entry visa and (b) the visa validity would be 90 days or more.
3. Internal train/bus bookings depend on whether you would like to show the entire itinerary or just France. If entire itinerary, then yes, you will have to show internal train/bus bookings as well. Easiest would be to show refundable flight tickets between countries.
If you are applying for Schengen visa first, I suggest providing flight tickets in and out of Schengen region. Otherwise, the Schengen visa officials would like to see if you already have a UK visa.
If you are applying for a UK visa first, I suggest providing flight tickets in and out of the UK. This removes the necessity to provide a copy of your Schengen visa with your UK visa application.
4. Being employed is definitely a strong tie with one’s home country. But, you are strong in other areas such as travel history, which will compensate for you being self-employed. Bank statements, tax returns and invoices are sufficient in your case. Provide any client contracts if you have.
Yes, those documents for your family ties will help definitely help.
Anonymous says
For the sake of confidentiality, can you please change my name to ‘Anonymous’
That is some great advice there. Thank you!
So basically you are saying keep things simple for the first visa. If applying for UK first, show in and out flight tickets for UK only. If Schengen visa first, then show in and out tickets from there only. My travel dates are end of May; so I plan to apply in the beginning of March for the first visa.
2 questions about UK visa.
1. I understand medical insurance is mandatory for Schengen visa. Is it mandatory for UK visa too?
2. The bank statements and income tax returns are needed for 3 months and 3 years respectively?
Thirumal says
For sure.
1. Medical insurance is NOT REQUIRED for the UK visa.
2. I know that you would need 3 months of bank statements. But, I’m not very sure about tax returns. In my opinion, there is no harm in providing more tax returns. Go for 3 years if you have.
Sajju says
Hi Thirumal, thanks a lot for such nice and detailed article!
Please allow me to ask you for your help solving my queries regarding budget travel without confirmed flight tickets and it’s because this is gonna my first ever visit abroad. My itinerary is something like this -> INDIA-LAOS-VIETNAM-CAMBODIA-THAILAND-INDIA or may be in reverse order. Hence, below are the concerning things for which I need your hep –
1. How many days in advance I can apply for Visa, because advance visa is suppose to help me better preparation and flight booking(earliest is best).
2. Do I need to upload the complete itinerary each time I apply Visa in Embassies for each country?
3. Is VOA best option for me as Indian and a budget traveller(yes I will not tell them that).
4. Does VOA option also requires to show complete itinerary?
5. My actual plan is to use flight only for ENTRY and EXITING time from starting to end of the total trip as I am travelling on budget. Therefore, HOW THE CHEAP AND BEST WAY I should show confirmed RETURN TICKET to each country without really booking a confirmed ticket? Can REFUNDABLE TICKET with VOA be the only good option OR there may be other better ways to do that(I am not a frequent flier though)?
6. Are HOSTEL BOOKINGS accepted in Visa approval?
Your early reply will be appreciated.
Regards.
Thirumal says
Hi Sajju! That’s a very good itinerary. You will have a great time.
1. You can apply for most visas up to 3 months in advance. In your case, you can get VoA at all of those countries (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand). You get 1 month entry in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and 15 days entry in Thailand.
2. You don’t have to upload/submit a complete itinerary. You just have to submit your inbound flight, outbound flight and hostel bookings.
3. Yes. VOA may cost you slightly more. But compared to all the leg work you need to do for consulate visas, it comes down to the same price. Most consulates are in New Delhi and if don’t live in New Delhi, you would be spending a lot more on traveling to Delhi for visas.
4. It depends on the country. You don’t need a visa for Laos. For Cambodia and Vietnam, do documentation is needed. You need a hostel booking and outbound flight for Thailand.
5. I have outlined a few ways to get RETURN/ONWARD ticket for VoA in this article. Check it out. The cheapest option for you is to take buses from country to country.
6. Yes, hostel bookings are accepted.
Here is the visa information on each country –
Laos – India passport holders DO NOT NEED a visa for 30 days
Vietnam – India passport holders can get eVisa for 30 days for $25 USD. No documentation needed. Processing takes 2 working days. India passport holders can also get VoA for 30 days or 3 months. You must get an approval letter prior to arriving in Vietnam. Approval letter costs about $10 USD. Plus, VoA fee at the airport is $25 USD. Approval letter takes 2 working days. More info at Vietnam Visa Guide.
Cambodia – India passport holders can get VoA for 30 days for $30 USD. More info at Cambodia Visa Guide.
Thailand – India passport holders can get VoA for 15 days for 2000 THB. Thailand is waiving the VoA fee until the end of Jan. So, if you go before the end of Jan, the fee is 0. After that, it’s 2000 THB. You can also apply for a pre-approved visa from Thai consulate or VFS. It’s free of charge through Thai consulate and VFS changes some fee. More info at Thailand Visa Guide.
Rakhi says
Hi Thirumal,
Thanks for your post. It was really helpful.
However, have few queries below.
For applying a tourist UK Visa, do we also need a letter from employer too as a proof of leave consent if I am working.
Also, could you please share the list of documents which is required for getting a tourist visa for UK.
Waiting to hear from you soon.
Thirumal says
Hi Rakhi! UK visa application doesn’t ask specifically for a leave approval letter. But I have seen quite a few cases approved/denied based on that particular document. I’m assuming that leave approval letter works as a reaffirmation of strong ties to one’s home country. If you want to have higher chances of approval, I suggest including a leave approval letter from your employer.
For documents required for UK visa application, refer to my UK visa guide. I have listed out all the documents needed in that article.
vedant Kadian says
hi Thirumal, actually am gonna apply for US visa and Schengen visa both for my conference, seminar, events, and workshops trip, as am from India my visa takes a long time to process, so which travel site should I use to get an itinerary for the long process
Thirumal says
Hi Vedant! You don’t need to show flight bookings for US visa. For Schengen, you can use yatra.com’s “hold” feature to hold tickets for 3+ days. If you hold Air India flights, they are usually held up to 7 days. Many Indian readers have used Yatra for their Schengen applications and it was perfectly fine.
Azagba says
The contents of the site are superb and thanks for your good advice! However, I would like you to put me thru in this area. I don’t have an invitation letter to support my documents for the tourist visa and secondly how much money should I have in my bank account? Since there is no sponsor, will I have more chances to get the visa approved for Europe and USA Visa, though my company promises to give me employment letter and payslip?
Thirumal says
Azagba, Thanks! Invitation letters and sponsorships are not really necessary. Just apply as a tourist and you will have more chances of approval. Regarding funds in the bank, you should have enough for your trip. What really helps is your travel history. So, firstly try to travel to as many countries as you can.
somin says
Is travel insurance mandatory for UK visa?
Also, how do i go back to my saved application? I am not able to find.
Thirumal says
Hi Somin! Travel insurance is not needed for UK visa. You should be able to go back to the application. Did you save the URL somewhere? If not, try starting from here -> https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/alt-language-selection-skip-visa.
Paul says
Thanks for your response and its content.This is my first time to hear that i can do all the booking for free but the procedure and the links is my major concern now and i will be glad you could give me more information on that.Thanks for your candid
Thirumal says
Paul, just look up these below options in this article. They are all free or costs very little or completely refundable. Just pick the option that works for you and your visa needs.
01. Purchasing a refundable ticket
04. Using award miles and hold option
05. Free ticket hold option by airlines
06. Free ticket hold option by online booking sites
07. Ticket hold option for a fee by airlines
08. Email price quote or itinerary option from airlines
09. Free 24 hours ticket cancellation from United, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.
Paul says
Sir, thanks for kind word and help. I plan to use travelvisabookings.com to provide an itinerary for my traveling document b/cos flight, hotel reservation, insurance including Free Personal covering letter but what am hearing them brought doubt about them. Please, do you know any genuine site that offers the same service? I think they charge $70 for flight, hotel reservation, insurance including Free Personal covering letter.
Thirumal says
Paul, it’s difficult to say which are genuine and which are not. It depends on personal experience. Some had a good experience and some had a bad experience with them. Just talk to them up front and make sure there no hidden charges. Another site you can try is https://visareservation.com/. Talk to them as well before you pay.
My personal advice is to get flight, hotel, and insurance all by yourself. It takes a bit of work but completely free.
kamaljeet singh says
Hello sir, I want to visit Canada on a tourist visa and one of the required document is flight itinerary. But I don’t want to take risk of that money. Please suggest me an alternate.
Thirumal says
Hi Kamaljeet! Consulates know that the visa results are hard to predict. Therefore they DO NOT ask for purchased flight tickets. They only ask for an itinerary, which means just “holding” your flight tickets. You will buy them after your visa is approved.
For your Canada visa application, you can use United Airlines’ Farelock where you can hold tickets for 7 days for $8.99. You can also use Yatra.com to hold tickets for 3 days for free. Check steps 6 and 7 in this article.
Canada visa process takes about 30 days and the consulate knows that it’s not possible to hold tickets that long. So, holding tickets for 3 or 7 days is perfectly fine for your Canada visa application. Good luck!
Anonymous says
Hey!
I am planning to go to Denmark. I need to book an itinerary ticket from Pakistan. Please suggest the best and cheapest available website for booking the ticket. Plus also guide regarding the travel and medical insurance policy.
Thirumal says
For travel itinerary, I suggest getting a flight itinerary directly from an airline over using an online travel agent. You can use any of the options I have suggested in this article. But if you must use an online travel agent, any agent is fine. Their services range from $20-$30.
Regarding travel insurance for your Schengen visa, you can purchase a cheap insurance from any insurance provider. If you plan to purchase from an online travel agent, you can simply purchase a package that includes flight tickets, hotel reservations, and insurance.
Note: DO NOT purchase actual flight tickets before your visa is approved.
Syl says
Good morning. Thanks for the post. Please, I’m applying for a schengen visa at the German Consulate. My appointment date is exactly 14 days from my flight itinerary’s departure date. I understand the visa processing time is minimum of 14days. Would this be an issue for me? If yes, please what should I do? Thank you.
Thirumal says
Hi Syl! 14 days should be enough for the German consulate to process your visa. Did you already purchase your flight tickets? If not, just allow at least 3 weeks between the visa application and travel date.
Sakshi Jain says
Whom should we address the noc from company to? British High Commission or Consulate
And is it advisable to carry travel or general medical insurance of travelling with parents who are 60+ in age? Will that make any difference?
Thirumal says
You can address the NOC letter to something like below.
The Visa Officer,
UK Visas and Immigration
Travel medical insurance is NOT required for UK visa application. But, when you are actually traveling to the UK, you may want to consider getting some kind of travel medical insurance. It’s a good practice to get medical insurance while traveling as it can be extremely useful in case of emergency health issues.
Sakshi Jain says
Hi
Read through the entire thing but still have a question regarding holding flight tickets for UK visa.
As you know UK visa may take up to 2 weeks for processing, so when do you think is the right time to book the “hold ticket”. Is it during filling the application or just before the biometrics appointment considering we can hold ticket up to 2 days and biometrics appointment is dependent on slot availability.
I am planning to schedule an appointment a week post paying visa fee so when is it a good time for me to book “hold tickets”?
Thirumal says
Hi Sakshi! I suggest getting your “hold ticket” right before you submit or mail your documents. That way the ticket would be still valid when the consulate receives your application.
Sakshi Jain says
Thank you Thiru.
Had another question regarding the residence proof.
My passport is issued by a different city to the one i am currently residing in.
Will a notarized rent agreement suffice as a valid and legal proof of residence?
Will an airtel telephone bill be counted as a valid residential proof?
Thirumal says
Sakshi, Yes, rent agreement and airtel bill should work fine as a residence proof. But, is the UK visa application asking for a residence proof?
Sakshi Jain says
Yes. There is a section which asks for proof of accommodation. It can be either property deed / tenancy agreement / letter from accountant / land registration document.
The lease agreement i have is only notarized but not registered. Will that suffice as a tenancy agreement?
Thirumal says
Proof of accommodation usually means your accommodation details in the UK during your trip. Which is basically your hotel booking. I think there is some kind of confusion here. Can you send a screenshot or link to that page to my email thirumal@visatraveler.com? I would like to take a look and do some research.
NILESH PATEL says
Hi , read your blog and it is really helpful for visa process. Emirates airlines is providing 72 hours flight reservation blocking facility with nominal charge. Is it good enough hold period for getting visa for Denmark , the consulate takes 2 weeks of processing time. or should i use services from ‘ visa reservation.com’ or ‘travelvisabookings.com’
Thirumal says
Nilesh, 3-day hold is perfectly fine for Schengen visa application. Consulates very well know that you cannot hold tickets for 2 weeks. So, my recommendation – go for Emirates. Regarding visareservation.com and other services, I recommend using the airlines’ services first if available. If none of those are available or don’t work for you, then go for visareservation.com, etc.
Irina says
Do NOT use https://travelvisabookings.com
My husband ordered for me Flight,Hotel & Insurance Package and wrote the wrong last name (I still have my travel passport under my maiden name). I contacted them RIGHT AWAY in live chat, via website contact form and via customersupport email to let them know about the correction.
I told them that I have a visa appointment soon and I need the papers ASAP. So 3 hours of delivery (as they promise on website) was exactly what I needed and could only wait for.
I contacted them again 2 hours after my purchase and correction to remind about me. Both times they said they would take care of it and deliver everything on time.
It’s been more than 4 hours since my order and correction. I contacted them again saying that they didn’t deliver as promised and I either need the papers right now or the refund.
This time nobody even responded me via live chat – they just ignored me, just like they apparently have been ignoring my order all along!
Now I’m going to miss my visa appointment because of them and not even sure if I can get another one in time to still make it to my June trip.
HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE SCAM! Don’t fall for it, stay away!
Thirumal says
Hi Irina! I’m really sorry that you had to go through this. I’m hearing complaints about travelvisabookings.com. I don’t want others facing the same problem as you. I have removed them from the list.
Let me know if travelvisabookings do not get back to you in time. I can try to see if someone else can help you with your itinerary.
Stedelwhi says
Hi Thirumal,
Have you ever heard of Tripmasters.com? They provide an itinerary at no cost but I’m not sure if this will work for a Schengen Visa application because it doesn’t have my name. It’s basically just a quote but it shows specific flights, hotels and train info. Do you think this would work?
Thirumal says
Yes, I have heard about Tripmasters. But, the itinerary must have your name on it. Otherwise, the visa officers will not accept it as a valid flight itinerary.
Hazel says
Hi Thirumal
Do you have any idea if the website “Flight Reservations for Visa” is legit?
Thanks
Thirumal says
Yes, they are legit but I suggest to explore the FREE options first. If you want to go with “Flight Reservations for visa”, chat with them first to inquire about the fee, turn around time, how long the tickets will be valid, etc.
Harshada says
HI Sir,
I wanted to book itenary for Canada visit visa. please suggest me the sitesin which I can do itenary ticket
Harshada says
As it takes 2-4 weeks for Visa processing. Can I hold the flight ticket for 30 days. Is there any flight booking site which holds ticket for 30 days . If I say I am travelling on May 20 . Do I need to I apply for Visa on April 20 as I have to hold ticket for minimum 30 days?.
Thirumal says
Hi Harshada! You don’t have to hold your tickets for 30 days. Canadian Consulates know this clearly and they won’t insist you on holding tickets for that long. Anywhere from 1-2 weeks should be fine.
I have applied for Canada visa twice and in both cases, my flight reservations were valid for 1 week only. I didn’t have any issues at all and both times my visas were approved.
I have used a local travel agent for my first time. For the second time, I have used the FareLock feature on United Airlines to hold my ticket for 7 days.
chris says
My experience with https://travelvisabookings.com
Ok guys, despite the good things said about the above mentioned site, i think my experience with them was not a good one
before i paid them for itinerary reservation, they said i could use my one account for 5 bookings
i have already booked one itinerary for visa application, now wanting to book for the second itinerary but was told i will pay, fill fresh application
to me, this is dishonesty and failure in keeping their promise
a deal is a deal, travelvisabookings should maintain their promises and keep their customers happy
I don’t just like it when people or companies don’t live up to their expectations and promises
to me, this is fishy
chris says
dont want to continue using them, please poster, any other good source or site an applicant could reserve ticket itinerant please?
chris says
like ticket reservation for 24 days/, please get back
Thirumal says
Thanks for letting me know, Chris! If they are dishonest and don’t keep up their word, they do not deserve to be on this list. I will take them off this list. Sorry for the inconvenience!
chris says
sir, i tried the turkish airline but there is no reserve this ticket and pay later button
only Express checkout, Credit card/Debit card, and the UnionPay
does it mean the turkish airline does not offer ticket resersation anymore sir?
Thirumal says
Chris! I just emailed you. Let me know your questions.
Samir Alamaary says
Can you also send me info about Turkish Airlines hold option. I also cannot find it anywhere in their booking/checkout process.
Thirumal says
The hold option for Turkish Airlines is on the payment page (which is the last step). On the payment page, you will see 4 options – Express Checkout, Credit/Debit Card, Union Pay and the last option – “Reserve this flight and pay later”.
Nala says
Hello,
Thanks for this article. It is very informative! I have an Indian passport (‘powerless passport- this made me chuckle) but I am currently residing in the United States(work visa). I am planning a trip to the Schengen area – fly in and out of Amsterdam and probably visit Belgium and Germany while there. The documents specify bank statements – do you think online print outs will do fine? I am glad that these online sites that book the flight/hotel/insurance for you are genuine and I plan to use ‘travelvisabookings’. The question I have for you is that Indian passports or maybe it’s just my passport has my whole name listed under ‘given name’ and ‘surname’ is blank. Do you have any suggestions regarding this when it comes to filling out visa applications where they ask for first and last name? Thanks a lot for your time!
Thirumal says
Hi Nala! Haha yes, indeed our passports are weak and powerless. It’s not fair to go through so much struggle to secure visas.
For bank statements, just the printouts are sufficient. You can download the PDFs from your bank website and then just print them out.
TravelVisaBookings, of course, provide you with genuine reservation. All you have to do is just print them out. Or, you can also use the PNR number on the airline website and print the itinerary from there as well.
It’s not uncommon to have “surname” left blank in Indian passports. First thing I would suggest is to get that fixed the next time you renew your passport. And for visa applications, fill your actual surname in the “surname” field and actual given name in “given name” field in any visa application. I know it would be different from what you have in your passport. But, most visa applications would need “surname” field to be complete and it cannot be left blank. For example:
Your Passport
=============
Surname:
Given Name: John Doe Smith
Visa Application
===============
Surname: Smith
Given Name: John Doe
chris says
sir, Turkey airline good to reserve ticket for 24 days for purpose of visa application?
Thirumal says
Yes, you can hold tickets on Turkish airlines. Also, try United airlines and Expedia. Which routes and what dates are you flying? Let me check and see if I can find something for you.
chris says
Origin and destination: manila, Philippines to Norðurárdalur, Iceland (NB: sorry, but trying to locate for the nearest airport where this university is located, Bifröst University, that is the exact place am going for a short term program)
date of travel: FROM JULY 18 TO AUGUST 12
chris says
Hi bro, please can i have your email for an important question
Hamit says
Hello Thirumal,
Can I use flight itinerary from yattra.com for German Schengen Visa. Website provided me free reservation with no time limitation as if it is a fake:))
Thirumal says
Yes, you can use your flight itinerary from Yatra. But it’s not a fake reservation. The tickets are held for a certain number of days after which they are released. The German consulate can verify the reservation if they need to.
moien says
want to book a hotel for 90 days , please suggest website for booking
Thirumal says
Moien, 90 days is too long for a booking. It can also raise questions from the visa officer on why you want to stay in one place for 90 days. I suggest to break down that 90 days into 5-6 different bookings in different cities. You can use Expedia or Booking.com for your hotel bookings.
Prithvi says
Thanks for everything you shared here. It was the most exhaustive post on the internet I could find and that too from an Indian.
Thanks again.
Thirumal says
Thanks a lot, Prithvi! I’m just a traveler helping fellow travelers.
chris says
sir, it does not matter if i use foreign travel medical insurance company right? i think i prefer it than the philippines companies ones
Please get back
Thirumal says
Yeah Chris, it does not matter if you use a foreign travel medical insurance company.
chris says
since this site (https://travelvisabookings.com) looks genuine, i will use it, please how much to reserve flight ticket, and please , do you have idea how i can get travel medical certificate?
you know, i saw this under the requirement of iceland visa application
Travel Medical Insurance: photocopy; valid in all Schengen states; valid for entire duration of stay; minimum coverage of at least EUR 30,000/USD 50,000/PHP 2.5M
please, do you know where i can get this medical insurance, does travelvisabookings.com offer it too? this site ok http://www.visitorscoverage.com?
Thirumal says
Chris, you can use travelvisabookings. You can send them your itinerary and the number of days, then they will send you the reservation which usually is valid for up to a week.
Travel medical insurance is mandatory for Schengen visa. You can use vistorscoverage if you can find an inexpensive plan. But using a local provider may get you a good deal. Are you from the Philippines? If so, check out https://www.bpims.com/.
chris says
thank you for the site, yes am situated in the Philippines sir, so i can use this https://www.bpims.com/. for travel medical insurance?
but http://www.visitorscoverage.com seems cheaper, so is genuine site right?
Thirumal says
Yes Chris, you can use bpims.com for your travel medical insurance. Also, check this article from Aileen (https://iamaileen.com/how-to-apply-schengen-visa-embassy-belgium/) on how to apply for Schengen visa from the Philippines.
chris says
ok thank you again sir
Please, am going to iceland for a short course, i wish to know, what can i tie would immigration wish to see, am only a student going for a short term program in iceland
chris
chris says
is this site genuine for reserving flight itinerary?
https://www.booking.com
https://travelvisabookings.com
Thirumal says
Yes, those sites are genuine. But booking.com is only for hotel reservations. Whereas, travelvisabookings.com is good for flight reservations.
chris says
Hello sir, please, i wish to make a reservation for iceland and new zealand visa application for purpose of summer studies, please which airline do you recommend to book reserve for visa application? i think this is just reservation right? so no payment is needed upfront? but please, since some can only reserve for few days, what do you suggest about some application that takes month to get granted? wont the short days reservation be a problem?
Thirumal says
Hi Chris! Yes, just reservation. No payment is needed upfront. You should NOT purchase tickets before your visa is approved.
I understand that some visa applications take a month to grant, but they still accept flight reservations that are valid for just a few days. Consulates and visa officers know this already. So, there is no problem with it.
Aswin says
Hi Thirumal,
Thanks for one of the most exhaustive post on getting travel itinerary. I also admire your prompt reply to all queries. True selfless service indeed. Hopes you can help me with my problem regarding getting NZ visa.
Would you know any airlines that offer fully refundable tickets, flying from Singapore to NZ. If there are none, then any insurance scheme that would cover Visa rejection scenario.
I would really appreciate any help you can provide.
Cheers
Aswin
Thirumal says
Hi Aswin! You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words!
It’s hard to find airlines that offer fully refundable tickets without any fee in this route. But, check Quantas Airlines’ “Flex” fare. It is fully refundable but they may charge a small service fee when you cancel. Check the “Flex” tickets availability on Quantas first. Then call them to find out the exact service fee that they charge for cancellation. If that service fee is negligible, then go for it. Here is more info -> https://www.qantas.com/regions/amadeus/minirules/SGAUFLEXI_SUMMARY/index.html
I’m not aware of any insurances that cover visa denials. Your best bet is to go for a (1) fully refundable ticket or (2) hold reservation.
Joy says
I want to apply for Turkey visa and they requested for flight reservation. I think Turkey visa processing will take up to 8 working days. If my ticket hold is not more than 2 days can I use it?
Thirumal says
Hi Joy! 2 days hold is too less and it can cause issues with your Turkey visa processing. I suggest a ticket hold of at least 3 days or more.
Sheryl says
Hi Aswin,
May I know what site or travel agency did you use to get a flight reservation to apply visa to New Zealand. I am also here in Singapore and wish to visa to New Zealand. Thank you.
GQ says
Hello Thirumal,
I just found your site. Thanks for all the helpful information! We are trying to get Schegen visas. We have booked a cruise trip for end of May through early June (roundtrip from Rome, Italy), already paid in full. Now the question is if we still need an airline ticket for the visa since we have paid in full for the cruise? Thanks.
Thirumal says
Hi GQ! Thanks for the kind words! I understand that your cruise will start and end in Italy. But, are you flying into Italy to catch your cruise? If so, you would need to show the round trip tickets to and from Italy for Schengen visa application. For example, say you reside in India. In that case, you would need show roundtrip ticket from India-Italy and Italy-India.
Also, make sure your Schengen visa is multiple entries as you enter Italy to catch your cruise is considered as entry 1 and when you return from the cruise to Italy again, it’s considered as entry 2.
Marie-Laure says
Hello,
Many thanks for this page.
Do you think the embassies are checking the validity of the plane tickets?
Marie-Laure says
I mean when they issue a VISA
Thirumal says
They sometimes do. That’s why you cannot submit photoshopped/fake flight tickets. They want you to hold the tickets for now and purchase them when your visa is approved. This works if the visa processing takes just a few days (say 2-5 days). Consulates that take longer know that you will eventually get different tickets altogether since your hold/reservation will not be valid for that long.
Madhumita says
Hello Thirumal,
Very useful information indeed! I am about to apply for a Schengen visa and knowing about the complexities/strict rules applied to it, I just want to be completely sure of the documents I submit. The visa center is asking for a Travel itinerary
(travel reservation to and from Schengen area in your name, not a ticket), so does this mean I have to show the itinerary only to port of entry and departure country, or also for all the other countries I will be visiting in the Schengen area? My itinerary looks like this Budapest-Vienna-Prague-Paris-Amsterdam, and I plan to use road/rail transport for a few of the places, so please let me know how should my air itinerary look.
Thirumal says
Hi Madhumita! To give you a more specific answer, I would need some extra information. Here are a couple questions –
– How long is your trip?
– Are you planning to enter from Budapest and leave from Amsterdam?
I can give you a more specific answer based on your information for the above 2 questions. But meanwhile, there are a couple ways to go about it.
Option 1: Pick just one country
Since you are only showing an itinerary or booking (not actual purchased tickets), just pick one country. Say Hungary. Get a flight itinerary in and out of Hungary. Show hotel reservations in 2 or 3 different places in Hungary. After your visa approval, you can purchase your actual tickets to fly into Budapest and fly out from Amsterdam.
Option 2: Pick any two countries
Pick any two countries. Say Hungary and Netherlands. Show a flight itinerary to fly into Budapest and out from Amsterdam, but also another itinerary for Budapest to Amsterdam. You will basically provide two flight itineraries. Plus provide hotel reservations in 2 or 3 cities in Hungary and Netherlands. After your visa approval, you can purchase your actual tickets to fly into Budapest and fly out from Amsterdam.
Option 3: Do not provide any road/rail itinerary for now
Provide your flight itinerary as is (into Budapest and out from Amsterdam) and provide hotel reservations in all the cities you are planning to visit (Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Paris, Amsterdam). When submitting your application, just let the visa officer know that you will purchase rail/road tickets later since you are still researching cheaper options.
Madhumita says
Hello Thirumal,
Thank you for your detailed response. I plan to apply for visa for Czech republic as Prague will be my port of entry. The checklist says that I need to submit the flight reservation of return ticket. Does this mean confirmed ticket reservation? Websites like travelvisabookings.com are offering confirmed travel itinerary for a fee. How genuine is this and will this be accepted for visa processing?
Thanks in advance,
Madhumita
Thirumal says
Hi Madhumita! Yes, travelvisabookings and other websites I have mentioned are all genuine. They are just online travel agents who will hold flight tickets for you. The reservation will be held for certain days depending on the airline. The reservation becomes void after that.
Itineraries from them are perfectly acceptable for Schengen visa applications. Just make sure to verify the reservation on the airline’s website using the booking/PNR number right after you receive the itinerary from them.
Lydia Johnson says
Hi Thirumal,
Very useful article. I am planning to apply for Schengen and plan to visit Netherlands ion my way to from Canada to India and Malta on the way back. I am not sure on the Malta plan yet so can I just get my visa based on my Netherlands stay and because the visa lasts for 90 days, I come back to Malta ?
Also, with these airlines/agents holding the reservations, will I be obligated to buy the ticket with the 24 hrs-3 days or do I just print it and let it go void and then get a cheaper ticket later ? Does it matter to the embassy that the PNR is active etc ? I am very confused.
Thanks,
Lydia
Thirumal says
Hi Lydia! Thanks! It’s difficult to predict if you will be issued a 90-day visa. Mine was valid for only 30 days. Whereas, many of my readers secured 90-day visas successfully. Therefore, it all depends on the country, consulate, location and itinerary.
You will just let these flight itineraries go void. These itineraries are only for visa application and the PNR status will not affect your visa process. You will book better and cheaper tickets after your visa approval.
Raina says
Hi Thirumal ,
Thanks for all the details mentioned, really a great site including all the info.
After hunting lot many websites for UK visa processing found your blog very helpful.
I just need to know , I am actually applying for 3 visitors visa for UK.
2 adults and 1 child. So is the return journey tickets needed now also. As it would be, costlier to book the tickets. Can you suggest a option which is feasible, as UK visa process takes 15 working days. Does any airline provide flight reservation options so long.
Thirumal says
Hi Raina! Thanks for the kind words! First of all, NEVER purchase actual flight tickets before applying for any visa for any country. Even consulates make it clear not to actually purchase the tickets, instead will ask you to just book/reserve/hold the tickets.
That being said, UK has stopped asking for flight tickets. It’s only in rare cases they ask you to send the flight tickets (again just book/reserve/hold) along with other supporting documents.
If, for some reason, you were asked to upload or send flight tickets for your UK visa, try British Airways’s email price quote. UK immigration accepts that as a proof of flight tickets. I have actually used BA’s email price quote when I applied for my UK visa 2 years ago.
You don’t need to hold the tickets for 15 working days. So, you can try the hold option on airlines such as Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, etc.
Rai says
Hi,
How can I the price quote? Can you please share the steps?
I did not have to submit anything for online form but have to carry flight itinerary for interview for UK.
The best option I’ve found till date only allows 24 hr itinerary which will be useless to me.
Thanks
Thirumal says
You can get the price quote from British Airways. It worked fine for my UK visa. The steps to get a price quote from British Airways is below –
– Go to the URL https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/flights-and-holidays/flights
– In the “Create Trip” screen, enter your source and destination airports, dates, etc and click on “Find Flights”
– In the next screen, select your flights and click on “Continue”
– In the next screen, under “Check your flight details”, on the right side, you will see a link “Email price quote”.
– Click on the “Email price quote” link and follow the instructions
Shravya says
Do I need a flight itinerary / flight ticket for a UK visa ? I m pretty confused …these online visa travel booking say it’s needed !
Thirumal says
UK wasn’t asking for flight itineraries at some point. Not sure if it is still the same case. So, the only way to figure this is to start your online visa application. You will then be asked to upload documents, so you will know if you need flight itinerary or not.
You can save your online application and come back to it later. So, no need to get a flight/hotel itinerary before you start the application.
Shravya says
Thanks for the reply…online application is done..and it did not ask for flight bookings..jus asked bout hotel bookings,which is done …
So that means v need not have a flight itinerary na..?
Thirumal says
That’s correct. You were not requested for a flight itinerary. Therefore, you DO NOT need a flight itinerary for your visa application.
JIKKU says
GOOD INFO. BUT DOESN’T WORKS ON ALL EMBASSIES. THANKS FOR SHARING.
11. Purchasing non-refundable fight ticket ” FIGHT ” 🙂
Thirumal says
That is true. This is not an exhaustive list and requirements for embassies vary.
Haha, thanks! Just fixed it.
HABIB ULLAH RAJ says
Visa Reservation (Fee $50 USD) not $20.
Thirumal says
Thanks for letting me know Habib! I think they keep changing. Now, it’s $30 USD for the basic flight itinerary on their website.
Volcy says
ITs visa reservation or travel visa booking its safe to use ? itsn´t scam ? i dont want to lose my money
Thirumal says
No, they are not scams. They are online travel agents. But, make sure to pay using “PayPal”. If you do not receive the ticket or received an invalid ticket for your visa, then you can open a dispute in PayPal. PayPal will then refund your payment. That way, you will be on the safe side. Hope that helps!
Sandeep says
How long the flight itineraries will be valid? 2-3 months, till the visa gets approved?
Thirumal says
Not all itineraries are valid that long. Usually, itineraries are valid anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days. Turkish Airlines will let you hold a ticket for up to 3 months, but that’s the only airline that I know so far holds a reservation that long.
Lucie says
Hey Thirumal,
Thanks for this great article ! I would recommend you to add https://onewayfly.com/ in the exemple list. They offer as well vouchers for visas 🙂
Thirumal says
Thanks Lucie! Great info. I’ll add it to the list.
Danish says
I’m Danish Imran from Pakistan. I’m applying for Malaysia eVisa. Can I use hold flight booking? Visa officers check my flight?
Thirumal says
Hi Danish! Yes, visa officers check your flight booking. But hold tickets are real flight reservations and you won’t have a problem using them for Malaysia eVisa.