Proof of Onward Travel
Many countries require proof of onward travel, which demonstrates that a traveler plans to leave the country before their visa or permitted stay expires. This requirement is common for visa-exempt travelers or those entering on a tourist visa. Here’s a list of some countries that often require proof of onward travel:
Americas
1. United States
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Costa Rica
5. Panama
6. Colombia
7. Ecuador
Europe
Countries in the Schengen Area often require proof of onward travel at the discretion of border agents.
What countries constitute the Schengen Area?
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Asia
1. Indonesia
2. Thailand
3. Philippines
4. Vietnam
5. India
6. Japan
Oceania
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Fiji
Africa
1. South Africa
2. Kenya
What Qualifies as Proof of Onward Travel?
Proof of a flight, bus, or train ticket or reservation to a destination outside the country you’re visiting, either to your home country or to a different country.
If in the Schengen Area, which is an alliance of countries, the ticket or reservation would need to be exiting the entire zone by the time your visa would expire. For example, referencing the list of countries above, a ticket from France to Germany would not be acceptable. A ticket from France to Montenegro would work.
Buying an onward ticket is no big deal if you know where you’re going to be when it is time to leave the country. But what if you are wandering more spontaneously? I have a couple of workarounds.
1) book a fully refundable flight, use it as proof, then cancel it and get your refund. This option requires follow through with cancellation, so don’t forget! Also, this may result in some funds in your account being “on hold” for a while, so make sure you have enough available in that account to cover it.
2) get a cheap “reservation” for a flight, with no need for further action. Here are some providers of this service that have high ratings on TrustPilot:
Dummy Flights
Onward Ticket
Book Onward Ticket
Top Onward Ticket
Best Onward Ticket
Please make sure to read the FAQ’s and assess your risk tolerance. Remember that it takes a little time for the information to populate through the relevant databases. Don’t “buy it while waiting at the counter” - plan ahead to avoid any issues.