When you plan to visit a Schengen country, you will often have to show that you have a booked flight itinerary and/or flight reservation when applying for a Schengen Visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the specific Schengen country. You might even have to provide your intended destination’s air or flight ticket.
What Is A Flight/Travel Itinerary?
A flight itinerary or travel itinerary for a visa application is not an actual ticket; you do not have to go out to buy a plane ticket. A flight reservation for visa application is a document with details about your plan for your flight or travel journey to the Schengen zone. It is a schedule of your airline’s flight, including your flight number, your name, date of arrival and date of departure, airport IATA code and the price of a real flight ticket.
Applying for the Schengen visa with the flight itinerary or reservation is the best and cheapest alternative. You can easily avail flight itineraries by fulfilling the requirements of the embassy or consulate. In this case, you will not buy the original ticket for a visa by risking your full investment.
Further Classification Of Flight Reservation
A flight reservation or flight itinerary is further classified as follows:
One-way flight itinerary: It is recommended to attach a one-way flight reservation with the application when the applicant is applying for a long-stay visa since this document contains details about the applicant’s intended date of entry. One way flight itinerary doe not list the exit.
Round trip flight itinerary: This is a type of document that indicates the applicant’s intended entrance and exit dates. For short-stay visas, it is recommended to attach a round-trip flight reservation.
How To Obtain A Flight Itinerary Without Paying For The Actual Flight Ticket?
Obtaining a flight reservation or flight itinerary for a visa is only sometimes free of charge. Getting charged a symbolic fee to confirm your flight or travel itinerary is normal. Some companies do this for free until you buy the actual flight ticket. On the other side, you can search for companies that are providing the service of dummy flight itineraries, which can be time-consuming.
If you need assistance obtaining a visa, you can also use the services of a travel agent or an online resource such as a visa reservation. Such online resources provide free email advice, flight and hotel booking, and itineraries management.
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Why Do Embassies Or Consulates Ask For Booked Reservations?
You know the reason for providing proof of flight ticket booking to the embassies or consulate. Well, there are some valid reasons behind it, as follows:
- To avoid overstaying in the Schengen area. The main reason that embassies demand the flight itinerary is to regulate the duration of foreign residents’ stay in the relevant Schengen country. Do your best to avoid overstaying in the Schengen country; booked flight itinerary is best. Furthermore, this document explains your arrival and departure time and date in the home country. Booked flight itinerary ensures that the visa holder will not stay longer in the Schengen zone after the visa expires.
- The embassy or consulate decides the number of days allowed to stay in the Schengen zone, depending on the travel dates specified on your submitted booked travel itinerary. Sometimes there is a mismatch between the declared days of stay mentioned on the booked travel itinerary and the dates presented in a confirmed travel ticket. This may result in the rejection of your visa application.
- Another reason to book a flight itinerary is that the embassy or the consulate wants to know that the applicant is applying at the right embassy or consulate. You will apply at the embassy of the country where you want to stay more, like if you plan to stay 7 days in Austria, 2 days in Belgium and 1 day in Luxemburg. So you will have to apply at the embassy of Austria.
What Happens If You Don’t Submit A Travel Itinerary To Embassy?
If you don’t submit a travel itinerary and your application, your visa rejection chances will increase. Ins short, it would become difficult for you to get a visa. Many applicants must understand the importance of visa application if they want a smooth, successful process.
Getting a booked travel itinerary before your visa application process starts is always recommended. If you need a dummy flight ticket, you can also schedule an appointment with the embassy. You will get confirmation via email regarding the day and time of your appointment with the embassy. On the day of the appointment, bring your original documents with you.
Conclusion
We recommend you attach the dummy flight ticket with the application form because attaching the actual flight ticket is risky and may cause you a great loss.