Many people preparing documents for a visa often wonder whether they must purchase a real flight ticket in advance to increase their chances of approval. The answer is no, and in many cases, buying a real ticket can be a financial risk that is unnecessary.

Why It’s Not Necessary to Buy a Real Ticket

✅ Embassies only require proof of travel – What the embassy checks is the “travel details” that match your visa application, not whether you have actually paid for the ticket.

✅ You can use a flight itinerary – Simply visit an airline website or an online travel agency (OTA), select your flight, enter the passenger details, and save or print the booking summary showing your name. This is sufficient for visa purposes.

✅ Reduces financial risk – If your visa is denied but you’ve already purchased a non-refundable ticket, you could lose a significant amount of money unnecessarily.

How to Prepare a Flight Ticket for a Visa Application

1. Visit an airline website or an online travel booking site.
2. Select flights that match the travel dates indicated in your visa application.
3. Enter the passenger name exactly as shown in your passport.
4. Go to the booking summary page (do not pay yet).
5. Take a screenshot or print the summary as a PDF or on paper.

Additional Tips

• Choose flights with dates and times close to your actual planned travel to make your documents look realistic.
• If you are concerned, you can use a flight reservation service for visa purposes provided by travel agencies, which usually costs a small fee but provides official-looking documents (GoNoGuide can assist with this).
• Once your visa is approved, purchase the real flight ticket for the dates and price that work best for you.

Conclusion

It is not necessary to buy a real flight ticket to apply for a visa. What embassies require is travel details, not proof of payment. Using a flight itinerary is safe, convenient, and minimizes unnecessary financial risks.