If you are planning a trip to Europe from a country that requires a Schengen visa, you may be unsure whether to buy a flight ticket or after your visa application is approved.
This article introduces an option known as Flight Itinerary for Schengen visa, that can be used to get your visa without the risk of losing your money if your visa application is denied.
We will show you how to obtain a temporary flight itinerary for visa that the consulate will accept and that we have personally used to assist over 50,000 of our own customers.
If you want us to handle your entire visa process, including your flight itinerary, then click below:
Is it mandatory to book a flight ticket for a Schengen visa Application?
No. It is not mandatory to book a flight ticket for a Schengen visa. In fact, the consulate specifically mentions that you don’t need to provide a fully non-refundable flight ticket. However, you must provide a document known as a Flight Itinerary for Schengen visa.
There maybe several names such as Travel Itinerary, Proof of Onward Travel, Flight Reservation or Booking but “What is a Flight Itinerary?”.
What is meant by Flight Itinerary?
A flight itinerary is a document (usually pdf) which show the Schengen visa consulate the most probable flight you will take if your visa is approved. This document contains flight information (like FlightName, Flight Code), traveller information (name, passport number) and travel date information (departure date, return date) .
What is a Flight Itinerary for visa?
A flight itinerary for visa is a detailed route of your flight. It includes information such as flight name, departure/arrival timings along with dates, flight code, departure/arrival airport IATA codes and the flight reservation/booking numbers.
This document is usually got from a GDS system like Amadeus, Sabre or Galileo. Travel agents who have ticket booking software will be able to generate a flight itinerary for you easily.
Here is a sample flight itinerary for Schengen visa.
As you can see the only difference between a flight itinerary for Schengen visa and an actual flight ticket is this document does not have a PNR number that will only be generated when the itinerary is ticketed.
This document contains all the information that the consulate looks for such as :
- first and last name of the passenger and the flight number of the selected airline
- a reservation number or identifier, the date of departing and the date of return (the ticket must be for a round-trip trip).
- flight times
- IATA airport numbers
- the entire ticket price
What are the different names used for flight itinerary?
The different names that people use for Flight Itinerary by Schengen consulates are :
- Booked Flight Itinerary
- Flight Itinerary for Visa Application
- Flight Reservation
- Air Ticket Booking
- Dummy Air Ticket for Visa
- Dummy Ticket
- Flight Confirmation
- Return Ticket
Where can I get a flight itinerary for Schengen visa ?
You can get a Flight itinerary for Schengen visa using FlightGen App . We provide Schengen visa consulting and we have been using the app for several years without any trouble. Even the embassy and consulate officials know that applicants do not wish to spend too much money on a ticket before they can travel.
Get Flight itinerary for Schengen visa using FlightGen App.
Are there other ways to get a Flight Itinerary for a Schengen visa?
Fake plane tickets
Some airlines won’t charge you to get a “dummy flight itinerary” with a reservation number, but usually you have to pay to get a ticket or booking.
Using a local travel company to book a flight
Even though your local travel agent will charge you a small fee, usually 10 percent of the total price, this is a great choice because they can hold a travel ticket for seven days or even longer.
Hold a plane Ticket
Not all airlines let you book flights in advance, so you should do some study to find the right one that does. There are, however, some that will hold your tickets for a small fee of $10 to $30. How long they will hold your ticket depends on the company, but most of them will do so for about three days. Some will hold your ticket for longer. This can be helpful if your visa interview requires you to show proof of your flight reservation.
Using apps for booking flights to make reservations
Some airlines will hold reservations for up to 48 hours, but you should call even if it says this is a choice to make sure it isn’t just for certain customers or flights.
Booking services will often hold a ticket for free for up to three days. You should find out which companies in your home country are the best for this service.
Request a refund promise if your visa is denied
For information, even if a ticket is “non-refundable,” some airlines will return the full price if a visa is denied. Check with the company itself.
Use Yatra.com for free flight reservations
Yatra.com, a ticket booking engine headquartered in India, offers users the ability to make flight reservations and hold them for a maximum duration of three days. This affords individuals an opportunity for contemplation, while also allowing them to engage in proactive communication by requesting an extension of two to three additional days.
However, a drawback associated with utilizing their services is the requirement of providing one’s personal phone number in order to make bookings. Consequently, one must be prepared to receive a substantial number of phone calls, approximately 10, from the company in order to confirm the ticket reservation.
Does the Schengen consulate accept a flight itinerary for Schengen visa processing?
Yes. Embassies commonly accept airline itineraries as part of the visa application process. In certain instances, they may even advise visa applicants to purchase a flight ticket only upon receiving approval for their visa. This condition does not apply while applying for transit visas, as it is mandatory to possess a fully purchased flight ticket for the subsequent leg of one’s journey.
Please provide an email confirmation or website screenshot print out of your intended flight itinerary either direct from the airline clearly showing you intended date of departure and route. We highly recommend not purchasing your flight tickets until your visa has been approved.
Spain Consulate
Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen
VFS Global
state. Some Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but request the original air ticket when visa is collected.
What distinguishes a flight itinerary from a flight reservation when it comes to a visa application?
The most notable distinction is that a PNR is not included on an itinerary, but is included on a reservation in order to confirm a booking that can be checked online by the visa officer.
In the past, passengers needed to physically visit a travel agent in order to obtain a flight schedule. However, you can now simply purchase it online. We use the FlightGen App to create customer flight itineraries suitable for visa applications.
What is the difference between a flight itinerary and a travel itinerary?
A flight itinerary is a document containing the probable route of a flight, with travel dates and other info. Here is a sample Flight itinerary for visa purposes. It contains details such as Airline no, travel time, passenger information .
This is our recommended document for applying for a visa, especially when you mention in your cover letter that you are giving an itinerary and once visa is approved, you will buy this ticket.
A visa travel itinerary is the daily plan you intend to follow if your visa is approved. Typically, a travel itinerary is included in the cover letter for a tourist or business visa. Here is an example of a cover letter travel itinerary that describes what I intend to do if my visa is granted.
- 15 October 2024: Palace visit and concert attendance.
- 16 October 2024: I arrive in Vienna and settle into my hotel.
- 17 October 2024: Hallstatt and Alps excursion.
- 18 October 2024: Visit the Belvedere and Klimt’s Kiss.
- 19 October 2024: travel to Munich to attend the Oktoberfest.
- 20 October 2024: Depart for Delhi.
Will the cost of my Flight Ticket be reimbursed in case of visa rejection?
No. Unless it is explicitly mentioned in your flight ticket or if you have not purchased a fully refundable flight ticket, you will not be refunded your flight ticket.
It is not recommended to assume financial risk by purchasing a complete flight ticket prior to obtaining the necessary visa. This is due to the recognition by Embassies and Consulates that it is not advisable to exert pressure on applicants to purchase the whole Airline ticket. Moreover, in the event that you proceed with this course of action, the diplomatic offices will provide recommendations about the acquisition of a Flight Ticket that includes a “free cancellation” feature. However, it is important to note that tickets offering this particular feature typically come at a higher price compared to standard tickets.
Furthermore, there have been revisions made to the visa consulate advice of the European Union.
“Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state. Some Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but, request the original air ticket when the visa is collected“
How to Get Flight Itinerary Without Paying for the Actual Ticket Flight?
You can get a flight itinerary using the FlightGen App. Click the below button and download the app. You will be able to create unlimited itineraries for the whole day once you create a flight itinerary.
Can I get a Schengen Visa with a confirmed Flight Reservation and Temporary PNR?
There are many services that are selling confirmed PNR online, But we do not recommend you use these for your Schengen visa application as your visa can be rejected on the basis of submitting forged documents.
It is always better to be honest when applying for Schengen visa . You can provide a flight itinerary from FlightGen App and mention in your cover letter that you are submitting a flight itinerary and will ticket the same once your visa is approved.
In this case the embassy may, at worst case, ask you to book a flight ticket and send rather than outright reject your visa application for submitting a false document.
3 Reasons why the Schengen consulate want to see your Flight Itinerary
So as not to stay in the Schengen Area for too long.
To avoid overstaying in the Schengen Area.
The first reason is that the Embassy or Consulate wants to keep track of how long foreigners are staying in the Schengen country in question. So, it wants to make sure they don’t stay longer than the Schengen Visa lets them. So, a Round-Trip Flight Ticket is the best way to make sure you don’t stay in the Schengen Area for too long. Also, because this paper shows when the visa holder will leave and return to their home country, it lets the Embassy or Consulate know that the visa holder won’t stay in the Schengen Area longer than their allowed number of days.
To Choose How Long the Visa Will Last.
Most of the time, the Embassy or Consulate gets to decide how many days you can stay in the Schengen Area based on the dates on your Booked Flight Ticket. Sometimes it’s hard to decide because it’s rare for the number of days of stay listed on the Schengen visa application form to match the dates on the Confirmed Travel Ticket. In this case, the individual may even be turned down for a visa because of this.
To make sure the person applying is going to the right embassy or consulate.
The Embassy or Consulate wants to know if you are applying at the right Embassy or Consulate, which is another reason why you need a booked flight schedule. So, if your Travel Itinerary shows that you plan to spend two days in Austria, seven days in Belgium, and one day in Luxembourg, you must apply at the Austrian Embassy. So, in general, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country where you plan to stay the most. This is important because the Schengen Agreement includes the rule that every Schengen country must follow about the port of entry.