How to get flight reservation for visa without payment: 5 proven ways

Flight itinerary, round-trip flight tickets, proof of onward travel, proof of return ticket, or whatever consulates may call it, flight reservation is required when applying for a visa across many countries, including United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Schengen Area countries (e.g., Germany, France, Italy, Spain), Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Argentina, and others.

The great news is that in most cases, you don’t need to actually buy a return ticket — a formal reservation to show at customs or airport control usually suffices. Another great news is that there are several ways to get a flight reservation for visa without payment. Cool, isn’t it?

If you’re interested in how to get flight itinerary without paying, read on. In this article, we’re providing five tried-and-true methods to book a flight without paying or paying just a small nominative fee, so let’s dive in.

What is a flight reservation for visa, and why do you need it?

Before we uncover the secrets of flight reservation for visa without payment, it’s worth understanding why you actually need it.

A flight reservation for a visa is a flight booking you should submit as part of your visa application. It must have a valid PNR number and be verifiable on the airline’s website. Your ticket reservation for a visa must include your full name, flight date, flight number, and airport codes.

So why do consulates require a flight booking for visa? The answer is simple: this allows a consulate to know how long you are going to stay in the country. While this information is mentioned in the visa application, a flight reservation confirms it, ensuring that you won’t overstay your visa.

How to reserve a flight without paying?

Long story short, let’s explore how you can avoid forking out for an actual return ticket and reserve a flight without paying instead.

1. Use a free ticket cancellation service

One of the most popular ways to reserve a flight without paying is by using online reservation platforms or airlines that offer free cancellation on flight tickets. This is an excellent option when you’re traveling to a country that offers a visa on arrival. 

However, the free cancellation is usually valid only within 24 hours of booking, so you need to book a flight right before you arrive at the airport. For the same reason, remember to cancel your reservation once you get your visa.

While this is a reliable method to show that you’re leaving the destination country on the specified date, not many airlines offer free cancellation. Also, keep in mind that this option doesn’t work for visa applications that have processing times longer than 24 hours.

2. Reserve an onward flight using airline miles, credit card points, hold awards, etc.

With so many rewards programs existing today, chances are that you’re enrolled in one of the frequent flier programs. Although it’s not very common, some airlines provide the option to hold a reservation for a few days using your accumulated miles or through their hold award program. 

Also, check whether your credit card issuer offers an option to book refundable tickets with points accumulated within their rewards program. 

3. Consider using a hold service

Another go-to method to get a free ticket reservation for a visa is using hold services. How does it work? Certain airlines offer the option to book a flight without paying upfront — when booking a flight, you are given a set amount of time to make the payment. This booking can be printed and used as a flight itinerary for visa application. Even though such a booking includes a deadline for payment, it remains valid for visa purposes.

Unlike with the free cancellation option, you don’t need to track the hold duration — if not paid within the specified period, the reservation is automatically canceled. On the downside, using a hold service is not suitable for visa applications that take more than 2 days to be processed.

4. Print a non-verifiable itinerary

Some airlines, such as Qatar Airways, allow users to print out a flight itinerary right from their websites. These flight itineraries are very similar to reservations that can be used for visa applications. However, keep in mind that this method is only suitable for visa applications that don’t require verifiable itineraries, so check whether it applies to your destination country before considering this option.

5. Get a dummy ticket for a visa from a reliable provider

This way of getting a flight itinerary for a visa isn’t absolutely free — you’re charged a nominal fee in exchange for your peace of mind. Many people prefer to buy a dummy ticket for a visa instead of spending hours browsing freehold or cancellation options, saving time and stress.

Fastonwardtickets.com is one of the best ways to buy a dummy ticket for visa quickly and securely. Getting a dummy flight itinerary for visa on our platform is as easy as 1-2-3. 

You need to fill in details such as your departure city, arrival city, travel date, and personal information, wait for the system to generate your ticket, and make the payment. In less than a minute, your dummy flight itinerary for a visa with a valid PNR/booking code will land in your inbox.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to reserve a flight without paying, you can start planning your journey and making preparations for your visa application.

As you can see, the absolutely free methods either require time and effort or aren’t suitable for every situation (well, that’s why they’re free). 

However, you can always go the minimal commitment route and purchase a flight reservation for a symbolic fee at fastonwardtickets.com — in a matter of just a minute.