My Dummy Ticket
Plain-English answers from people who've worked both sides of the border counter. Written daily by four travel-industry insiders.
A dummy ticket, also called an onward ticket, can satisfy the flight-itinerary line on a China tourist visa checklist without locking in a paid fare before approval.
Getting stopped at check-in over a missing onward ticket is more common than you might think, and it is usually an easy fix once you know what to do.
The DS-160 doesn't force you to buy a flight before your B1/B2 interview, but a dummy ticket can still help you look prepared. Here's what the process actually requires.
A dummy ticket is legal when it's a real, checkable reservation, not when it's a faked screenshot. Here's what actually decides the difference.
Thailand tourist visa applicants often need proof of onward travel. Here is when a dummy ticket satisfies that requirement and when it does not.
A dummy ticket is a real flight reservation booked for visa or border checks without ever being paid for. Here's how it actually works, what it costs, and when you need one instead of a paid ticket.
Backpackers ask about Fiji's onward ticket rule constantly. Here's what actually comes up at check-in and immigration, answered question by question.
Real questions backpackers and remote workers ask about using a dummy ticket for a visa interview or an HR compliance file.
Approved Oman e-visa but no return flight booked? Here's what actually gets checked at check-in and on arrival, answered in plain language.
Got held up at a Wizz Air desk over an unconfirmed onward ticket? Here are the real questions backpackers ask about whether budget airlines actually check for a dummy ticket.
Do you actually need an onward ticket for Nepal? Real traveller questions about visa-on-arrival rules, trekking permits and land border crossings, answered plainly.
Qatar's visa waiver confuses a lot of travellers into skipping the onward ticket question entirely. Here's what actually gets asked at check-in and Doha immigration.
Yes, you probably still need a dummy ticket for Saudi Arabia even with an approved e-visa. Here's what travellers actually ask about it.