Dakar's Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) is where most air travellers land in Senegal, and plenty of backpackers wonder what the check-in desk will ask them on the way there. A dummy ticket, also called an onward ticket, is a real PNR booked for visa or border-check purposes without paying for the flight. Here are the questions I'd want answered before flying in.

Do I actually need an onward ticket for Senegal?

It depends on your passport, your route and your airline. Some travellers are never asked. Others get the question at the departure airport, because airlines check entry conditions in the industry database called Timatic, which IATA explains on its Timatic page.

So don't trust a forum post from three years ago. Look at the current Senegal entry requirements on the UK government's travel advice pages if you've got a British passport, or your own government's page if you haven't. Then ask your airline directly. Rules change, and what applied to someone else's passport may not apply to yours.

Who's going to ask me, and when?

Usually it's the airline desk at the place you fly from, and sometimes an officer at the border. Airlines care because they can be on the hook for flying you home if you're refused entry. Officers care because they want to know you're visiting, not staying.

Lots of people sail through without a question. But if you get asked and have nothing, it's a stressful spot to be in. That's why I'd rather have the paperwork and not need it.

I'm coming by land from a neighbouring country. Does that change things?

It can. Senegal shares borders with Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia. If you enter overland, you won't meet an airline desk at all, and what an officer asks may be different from an airport. Border practice on the ground varies and shifts over time, so check current advice for the specific crossing before you go.

If you're flying in later, though, or flying out, the airline questions come back. Think about how you'll leave and whether you can show it.

Is a dummy ticket the same as a real ticket?

Not quite. A real ticket is one you've paid for and plan to use. A dummy ticket is a reservation that shows a flight leaving the country, so an agent or officer can see you've got an onward plan on paper. Both look like a booking record. Only one costs you the fare.

If you're not sure about the difference, our write-up on dummy ticket versus real ticket goes through it step by step. And please be honest if anyone asks you about your real plans. The reservation is paperwork, not a cover story.

What should the booking show?

Keep it boring and checkable:

  • Your name exactly as it's written in your passport.
  • A flight that leaves Senegal, not one that just hops around inside it.
  • A date inside your permitted stay.
  • A route that real airlines actually fly.

If your hotel or hostel dates are all over the place compared with the flight, tidy that up too. Mismatches are the classic way people get a second look.

Can immigration tell it's a dummy ticket?

They can see whether a reservation exists in the airline's system. What they make of it depends on the person and the day. Our Q&A on whether immigration can tell it's a dummy ticket digs into this properly. The practical bit: if the record is live and consistent with your story, that's what matters.

How long will the reservation last?

Not forever. Airlines set time limits on reservations that haven't been paid for, and some get cancelled earlier than you'd think. So don't book it two months before you fly and hope for the best. Book closer to your trip, and check the record on the airline's own manage-booking page with your booking reference and surname the day before you fly. Then check again on your way to the airport.

Should I keep my plans flexible anyway?

Yes, and that's fine. Plenty of backpackers don't know where they'll be in three weeks, and the reservation doesn't lock you in. What it does is give the desk something concrete to look at today. Pick a sensible exit date inside your permitted stay, then change your real plans later as you like. Just don't let the paperwork drift out of step with your visa or entry permission, because that's the part someone might check.

What if the agent can't find my booking?

Stay calm. Open the airline's website on your phone and show the record there. Have the PDF saved offline, because airport wifi is hit and miss. If the status looks different from your confirmation email, the airline's site is the one to trust, so screenshot it.

If it all falls apart, ask the agent what they'd accept and whether you can sort it at the desk. Often there's a quick fix, and getting angry never helps. This is general info, not legal or immigration advice, and airlines apply their own rules.

Ready to sort yours? Book your onward reservation and run through the checklist above.