Onward Ticket: How To Get a Legit One for Free
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You go to check in for your flight and hear: “Do you have a return ticket?“
You don’t. You fly on a one-way ticket. You’re traveling for a while and won’t return home soon. You want to be flexible and free to decide when to leave and where to go next. You don’t even have a ticket for your next destination yet.
But the airline employee is adamant: you must have proof of onward travel.
What do you do?
What is proof of onward travel?
Proof of onward travel, also called “onward ticket” and, inaccurately, “return ticket”, is any proof that you intend to leave the country you’re entering before the expiration of your visa.
It’s an official requirement for entry to most countries, although, in practice, enforcement and checks are not universally applied.
It’s one way to combat illegal immigration but it’s a rule that genuine tourists and backpackers need to comply with too.
Huge disclaimer: The strength of your passport determines how likely you are to be asked for an onward ticket!
It’s true – travelers from less-developed countries with weak passports are almost guaranteed to need to show an onward ticket, whereas “Western” tourists are more likely to be let through without questions.
Does it have to be a flight ticket?
It depends.
Some countries are pretty strict about it being a flight ticket (cough, The Philippines, cough), while others may accept ferry or bus tickets (Indonesia, for example, officially accepts ferry tickets from Batam to Singapore).
Others may apply their rules haphazardly – for some travelers, an international bus/train is acceptable, for others, a flight ticket is required (Thailand is such an example).
Flight tickets are never rejected, so if in doubt, it’s best to prepare an onward flight ticket.
Who asks for it?
It may seem weird, but it’s more often requested by the airlines than by the Immigration authorities.
This is because the airline is on the hook if it flies you to a country where you don’t meet the entry requirements and you get denied entry. Airline employees are also a lot more likely to follow official requirements to the letter.
This also means that land borders are more relaxed when it comes to onward ticket requirements. In all my travels, I have never been asked for an onward ticket while crossing an overland border.
The Immigration Officer can ask you for an onward ticket at any border, anyway, regardless of your nationality.
Onward tickets and visa extensions
Say you need to enter a country on a tourist visa (or exemption) which can be extended inside the country. Indonesia is one such example with their popular 30-day eVoA which can be extended for another 30.
Do you need to show an onward ticket within 30 days or within 60?
The answer depends on the country and the check-in staff that you face. Some are aware of the extension possibility, some aren’t. Some can be reasoned with, some can’t.
In the case of Indonesia, more often than not, onward tickets up to 60 days from the date of entry are accepted.
How to obtain proof of onward travel (i.e. an onward ticket)?
Smart travelers check the entry requirements of the country they are traveling to before going to the airport. Of course, check visa requirements but don’t overlook onward ticket preconditions.
If you suspect you may be asked for a return/onward ticket, it’s best to prepare it beforehand, although there are quick ways to sort it out cheaply at the airport too.
Actually have a ticket (even if you don’t intend to use it)
Any ticket from any point in the country to any point out of the country is eligible as proof of onward travel.
If you already have a ticket out of the country within your allowed duration of stay, even if it’s not back to your home country, you’re in the clear.
Some people advocate for buying cheap throwaway tickets to use as proof of onward travel. By throwaway, I mean a ticket that you don’t intend to use.
It works, of course, but there are cheaper alternatives with the same efficacy, so I am not a big fan of this.
Book a FREE cancellation ticket on Expedia.com (I use this)
Expedia offers free cancellation on flight tickets within 24 hours of booking them.
It must be on the “.com” site as the policy is a USA law by the Department of Transportation (check it here).
I’ve used this trick multiple times and it worked seamlessly every time. The refund was always in full, I incurred absolutely no charges or fees and the flight ticket is, of course, perfectly legit.
Note that not all flights are eligible for this 24-hour free cancellation. Low-cost airlines are NOT included. This means you may have to pay a bigger amount for an onward ticket but since it’s fully refundable, it doesn’t really matter.
Pay attention to the “Free Cancellation” note that appears under the payment bar on the website. Only if you see it, are you guaranteed a full refund.
If you cancel within 6 hours, the transaction never clears (stays pending) and is promptly reverted. Longer than that, and the refund takes a few days. Expedia support is also very helpful and prompt.
For an in-depth guide on how to book a fully refundable flight using Expedia.com, check this guide.
Book a dummy ticket (It’s legit but costs a little!)
Dozens of websites offer the so-called “dummy tickets”. Although this may sound dodgy, it isn’t.
Flight ticket reservation is a complex process. Plainly put, by buying a dummy ticket, you’re actually purchasing a “flight reservation”. It comes with a verifiable PNR code.
This is precisely what embassies suggest visa applicants do (i.e. make a flight reservation) when they apply for a visa and need to attach flight tickets but not buy them in full.
Many, many websites offer this service. One stands out because it issues the onward ticket instantly and is the cheapest out there at just 6$: FastOnwardTickets. This isn’t even an affiliate link: it is just the cheapest and since all such websites do the same thing, then price and speed are the only things that matter.
Can a dummy ticket be refused?
I’ve heard anecdotal evidence of dummy tickets being refused as proof of onward travel. I’ve also heard of hundreds of others who successfully use them daily to pass Immigration.
What gives?
This is my theory: some of the websites providing dummy ticket services will send you a ticket that looks super shabby. Just too plain and a bit dodgy. If the Immigration Officer has reasons to believe it’s not legit and doesn’t bother checking the PNR, they may conclude it’s a fake ticket.
If the PDF ticket you receive looks bad, take the PNR or the reservation number from the dummy ticket, go to the airline’s website, and retrieve your booking.
Then print/download your ticket. This will look much more official – in the airline’s layout and branding.
Create a fake ticket (It’s NOT legit!)
You may be tempted to use one of those fake ticket generators and present it as proof of onward travel. Dangerous!
While chances are that the check-in employee and then the Immigration Officer will just glance over it and let you through, there is also a slight chance that they check the PNR.
The check-in employee isn’t so scary – they don’t have actual legal powers. But if you’re caught lying to Immigration, the repercussions may be severe. You may face deportation and even a travel ban.
Yeah, they may just ask you to book a proper ticket then and there but I wouldn’t risk it.
Don’t use fake tickets.
Onward ticket requirements in Southeast Asia (my experience)
I’ve been to all countries in Southeast Asia, some of them multiple times. Yes, my experience is also just 1 person and has no statistical value but it may give you some idea.
I also follow many backpacker Facebook groups where people share their experiences when it comes to being asked for proof of onward travel.
All SEA countries officially require an onward ticket. The information presented below is purely how often the rule is enforced in practice.
Note that I carry a Bulgarian (EU) passport and as such, have some “strong passport entitlement” when it comes to onward ticket requirements.
| Country | Asked at check-in | Asked at Immigration |
|---|---|---|
| Brunei | Unlikely | Unlikely |
| Cambodia | Unlikely | Unlikely |
| Timor Leste | Unlikely | Unlikely |
| Indonesia | Almost always | Likely |
| Laos | Unlikely | Unlikely |
| Malaysia | Very unlikely | Very unlikely |
| The Philippines | Almost always | Almost always |
| Singapore | Unlikely | Never (e-Gates now) |
| Thailand | Likely | Likely |
| Vietnam | Unlikely (if you have a visa) Sometimes (if visa-exempt) | Unlikely |
Traveling long-term on a one-way ticket
Long-term backpacking when you want to go with the flow, be spontaneous and flexible, and change plans often is possible even with the dumb requirement for an onward ticket.
It is indeed a dumb rule. Not only is it enforced haphazardly but also very easily circumvented, as I showed you in the tips above. Just scrap these rules already!
My point is different though: traveling on a one-way ticket is amazing and minor inconveniences such as proving you will leave a country should not be enough to dissuade you.
Case in point – yours truly. Just go!
