Obtaining Flight Information for Your Itinerary
Get a flight reservation to avoid paying the full ticket fare. Most visa applications will require you to submit proof that you’ve made a reservation for both arriving and departing from your destination, but this doesn’t mean you have to pay the price of a full ticket. Many airlines offer flight reservations at a fraction of the price of a full ticket, so check their websites to see if they offer this service. Flight reservations are also sometimes called dummy tickets, which are acceptable for a number of visa applications, including the Schengen visa. These reservations are officially booked with an airline, so the airline will have a record of your transaction. You can also look into using a reputable third-party service online to make legitimate flight reservations. Forged dummy tickets are illegal, so be careful when booking with third parties. It’s easy for officials to check to see if a dummy ticket is legitimate, and if you’re caught, your application will be denied.
Purchase a refundable ticket if you’re willing to spend more upfront. Refundable tickets tend to be much more expensive than non-refundable tickets, but if your visa is denied, you’ll be able to get your money back. Airlines are required by law to process refunds within 7 days after you cancel your ticket. The additional cost of a refundable ticket can be very high. In some cases, a refundable ticket costs twice as much as a standard one. Although it might be tempting to refund your ticket when your visa is approved, then purchase a standard ticket, you may run into some trouble. If your original flight sells out, you won’t be able to travel on the same flight that you told the visa consulate about, which can raise some questions with officials upon your arrival.
Hold a ticket with an airline if you can process your visa quickly. All airlines are required to allow you to hold a ticket without paying for it for 24 hours, but some, like United, allow you to pay a fee to hold your ticket up for up to 14 days. Holding a ticket for a few days if you are able to quickly process your visa is a great option. Keep in mind that visas to some areas, like the EU, generally take 15 days for a decision (and potentially even longer). If the country you’re trying to travel to can process visas faster than this, then holding the ticket with the airline can be a great option. For tickets purchased through award points, you may be able to hold your ticket for a longer period of time than if you were paying with cash. Check your airline’s policy.
Hold a ticket with a travel agency for an insider’s advantage. Many travel agents have the ability to hold tickets for longer than normal customers, and by submitting the information for your held tickets with your visa application, you can apply without worrying about having to pay full price for a trip that might be canceled. Shopping around with different travel agencies is a good way to ensure you can pick one with the best solution. Ask them if they have experience with holding tickets for visa applications and how they can best help you through the process.
Getting Lodging Information for Your Itinerary
Purchase a refundable hotel reservation to protect your wallet. It’s pretty common to find hotels or hostels with policies that allow you to cancel a reservation for a full refund, so booking a room at one of these locations can save you money if your visa application falls through. Be sure to read the fine print of any hotel reservation you make. Some third-party sites for booking hotel rooms will advertise a room as being refundable even when it isn’t.
Ask a friend for their address if they’re hosting you. If you’re staying with friends or family instead of with a hotel, you’ll need to include this information in your travel itinerary. Be prepared to list your host’s full address for your application. Some visa applications, including the Schengen visa, also require you to provide a letter from your friend or family member where they officially invite you to stay with them. This letter should also include information about your relationship with the host, as well as who will be responsible for covering the costs of your stay.
Book a non-refundable reservation if you have a great deal. Some hotels and hostels will offer cheaper prices if your booking is non-refundable. Although it’s still generally a better idea to book a refundable reservation in case your application falls through, if a deal is too good to pass up, it might be worth considering.
Putting Together Your Itinerary
Gather your flight and lodging information. For your application, you’ll need to provide copies of your flight reservation confirmation and your hotel booking information, but you’ll also need to include this information in your itinerary. In a Word or Excel document, enter the details of when you’ll be arriving and leaving, as well as where you’ll be spending each night.
Print out any train or ferry tickets if you’re leaving on one. If you’re arriving or departing via train or another mode of transportation instead of a flight, having a pre-paid ticket printed out for your departure will help you meet one of the most important requirements of the visa application process, the proof of return or onward travel.
Create a daily schedule with planned activities. Although the most important parts of your itinerary are your travel and lodging information, including some notes on what you plan on doing during your stay can be a helpful part of your application. You can be pretty generic about your plans. For example, you might say something like: June 6th: Arriving to Berlin in the morning, going to Reichstag in afternoon, returning to AirBnB at night. June 7th: Going to Markthalle in morning, tour at Tiergarten in afternoon, and to Berghain at night.
Submit your itinerary with your application. Along with your visa application, provide your local consulate with copies of your flight reservation/dummy booking, receipts for your hotel stay or a letter from a host that you plan on staying with, as well as your daily itinerary of planned activities.
Wait for a decision on your application. Different consulates have different processing times for visas, which can change depending on how busy the consulate is. For example, the typical processing time for a Schengen area visa is 15 days. If the consulate needs to examine your documents in more detail, it could take up to 30 or even 60 days to hear back. If you’re denied a visa, many countries, including those from the Schengen area, will inform you of the reasons for this decision. You’ll then have a chance to submit an appeal to try and change the decision.
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