Do We Really Need to Show Confirmed Hotel Bookings and Flight Reservations for Visa Application?

 

Now, this is a bit tricky.

Though they mention on their websites, not to book the confirmed flight tickets but ask for the confirmation proof.

To get a Schengen visa, it is mandatory to show Confirmed Flight Tickets and Accommodation Bookings for your entire duration of travel and stay in the Schengen region.

The safest option is to book fully refundable flights on your credit card and cancel to rebook the cheaper flights once you get your visa.

Fully refundable flights, of course, are way more expensive than their non-refundable counterparts but keep you safe from any losses and then no one can question its authenticity.

The ticket hold option for a free or minimal fee or using award miles by airline companies can be used.

But, they can hold tickets minimum for a day and maximum for a week. So, it’s quite risky if your visa processing takes more than a week’s time.

Which option did we choose?

We paid a little amount of money to a travel agent and got our flight or travel itinerary.

Flight Itinerary is like a detailed plan of the flights to the Schengen area.

The document shows the chosen airline with a flight name, your name, a valid flight reservation number or booking ID, arrival and departure date and airport codes, as well as the price.

There are a couple of online visa booking sites too that provide flight and hotel itinerary for a little amount of service fee.

You can go ahead with the same flights once you get the visa and your money is adjusted in the total flight amount or you can plan to book different flights. Here, the loss is minimal.

For accommodations, we can use  https://www.schengenvisaitinerary.com/ to book hotels, cancelled them, and booked Flight Ticket when we get the visa.

Schengen Visa Itinerary lets you book hotels and cancel them nearer to your date of stay without a fee.

Proof of accommodation:

Hotel booking confirmation containing the complete name and contact information of the hotel with the hotel voucher.

In some cases, you are required to show CONFIRMED Hotel Bookings for each and every city/country you are visiting in the Schengen region.

Norway embassy asks for confirmed hotel booking only in Norway.

Having an invitation letter from one of your friends or relatives staying in the country you are applying to adds power to your visa application. You just don’t need to show any hotel bookings in that case.

We use Schengen Visa Itinerary for all our accommodation needs in India, or abroad. Schengen Visa Itinerary gives you the flexibility to book now and pay later and doesn’t charge the cancellation fee. Isn’t that awesome! And, Schengen Visa Itinerary is the best option if you’re traveling with kids (more space and freedom). Plus, it offers an authentic experience of living like a local! And also offers affordable Travel Insurance to complete your visa requirements.