PNR vs e-ticket number: what a visa file needs

PNR vs e-ticket number: the line between them is payment. The PNR, opened with a short booking code, exists as soon as a flight is reserved. The e-ticket number, 13 digits long, exists only after the fare is paid and the airline issues a ticket. A reservation held for a visa file has the first and not the second, and a checklist that asks for a "flight reservation" is asking for the first.

PNR vs e-ticket number: the two codes compared

A PNR, or passenger name record, is the booking record in a reservation system: the passenger names, the flights, contact details and a ticketing element. You never see the record itself. You see its record locator, a code that is usually six letters and numbers, printed as "Booking reference" or "PNR". The guide to what a PNR in a flight ticket is covers where to find it and who can see it.

An e-ticket number belongs to a ticket, not to a booking. It has 13 digits and starts with the airline's 3-digit code. It is created only when the airline issues the ticket, which happens once the fare is paid or miles are redeemed.

What each code looks like on your documents

You can tell a reservation from a ticket by reading the document. An e-ticket itinerary receipt carries the ticket number together with the fare and tax details, fare restrictions, the form of payment, the issuing office and the baggage allowance. A reservation itinerary shows the booking reference, the names and the flights, and has no ticket number because none exists.

A worked example: say your PDF reads "Booking reference: 7QX4LM" above your name and a Delhi to Paris flight, and there is no line labelled "Ticket number" or "E-ticket". That is a reservation. A receipt for a paid ticket on the same flight would add a 13-digit number beginning with the airline's 3-digit code, and the amount paid. A sample dummy ticket shows the reservation layout.

Why a held reservation has a PNR and no e-ticket number

A held reservation has no e-ticket number because booking and ticketing are separate steps, and a hold stops after the first one. Saving a booking creates the PNR. Every PNR also needs a ticketing element: a ticket number if the fare has been paid, or a ticketing time limit, the deadline by which the airline expects payment before it may cancel the booking.

A flight reservation from Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) stops at that first step: PNR created, ticketing deadline set, no fare paid, so no ticket number. How long the hold lasts is set by the airline and the fare rules, not by one industry figure, and the airline can cancel it earlier. That is why we suggest receiving the reservation one day before you need it and checking it on the airline's website before you submit it.

An airline's own fare hold, sold by some airlines for a fee, works the same way. The fare is kept for a while, but the ticket number appears only when you pay the fare before the hold runs out. Holding a flight without payment compares those options.

What your visa file needs

For the Schengen checklists quoted here, the PNR is what is asked for, not the ticket number. The EU Visa Code lists a "reservation of or return or round ticket" among the documents a consulate may ask for (EU Visa Code, Annex II). The German missions in India ask for a "flight reservation" on their checklist for family and friends visits, and add that "A booked flight ticket does not result in a preferred processing of the application." The Swiss tourist checklist for India also asks for a flight reservation with the names of all travellers. A dummy ticket with PNR matches that wording.

Some visas do not need a flight booking at all. For a UK Standard Visitor visa, the Home Office lists flight bookings, unless you are transiting, among the evidence that is "less useful" (Home Office guide to supporting documents). The UK visa flight ticket guide explains when people still include one.

A few rules ask for a paid ticket, and the ones quoted here are arrival rules rather than visa checklists. Immigration New Zealand tells visa-waiver travellers: "Your onward tickets must be paid for before your travel." (Immigration New Zealand). A held reservation does not meet that wording; a paid fare with an e-ticket number does. Indian passport holders are not on New Zealand's visa-waiver list and apply for a visitor visa instead, as the New Zealand onward ticket guide explains.

What it means at check-in and boarding

At check-in, a reservation without a ticket cannot be used to board. The check-in agent issues a boarding pass against an issued ticket, and the e-ticket number is the record that the fare was paid. However live the PNR is, a booking with no ticket number will not get you onto the plane.

If you used a reservation in your visa file and the visa is granted, buy your ticket for the trip separately before you fly. The guide on whether you can travel with a dummy ticket covers what happens at the counter. The same point applies to proof of onward travel on arrival: an airline or officer who wants to see a ticket out of the country is entitled to ask for one, and a reservation may not satisfy them.

When a document shows a ticket number but nothing was paid

A 13-digit ticket number on a document is a statement that a ticket was issued, which means a fare was paid or miles were redeemed. Some providers sell a higher-priced tier described as "with e-ticket number". Before paying for one, ask whether a real ticket is being bought in your name, and on what fare rules.

A ticket number printed on a PDF with no issued ticket behind it describes something that does not exist, which is the same problem as a generated dummy ticket. A reservation from DTV has no e-ticket number, because no ticket has been issued, and it is never presented as a paid ticket.

If your checklist asks for a ticket number

For the first column, a reservation from the booking page costs ₹699 per passenger and arrives as a PDF with a PNR you can check yourself. For the second, buy a paid fare. A refundable one limits your loss if plans change, though what you get back and when depends on the fare rules; dummy ticket vs refundable ticket compares the cost.

Before you submit your file

• Read your checklist's exact words: "reservation" or "itinerary" calls for a PNR, while "paid" or "ticketed" calls for an e-ticket number.
• Open the PNR on the airline's Manage booking page with the surname as booked; the PNR check steps explain what to look for.
• Expect to see your name and flights and no e-ticket number while the booking is unticketed. Display varies by airline.
• If any document shows a ticket number, make sure a paid ticket stands behind it.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Visa rules change and consulates apply them differently, so confirm the current requirements with the embassy, consulate or official visa application centre before you apply.