A dummy hotel booking for a visa is a hotel reservation voucher from Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) for the city, check-in date and check-out date you enter. It costs US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel, per passenger, added to a flight reservation order, so a flight plus one hotel is US$30 (₹2,400). Schengen files ask for proof of accommodation; a UK visitor file does not, so check your own checklist before you order.
- DTV's hotel voucher costs US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel, per passenger, and is added to a flight reservation order: US$30 (₹2,400) per passenger for a flight plus one hotel.
- Article 14 of the EU Visa Code asks Schengen applicants for documents on accommodation; the UK Home Office calls hotel bookings "less useful as evidence".
- DTV does not publish how many nights one voucher covers or how long it stays live, so ask on WhatsApp before ordering for a long stay or several cities.
- If you are staying with a host, submit what your checklist asks for about private accommodation, not a hotel voucher.
- Check-in at the first hotel should match the day your flight lands, and check-out at the last hotel the day your flight home leaves.
On this page
- What the dummy hotel booking for visa shows
- Which visas ask for proof of accommodation
- How many nights and cities your proof of accommodation should cover
- Staying with family or friends instead of a hotel
- The free route: a refundable hotel you cancel yourself
- Matching your hotel dates to your flight reservation
- How to add a hotel to your order
- India-specific scenarios
- A night-by-night example
- Your hotel questions, answered by trip type
- Hotel proof checklist, printable version
- Matching hotels to a multi-city trip
- Free-cancellation bookings you make yourself: a safe routine
A dummy hotel booking for a visa is a hotel reservation voucher for the city, check-in date and check-out date you enter on our order form. Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) charges US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel, per passenger, added to a flight reservation order, so a flight plus one hotel costs US$30 (₹2,400) per passenger. It gives you proof of accommodation for the file without paying for a stay before you know the visa outcome.
First check that your checklist asks for accommodation at all. Schengen files do. A UK visitor visa file does not, and the Home Office lists hotel bookings among documents that are "less useful as evidence". The table below shows what several other checklists say.
We do not publish how many nights one voucher can cover, how long the booking stays live, or how it can be checked. For a long stay or a trip through several cities, message us on WhatsApp with your dates before you order.
What the dummy hotel booking for visa shows
The voucher shows the city, the check-in date and the check-out date you type into the form, for the passengers on your order. It comes as a PDF by email or WhatsApp, typically 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed, or on the date you pick under "When do you want to receive it?". Weekends, holidays and busy periods can add delay. To see the layout first, open the hotel booking sample PDF, a six-night Barcelona stay with the guest details removed.
It is a hotel reservation voucher, not a paid stay. If an officer or the visa centre asks, call it a hotel reservation. Never describe it as a room you have paid for, and never edit the PDF to change a date or a name. If something is wrong, message us on WhatsApp with your order ID.
A voucher supports a file. It does not replace proof of funds, a clear purpose of travel or ties to home, and no single document decides a visa. We cannot tell you how a particular consulate reads or checks a hotel booking; our guide on whether embassies verify hotel bookings sets out what is publicly known.
Which visas ask for proof of accommodation
Schengen visas ask for it; many other visas do not. Article 14 of the EU Visa Code asks applicants for documents on the purpose of the trip, accommodation, means of subsistence and their intention to leave. Outside Schengen the wording changes from one checklist to the next.
| Visa | What the official list says | Is a hotel voucher useful? |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen short-stay visa | Documents on accommodation (Visa Code, Art. 14) | Yes, unless you stay with a host |
| Ireland short-stay visa | A holiday plan with accommodation reservations showing dates | Yes |
| Japan tourist visa | "Itinerary in Japan (including hotel information, contact information while in Japan)" | Yes, for the hotel details on the itinerary |
| South Korea tourist visa | "Confirmation of Accommodation (Refundable)" | Read the note below first |
| China tourist (L) visa | "Tour Itinerary; hotel order", plus an invitation letter "when necessary" | Yes |
| UAE tourist visa through Emirates | "A confirmed hotel reservation for the duration of your stay" or a family tenancy contract | Ask us on WhatsApp first |
| UK Standard Visitor visa | Hotel bookings are "less useful as evidence" | Optional |
| Singapore visa | No hotel document in the published list | Not needed to apply |
Two rows need care. Korea's list asks for accommodation that is "refundable", and a free-cancellation booking you make yourself matches that word directly, so read the free route below before ordering from us. The UAE line is Emirates' own rule, not a government checklist, and it asks for the whole stay to be covered, so send us your dates first. Our country-by-country guide to hotel bookings covers more destinations, and the Schengen hotel booking guide goes deeper on Schengen files.
How many nights and cities your proof of accommodation should cover
Cover every night from the day you land to the day you fly home, with one hotel for each city you sleep in. Your hotel dates should agree with the dates on your application form, your flight reservation and your travel insurance, so a run of nights with no hotel leaves a question in the file.
Say you land in Paris on 10 October, take the train to Rome on the 14th and fly home from Rome on the 20th. That is two hotels: Paris from 10 to 14 October, and Rome from 14 to 20 October. The flights are Delhi to Paris and Rome to Delhi, which is a multi-city reservation at US$15 (₹1,200) for the two flights. With two hotels at US$15 (₹1,200) each, one traveller pays US$45 (₹3,600).
| Trip | What you order | Total |
|---|---|---|
| One traveller, one city | Return flight + 1 hotel | ₹2,400 |
| One traveller, Paris then Rome | 2 flights (multi-city) + 2 hotels | ₹3,600 |
| Couple, one city | Return flight + 1 hotel, 2 passengers | ₹4,800 |
| Family of four, Paris then Rome | 2 flights + 2 hotels, 4 passengers | ₹14,400 |
We do not publish a limit on nights per voucher. For a long stay, or three or more cities, message us on WhatsApp with the plan before you pay, and the booking desk will tell you how to lay out the order. Other combinations are worked out on the price page.
Staying with family or friends instead of a hotel
If you will stay with a host, submit what your checklist asks for about private accommodation, not a hotel voucher. A hotel booking for a stay you will not make puts two different addresses in one file, and the officer has to guess which one is true.
Checklists name the host's document in different ways. Ireland's list has a heading for an invitation letter, and China's tourist list asks for one "when necessary". Our guide to the invitation letter for visa covers what the host should write, and what counts as proof of accommodation covers the other forms it can take.
A split trip needs both. If you spend five nights with a cousin in Munich and three nights in a Vienna hotel, the host's letter covers Munich and one hotel voucher covers Vienna, with dates that meet on the day you move.
The free route: a refundable hotel you cancel yourself
You can get proof of accommodation for free by booking a room on a free-cancellation or pay-at-the-property rate and cancelling it before the deadline. The Italian Embassy in New Delhi points applicants this way. Its visa page says "You are invited thus to seek for refundable tickets and hotel bookings", because the embassy accepts no responsibility for money lost if a visa is refused or delayed.
Works well when
- You cancel in time, so it costs nothing.
- The checklist asks for a refundable booking, as Korea's does.
- You only need one or two hotels.
Falls short when
- The platform wants a card to hold the room and you would rather not give one.
- You miss the cancellation deadline and the card is charged.
- Several cities mean several bookings and several deadlines to track.
Our guide to a hotel reservation for visa without payment walks through the free routes step by step. DTV's US$15 (₹1,200) voucher is the paid option for when you would rather not put a card on a booking or watch a deadline. Either way, once the visa is issued, book and pay for the hotels you will actually stay in.
Matching your hotel dates to your flight reservation
Check-in at the first hotel should be the day your flight lands, and check-out at the last hotel should be the day your flight home leaves. In between, each check-out should fall on the same day as the next check-in, in the next city on your route.
Then read the dates across the whole file: the application form, the travel insurance and the cover letter should give the same entry and exit dates. If you order the flight and hotel together, the form shows both on one screen before you pay. Our flight and hotel booking page walks through the cross-check city by city.
How to add a hotel to your order
A hotel is added in step 4 of the order form, after the passenger, contact and flight details. It costs US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel for each passenger on the order.
Enter passengers and flights
Names exactly as in the passport, date of birth and nationality for up to 9 passengers, then your one-way, return or multi-city flights with dates.
Click "Add a hotel"
Enter the city, check-in date and check-out date. Click it again for each extra city. The fare summary shows the new total as you go.
Choose the delivery date and pay
Answer "When do you want to receive it?" and pick email or WhatsApp. Pay by UPI in India and send the payment screenshot on WhatsApp, or pay by PayPal or card from outside India, where each ₹1,200 item is charged at a flat US$15.
Orders are final once the documents are issued: non-refundable and non-transferable, whatever the visa outcome. If your dates change, message us on WhatsApp with your order ID and we will tell you the quickest way to get documents for the new dates. The refund policy has the full terms. When your checklist and dates are settled, start your order.
- Your checklist asks for proof of accommodation
- One hotel per city, covering every night of the stay
- First check-in on the day you land, last check-out on the day you fly home
- Names typed exactly as in the passport
- Long stays or three or more cities: asked on WhatsApp before paying
India-specific scenarios
Honeymoon in Europe
A couple from Lucknow plan nine nights across Paris, Switzerland and Venice. They book three hotel reservations, an open-jaw flight reservation, and a day plan with the train legs. Both names appear on each hotel booking.
Parents visiting a student in Germany
A father and mother from Kolkata visit their daughter in Munich for three weeks. She lives in a shared flat and cannot host them. They book a hotel near her flat for the full stay and include her enrolment letter.
Group tour with friends
Six friends from Jaipur travel together. One lead booker manages all the hotels. Each traveller's application carries the same hotel confirmation, which shows the number of guests, and a short note saying who is travelling.
Pilgrimage or religious tour
Tour operators often provide hotel lists. Ask the operator for confirmations with your name rather than a generic list.
A night-by-night example
Arjun, a software tester from Noida, plans a 10-night Schengen trip.
| Night | City | Accommodation | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Amsterdam | Hotel near Centraal | Hotel reservation |
| 4–5 | Brussels | Hotel near the station | Hotel reservation |
| 6–9 | Paris | Friend's apartment | Invitation letter and friend's residence permit copy |
| 10 | Paris | Hotel near the airport (early flight) | Hotel reservation |
His flight reservation is Delhi to Amsterdam and Paris to Delhi. The train legs are in his day plan. Every night is covered once, and the friend's letter covers nights 6–9. Because he spends the most nights in France, he would usually apply to France.
Your hotel questions, answered by trip type
Short business trip
One hotel near the meeting venue, matching the invitation dates, is enough.
Cruise from a European port
Nights on the ship are covered by the cruise booking. Show hotels for the nights before and after the cruise.
Road trip by rental car
Book hotels for each overnight stop, and include the car rental confirmation in your file.
Hotel proof checklist, printable version
- Every night from arrival to departure accounted for.
- Hotel name, full address and phone on each confirmation.
- Guest names that match passports.
- Correct number of adults and children.
- Dates that follow the flight reservation.
- Budget that fits your funds.
- Free-cancellation deadlines noted, if you booked yourself.
- Host letters and ID copies for any nights with family or friends.
- City order that matches your day plan.
- A copy saved on your phone for the border.
Matching hotels to a multi-city trip
For a trip with several cities, list each night and the city you will sleep in. Then make sure each night is covered by a booking or an invitation letter.
| Night | City | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Paris | Hotel reservation |
| 4–5 | Brussels | Hotel reservation |
| 6–8 | Amsterdam | Friend's invitation letter and address |
| 9 | Amsterdam | Hotel reservation before early flight |
Check-in on the arrival day and check-out on the departure day avoids gaps.
Free-cancellation bookings you make yourself: a safe routine
Many applicants prefer to book hotels themselves with free cancellation. That is a genuine option. Do it safely:
- Filter for free cancellation and read the deadline carefully. Some deadlines are days before arrival, and some are in the hotel's local time.
- Avoid "pay now" non-refundable rates.
- Use a card with good dispute protection, and do not save card details on unfamiliar sites.
- Put the cancellation deadline in your calendar.
- If your visa is approved and you are happy with the hotel, keep the booking.
If you would rather not handle cancellations, a reservation from us at US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel avoids the card hold.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a hotel voucher without a flight reservation?
Not through the order form. The form adds hotels in step 4, after the flight details, and prices them at US$15 (₹1,200) per hotel, per passenger on top of the flight reservation. If you already hold a flight booking and need only the hotel voucher, message us on WhatsApp with your cities and dates before you pay, and the booking desk will tell you what is possible.
Can I get the hotel voucher on the day of my VFS appointment?
It typically arrives 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed, but weekends, holidays and busy periods can slow that down. Do not leave it to the morning of the appointment. Set "When do you want to receive it?" to the day before, so you have time to print it and check the dates against your form. Our delivery times page has the details.
What should I do with the voucher once my visa is issued?
Book and pay for the hotels you will actually stay in. The voucher did its job in the application; your real booking is for the trip. Keep the real stay close to the plan you applied with, and for a Schengen visa keep the same main destination, as our guide to main destination or first entry explains.
Will the consulate call the hotel to check my booking?
We cannot tell you how a particular consulate or officer checks a file, and we do not publish how our hotel booking can be verified. Our guide on whether embassies verify hotel bookings sets out what is publicly known. Whatever you submit, describe it as a hotel reservation, never as a stay you have paid for.
Do I get my money back if the visa is refused?
No. Orders are final once the flight reservation and hotel voucher have been issued, and they are non-refundable and non-transferable whatever the visa outcome. If you think the application may be delayed, pick a later delivery date on the form rather than ordering early. The refund policy has the full terms.
Do I need a hotel booking for a UK visitor visa?
No. It is not a required document, and the Home Office guide to supporting documents lists hotel bookings among documents that are "less useful as evidence". A short itinerary naming where you plan to stay is enough if you want to show your plans. Our UK visitor visa documents checklist covers what carries more weight, such as funds and ties to home.
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (EU Visa Code), consolidated text of 28 June 2024, Article 14
- Embassy of Italy in New Delhi: visas for foreign nationals
- GOV.UK: guide to supporting documents, visiting the UK
- Irish Immigration Service: how to apply for a short stay 'C' visit or tourist visa
- BLS International, Korea visa for India: tourist visa checklist
- VFS Global, Japan visa for India: tourism visa checklist (PDF)
- Embassy of China in India: visa application notice
- Emirates: UAE visa information
Last updated by Girish A. Visa requirements change, so confirm the current checklist with the embassy, consulate or official application centre before you apply. A reservation supports a visa file and cannot guarantee a visa decision.