Dummy ticket for Canada visa: what IRCC's checklist asks for

A dummy ticket for Canada visa applications is optional. On its visitor visa apply page, IRCC lists "flight details" as one of the documents you can include under a recommended item called "Itinerary". Recommended is not mandatory, and IRCC does not ask for a paid ticket. What an officer weighs is your money and your ties to India.

The UK lists flight bookings as less useful evidence and the US tells applicants not to buy tickets. Canada, by contrast, names flight details in its own list of recommended documents, so this is where a reservation fits most naturally. The application form also asks you to "Enter the dates (From – To) that you plan to stay in Canada." A reservation gives those dates a route and a PNR without paying for a fare before you have a decision.

Do you need a flight ticket for a Canada visitor visa?

No. IRCC recommends flight details as one kind of itinerary evidence and does not ask for a ticket. On the visitor visa apply page, under "Recommended documents", the "Itinerary" item is described as "Documents that show how long you plan to stay and what you'll do in Canada." You can include copies of any of "flight details", "proof of accommodation" or "registration for an event". You do not need all three.

We found no Canada.ca visitor page that tells applicants not to buy tickets before a decision, and none that says a paid ticket is required. That leaves the choice with you. A paid ticket bought now puts the fare at risk if the visa is refused; a reservation shows the same route and dates without that risk. Our article on the flight itinerary for a Canada visitor visa compares the options in more detail.

What the officer weighs instead of a ticket

The officer is deciding whether you will leave Canada at the end of the visit and whether you can pay for it. IRCC's eligibility page asks applicants to show ties that will take them home and that they "have enough money for your stay". Guide 5256 puts it as money "to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home".

The form asks for a purpose of visit (Business, Tourism, Family Visit or Other), your dates, and the funds you have available, in Canadian dollars. The itinerary is there to make those answers concrete. A worked example: you plan three weeks in Toronto for your sister's wedding, 5 to 26 December 2026. The form dates read 5 to 26 December, the flight reservation shows flights on those dates, the wedding invitation covers the event, and your bank statements back the funds figure you typed in. A short cover letter can tie the pieces together.

The IRCC Portal builds a personalised document checklist from your answers, so yours may differ from someone else's. Follow your own checklist over any general list, this page included.

Applying from India: fee, portal and biometrics

You apply online, pay CAD 100 for the visitor visa and CAD 85 for biometrics, then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global centre. For a family of five or more applying together, the visa fee is capped at CAD 500 and biometrics at CAD 170. IRCC's fee-changes page lists no change to either fee in its 1 December 2025 update.

1. Apply in the IRCC Portal

   Answer the questions and upload the documents on your personalised checklist. Some first-time adult applicants applying alone use the "IRCC Portal - New version"; paper applications are for limited cases.

2. Pay the fees

   CAD 100 for the visa and CAD 85 for biometrics. First-time applicants pay the biometrics fee when they submit.

3. Give biometrics at a VFS Global centre

   IRCC's visa application centre finder listed ten cities in India in September 2026: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. Check the finder for the live list.

4. Wait for the decision

   IRCC's estimate from India was 32 days on 22 September 2026.

5. Send your passport

   If approved, you submit your passport so the visa can be placed in it. You cannot travel before that.

A visitor visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. The officer decides the validity and whether it is single or multiple entry, so do not plan on a 10-year visa until you see it.

Canada visa processing time from India

IRCC's estimate for a visitor visa applied for from India was 32 days on 22 September 2026. IRCC updates the figure weekly. Its wording is that the estimate "includes the time it takes to give your biometrics", and that it starts on the day IRCC receives your complete application and ends when it makes a decision.

If you hold an Indian passport and apply from the Gulf, the estimate was far longer than from India in September 2026. These are estimates, not promises; check IRCC's processing times tool in the week you apply. Because the clock stops at the decision, allow extra time after it for sending your passport and getting it back with the visa.

Super visa for parents and grandparents

The super visa lets a parent or grandparent visit children or grandchildren who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians, and stay for 5 years at a time. The super visa page (modified 6 July 2026) says it gives multiple entries for up to 10 years and starts from CAD 100.

The eligibility page asks for private health insurance "valid for a minimum of 1 year from the date of entry", from a Canadian insurer or an approved insurer outside Canada. The host must meet IRCC's minimum necessary income; the eligibility page does not print the amounts, so check the current figures and insurance conditions on IRCC's super visa pages before you apply. You cannot include dependants in a super visa application. For shorter family trips, see our family visit visa guide.

Business visitors use the same visitor visa

An Indian passport holder going to Canada for meetings or a trade fair applies for the visitor visa and chooses "Business" as the purpose on the form. IRCC's business visitor page describes business visitors as people who stay "for a few days or a few weeks to attend meetings or an event". Listed activities include "going to meetings, conferences, conventions or trade fairs" and "taking orders for goods or services".

The same page lists what to have: a valid visitor visa if you need one, "letters of support from your parent company, and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host business", and proof of enough money for your stay and your return home. If you plan to stay more than 6 months or to work in Canada, you may need a work permit instead; see our work visa page. The business visa page covers business trips to other countries.

Adding a dummy ticket for a Canada visa file

If you want flight details for the itinerary item, Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) books a reservation in the airline's reservation system for the names, route and dates you give. It carries a PNR you can look up on the airline's "Manage booking" page while the hold is live, and arrives as a PDF by email or WhatsApp, typically 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed. It costs ₹699 per passenger, one-way or return, and up to 9 passengers can travel on one itinerary. It is a reservation, not a paid ticket, and it cannot be used to board.

A trip with several stops, such as New Delhi to Toronto and then Toronto to Vancouver, is priced at ₹699 per two flights, per passenger; the multi-city itinerary page explains how legs are counted, and the price list covers flight and hotel combinations.

1. Enter your route, dates and names

   Use the same dates you will put in the "From – To" fields, and each passenger's name exactly as printed in the passport.

2. Choose when to receive it

   The form asks "When do you want to receive it?". Pick the day before you plan to submit the application, not weeks ahead, because a reservation is a temporary hold and how long it stays live depends on the airline.

3. Pay by UPI, PayPal or card

   UPI in India, then send the payment screenshot on WhatsApp; PayPal, debit or credit card from anywhere else.

4. Check the PNR before you upload it

   Open the airline's website, enter the booking reference and surname, and confirm the details. Our PNR check guide has the steps.

When your dates are settled, the booking form takes one order for the whole family on a single itinerary. For other destinations, including those where a flight document is a stated requirement, see our visa guides by country.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed 27 September 2026 by the DTV Editorial Team. 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.