Dummy ticket for transit visa: what your reservation must show

A dummy ticket for transit visa applications is a flight reservation that shows both halves of your journey: the flight into the connecting country and the flight out of it, in the same passport names. Some transit rules ask only for evidence of that onward journey, and a reservation shows it. Others ask for an issued ticket. Dubai's transit visa and China's transit (G) visa are two of those, and a held reservation does not meet their wording.

Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) makes the reservation for ₹699 per passenger, a booking held in the airline's system without paying the fare, with a PNR you can look up on the airline's website while the hold is live. It is not a paid ticket and cannot be used to board. This page covers the transit rules Indian passport holders meet most: the Schengen airport transit visa, the UK's two transit visas and the UAE's 48 and 96-hour transit visas. For a full visit visa rather than a stopover, see our Schengen visa and UK visa pages.

What a dummy ticket for transit visa files must show

It must show the flight that lands you in the connecting country and the flight that takes you out, with a layover that fits the transit visa you are applying for. The details an officer compares:

• Both flights on the same itinerary, in date order, with the connecting airport named
• Passenger names spelled exactly as in the passport on every leg
• A layover inside the limit: 48 hours for the UK's Visitor in Transit visa, 48 or 96 hours for the UAE transit visa
• A final destination for which you hold, or are applying for, the right visa

The UK's own guidance shows why this matters. Its visitor supporting-documents guide calls flight bookings "less useful as evidence" for ordinary visits, but makes an exception for passengers who are "transiting". For a transit application the flight plan is the point. Our UK flight ticket guide covers the visit-visa side.

One ticket or two: when you cross the border

Whether you pass immigration at the connecting airport usually decides which transit visa you need. On a single ticket, your bag is normally checked through to the final destination and you can often stay in the international transit area. On two separate tickets, you usually collect your bag, pass immigration and check in again, even if you never leave the building.

GOV.UK uses that exact case as its example of going "through UK border control": to "check in your luggage for a connecting flight". So if a two-ticket route through London means re-checking your bag, and your passport needs a UK transit visa, the Visitor in Transit visa is the one that fits, not the airside one. When you order, tell us whether your real journey will be one ticket or two, so the reservation matches it. A route of two flights costs ₹699 per passenger either way; our multi-city itinerary page explains the pricing for longer routes.

Schengen airport transit visa for Indian passport holders

Most Indian passport holders changing planes in the Schengen area do not need an airport transit visa (ATV). India is not on the EU-wide list, which covers 12 countries in Annex IV of the Visa Code. Individual states can add nationalities of their own. Germany dropped its ATV requirement for Indian nationals from 3 June 2026. The Commission's table of national requirements, dated 30 June 2026, shows Czechia and Romania still asking Indian nationals for one. Holders of certain visas or residence permits are exempt, so check the table against what is already in your passport.

Where an ATV is needed, the Visa Code's list of supporting documents names "tickets for onward journey" for transit applicants. That list gives examples, and the consulate decides what it wants. Check the Czech or Romanian consulate's own checklist before you rely on a reservation, and buy a refundable ticket if it asks for an issued one. An ATV covers only the international transit area. Leaving it, for example to change airports, needs a Schengen visa.

UK transit: Direct Airside Transit or Visitor in Transit

The difference is UK border control. GOV.UK's transit guidance says: "Apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa if you'll be changing flights in the UK and will not be going through UK border control." And: "Apply for a Visitor in Transit visa if you'll be going through UK border control but leaving the UK within 48 hours." As of September 2026, GOV.UK lists the Direct Airside Transit visa at £41.50 and the Visitor in Transit visa at £74.50. A stay of more than 48 hours needs a Standard Visitor visa. Whether your passport needs a transit visa at all depends on your nationality and the visas you already hold, so run GOV.UK's visa check for your route.

For evidence, the supporting-documents guide asks transit applicants to show that "your outward journey from the UK has been confirmed and is within 48 hours of arrival, for example travel booking confirmation". A reservation shows the route and the timing. It is not a paid ticket, though, and "confirmed" is most plainly met by an issued one. If you want no doubt on that point, a refundable ticket is the paid option.

Dubai and UAE transit visas: the airline applies, with a ticket

A UAE transit visa is for passengers who need to leave the airport during a connection. Dubai's GDRFA service page says it is issued for stays "not exceeding 48/96 hours", that "Applications should be submitted through approved airlines", and that the fee is AED 50 plus the provider's service fee (as of September 2026). The documents it lists are a photo, a passport "valid for at least six months" and "A flight ticket confirming onward travel".

That is ticket wording. A held reservation is not a ticket, so do not order one for a UAE transit visa. Buy your ticket, then apply through your airline or another approved provider; GDRFA names Emirates, flydubai and dnata among them. For other Gulf hubs, check the rules of the country you connect through and your airline's advice before you book. If your stop in Dubai is longer than a transit, our Dubai visa page covers the visit visa file.

Transit visa rules compared

The table sets out each case with what the official source says about the onward journey, and whether a held reservation meets that wording.

If your route is not in the table, read the transit page of the connecting country's immigration authority and your airline's travel advice. Our China visa page covers the tourist visa file, and proof of onward travel explains what airlines check at the first check-in desk.

Ordering a transit reservation

Order only for a rule that asks for evidence of the route, not an issued ticket. Then:

1. Enter the full route

   On the order form, give your origin, the connecting city and the final destination, your travel dates, and each name as in the passport. Put the connecting airport and the layover you need in the notes box. Our booking desk chooses the airline and flights, so the notes are a request, not a promise.

2. Pick the delivery date

   Answer "When do you want to receive it?" with the day before your appointment. A reservation is a temporary hold, and how long it stays live depends on the airline.

3. Pay

   UPI by QR code in India, then send the payment screenshot on WhatsApp. PayPal, debit card or credit card from anywhere else, about US$8.50 per passenger.

4. Check the PNR

   When the PDF arrives, typically 10–20 minutes after payment is confirmed, open the airline's Manage booking page and check the names, route, connection and dates. Our PNR check guide shows how.

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.