One of the questions applicants ask most often: “Do I have to buy the ticket before the visa is issued?” The short answer: no.
A reservation, not a purchase
At the application stage, what is expected is to show that your travel plan is consistent, not that you have paid for the ticket. If the visa is refused, the ticket fee you paid is at risk. So making a reservation is enough.
The accommodation side
- The reservation must cover all travel days; there should be no gaps.
- The name on the reservation must match the name in your passport.
- If several cities are visited, accommodation must be shown for each city.
- If you will stay with a relative, invitation and address documents are submitted instead of a hotel.
Date consistency is the most critical point
Flight dates, accommodation dates, the validity period of your travel health insurance and the dates you state in the application form must match one another. Even a one-day difference appears as an inconsistency in the file.
We explained how the insurance should cover these dates in our article on travel health insurance.
A day-by-day travel plan
Especially in tourist applications, a short programme (which city on which day, planned activities) strengthens the file. It does not have to be long; it is enough for it to be realistic and consistent with the reservations.