Solved: Proof of Onward Travel for One-Way Flights

What happens if you book a one-way flight to another country without a return ticket?

For many digital nomads, this question represents a real quandary. A December 2024 thread on the topic garnered 200 responses on the Reddit forum r/digitalnomad. 

To answer the question, I’ve had this experience many times. Like many nomads in my position, I like to keep an open-ended travel schedule, and I prefer to book my flight out of the country only when I’m ready to move on (or my 90-day tourist visa expires). 

In this article, we’ll review onward departure requirements, as well as how you can use onward ticket providers to maintain your flexibility at a low cost. 

What is onward travel?

Many countries require proof of onward travel before allowing you to enter. That is, you must demonstrate that you plan to leave at some point, typically by providing evidence of a flight out of the country (an international bus or rail ticket may also be accepted). 

Over forty countries maintain some sort of onward travel requirement on the books, although it isn’t always enforced. Passports from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the E.U. member states are considered less risky, and often don’t attract as much scrutiny from border officials. That said, there’s a good chance that you will need proof of onward travel in these countries:

Proof of onward departure and proof of accommodation are also essential requirements for most digital nomad visas, if you choose to apply for one.

When you need to present proof of onward travel 

In practice, onward departure requirements are usually enforced by the airlines. They are responsible for returning passengers who are turned away at the border, so it’s in their interest to ensure that everything goes smoothly before allowing you to board.

More than once, I’ve gone to check-in or drop off my luggage at the counter, only to have an airline clerk ask to see my onward flight. Another time, the gate agent at JetBlue wanted to see a return ticket before letting me board a flight to Mexico (they let me on after a call to the supervisor). 

The official stamping your passport at migration can also ask to see proof of a return flight, although this is less common in my experience. I’ve only had it happen once or twice, but the bottom line is that you should be prepared to show your return ticket to both the airline and the migration officers. 

Onward ticket sites

One way to get around these pesky onward travel requirements (without actually buying a return ticket) is to use an onward ticket site. 

In exchange for a small fee, these services will create a temporary flight reservation that you can show for onward travel purposes. The itineraries contain real flights, complete with confirmation numbers. After a specified period of time, usually 48 hours, the booking automatically expires. 

Here are my recommendations for reliable onward ticket sites that you can use for visa purposes: 

Buying an onward ticket

The buying process on the onward ticket site is pretty straightforward. You input the date and destination that you want for your ‘return’ flight, and a PDF with your itinerary is delivered via email. Usually the site chooses your flight automatically, although BestOnwardticket allows you to specify a certain route.

In any event,  I typically receive the message within minutes, although some low-cost sites may take up to several hours to book your ticket. 

Additional options may include the ability to specify an activation date for your ticket, as well as extend it beyond the typically 48-hour period. A few sites, including OneWayFly and Top Onward Ticket, also include a proof of accommodation option. 

Are onward ticket sites legit?

I’ve used services such as Onward Ticket and BestOnwardticket on numerous occasions with zero issues. The email PDF arrives within minutes; a few times, I’ve even purchased the ticket right at the check-in counter.

Occasionally, the service might give you a strange itinerary – say, Lima to Miami via a layover in Bolivia (the migration official in Peru expressed surprise at that circuitous route, but ultimately didn’t question it). 

The only risk is that, technically speaking, onward ticket sites don’t actually purchase the flight. Instead, they create a hold for a real reservation, similar to how credit card transactions show as “pending” before they clear. A skeptical official could (in theory) check if the ticket has been issued, but I’ve never had this happen. 

Alternatives to onward ticket sites

Many readers would point out that you can simply buy a refundable flight, which is true. Many carriers allow you to get your money back with no additional fee. However, for a forgetful person such as myself, this is a dangerous proposition. The beauty of the temporary onward ticket is that you set it and forget it, while you need to remember to cancel the onward ticket. Moreover, I have no interest in going through the process to obtain a refund, which is doubly difficult if you book with a non-American airline. 

What you choose to do is up to you. Those looking to save time will likely favor an onward ticket site, while travelers who prioritize money can book a refundable flight.