A dummy ticket, also called an onward ticket, is a real PNR booked for visa or border-check purposes without paying for the flight. If you're flying to Addis Ababa (ADD) on a one-way booking, an airline can ask for one at check-in. Your fix depends on the time you have left. Find your window below, then act.

If you have more than a week

This is the easy case. Use the time.

First, read the official entry information for your passport. UK travellers can use the UK government's Ethiopia travel advice, and others should use their own government's page. Ethiopia's visa arrangements differ by nationality, and they're separate from the question of onward proof.

Second, decide how you'll really leave. Flying out of Addis? Crossing a land border? Your onward booking should look like your plan, even if the plan changes later.

Also check the basics that break bookings later. Your name must match the passport line for line. Your dates must sit inside the stay you'll declare. Your booking should be one you can pull up without a phone call to anyone.

Action: write down your exit route and date, then book the onward reservation about three days before you fly.

If you have 24 to 72 hours

Book now. Don't wait for a quieter moment.

You need a reservation that leaves Ethiopia, in your exact passport name, with a locator you can look up on the airline's site. Check that the date falls inside the stay you plan to declare.

A hold made today lasts long enough for most trips of this length, but deadlines depend on the airline. Read the conditions before you rely on it. Our timing checklist for verifying an onward ticket PNR shows what to look at and when.

If you're flying with a low-cost carrier or a partner airline on the first leg, ask early. Some carriers are stricter than others, and a quick message to the airline is cheap compared with a missed flight. Keep the reply, in writing if you can.

Action: book, open the booking on the airline's site, and screenshot it with the date visible.

If you're at check-in

You have 45 to 60 minutes, maybe less. Stay calm. Short sentences help here.

Airlines check what the destination expects, often through the IATA Timatic database. There's a plain description on the IATA Timatic page. If the agent's screen says onward or return proof is needed, they can't waive it. They can only accept a booking that meets it.

Ask one question: "What will you accept?" Then get it done at the desk, on your phone. A reservation you can open on the airline's site while standing at the counter is worth more than a PDF.

Don't pay for a fully priced flight in a panic unless you have to. A short-lived reservation can meet the same test at the desk, provided it's live and traceable. Expect the agent to look at the name, the date and the route, in that order.

Action: book an onward reservation on your phone now, open it on the airline's site, and show the agent the live record.

If they've already refused you

Don't argue. Ask for the reason in plain terms, and ask what document would change the answer.

Often the gap is small: a name that doesn't match, a date that falls outside the stay, or a booking that's expired. Fix that one thing. If you can rebook and return to the desk in time, do it. If the flight is closed, ask about the next departure and whether the airline can rebook you.

Our guide on what to do when your onward ticket expired before the flight covers the most common version of this mess.

Action: name the missing document, fix it, and go back to the same desk with the live booking open.

If you're connecting through a hub

Many trips to Addis involve a change of plane in the Gulf or Europe. That's where paperwork gets tangled, because each leg can be on a different ticket.

A stop in a third country adds a second check. The airline on your first leg cares about the whole journey, and the transit airport may have its own rules. Ask both carriers what they need to see, and keep your onward booking consistent with the full route.

Do not assume a booking that satisfied the first desk will satisfy the second.

Action: carry one booking that covers the whole routing, and check the transit rules on your government's advice page before you fly.

After you land

You've made it through the airline check, which is the harder half for most people. Don't relax the paperwork yet.

Officers in Addis can ask about your plans too. Keep your answers short and true. State how long you're staying and how you'll leave. Show the onward booking if asked.

This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice, and rules change. When you need a booking that fits your dates, get your onward ticket from Get Dummy Ticket.