Get Dummy Ticket
Plain-English answers from someone who's worked both sides of the border counter. Written by Marek Dvorak, former airport passenger-services duty manager. 10 years fixing same-day travel problems.
Cambodia's e-visa, airline check-in, land borders, and arrival immigration each check onward-ticket proof differently, and knowing which one matters saves you a bad moment at the counter.
Vietnam does not ask for a flight itinerary on the e-visa form, but airline check-in desks often do. Here is what actually gets checked, and when.
The Philippines lets most nationalities enter visa-free for up to 30 days, but airlines and immigration still check for a booked flight out. Here's what satisfies each checkpoint, and when to book it.
A dummy ticket's price depends on how long the reservation needs to hold up and who actually checks it, not on how convincing the PDF looks.
Indonesia's e-VOA portal, the airline check-in desk, and the immigration counter each check for onward travel differently, and only one of them is checking what you think it is.
Thailand checks proof of onward travel at three separate points, the check-in desk, immigration, and e-visa applications, and each one wants something slightly different.
Your onward ticket only works if the date on it hasn't passed yet. Here's how to fix an expired PNR before check-in, at the desk, or after a border officer already asked.
Flying in but leaving by land? Here's what to book at check-in when the agent asks for onward proof, and how fast you can fix it.
A dummy ticket and a paid ticket look identical on screen, but a check-in desk, a visa application, and an arrival officer each test something different.
A practical, repeatable system for digital nomads who need an onward ticket at every border, from the check-in desk to the visa consulate.
Thai land borders rarely check onward tickets, but the airline counter on your eventual flight out of Thailand always does. Here is the checkpoint that actually matters.
The Bali to Singapore visa run checks your onward ticket twice: once at Denpasar check-in, once at Singapore arrivals. Here is what to book and when.