What is Proof of Onward Travel, Anyway?

This question comes up a lot on the various traveler groups: Does [country] ask for proof of onward travel?

The answer isn’t super simple, because honestly it varies between countries AND it depends on your passport itself. It could even be that some people get asked and some don’t! But it’s a thing you need to keep in mind and prepare for in case YOU get asked for proof of onward travel.

Myself, I’ve only been asked a few times how and when I was leaving the country, but I never had to show anything to prove it. However, other travelers have been grilled about the specifics, and have had to show their proof either to the immigration officer or the airline staff. If you’re a full-time traveler, then you’re often just traveling by one-way tickets and don’t have specific entry/exit dates beyond a certain month. This can lead to some confusion, and some unhappy travelers and immigration officers.

This post is a guide for people who want more info about what, exactly, is “proof of onward travel,” and how to get it for yourself.

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What is proof of onward travel, anyway?

Basically it’s something that proves you’re leaving the country you’re about to enter BEFORE your tourist visa expires.

So if you’re entering Japan on September 1, 2025 and you’re there on a 3 month tourist visa, they’ll want to see something showing you’re leaving Japan before December 1, 2025.

This proof cannot just be a hotel booked in another country after December 1. It HAS to be some kind of transit ticket. Some countries will accept any kind of transit, and others require you to have a PLANE TICKET.

The specific requirements for each country will usually be listed on their official visa page, or if you’re from the US you can use the State Department’s Travel website which has a lot of good info for each country.

When do you need proof of onward travel?

Technically you should always be prepared to show proof of onward travel, but specifically you’ll need it when

a) you’re checking into your flight to the country and

b) when you’re going through immigration once you arrive.

Airline staff usually ask to see something before they give you your boarding pass, and immigration wants to see it before they stamp your passport.

But! This doesn’t happen 100% of the time. It’s really dependent on where you’re going, what passport you have, your previous travel history, and honestly just however the official checking your info feels that day. It IS happening more and more often, usually at the airline desk.

In general, I recommend having a specific exit date in mind, and saying confidently that you’re leaving on [this date] and going to [another country]. If you want to be super prepared, have proof of onward travel ready to show.

How to get proof of onward travel

There’s three ways to get a plane ticket:

Buy a ticket out of the country that you plan to go on.

This works great for people who like to plan ahead. Honestly though if you have that already you’re probably not reading this post.

Buy a ticket that’s is refundable, and then cancel it once you’re through immigration.

This can be tricky because cancellation policies aren’t always clear, but if you’re organized and can read terms and conditions competently then you should be fine. Flights for most airlines are cancellable within 24 hours of purchase. I Am Aileen has a list of such airlines here.

Bus and train tickets are USUALLY more friendly towards cancellations than flights, and they’re cheaper too, so you aren’t tying up as much money waiting for a refund.

Related: How to Book Bus Tickets in Southeast Asia

Buy a “ticket” through an onward ticket website.

This gives you a reservation that automatically cancels after 48 hours, for about $16 USD.

Basically what it does is it actually reserves a seat for you, but if you don’t confirm the flight then it’ll cancel the reservation. (This is exactly what happens in scenario 2, except you let someone else handle the cancellation thing.) You get a flight confirmation that you can show to immigration and other airline staff and they can check the flight and see it’s legit, and then you’re good to go.

I think most people are split between just buying a ticket and buying a “ticket.” All the people I’ve talked to who have used these services were happy and had no problems.

My experience with proof of onward travel

In my 2+ years of full-time travel, I’ve gotten asked about my onward travel…maybe half the time? And even then, I’ve never had to actually show a ticket for anything.

The closest that I got was when I went through Bali immigration. The immigration official wanted to see my exit plane ticket, but at the time I was planning to go by ferry up to Malaysia/Singapore so I hadn’t bought anything. (I eventually just flew from Jakarta but I didn’t buy the ticket until the week before I left.)

The other problem was that I was planning to leave AFTER my 30 day visa– as I was going to renew it for another 30 days and then leave in that latter half. We had a discussion about it and he was a little confused, to the point where I thought maybe I’d have a problem getting in, but eventually I made it through.

I’ve gotten asked for my onward travel more often from airline staff than immigration, actually, but even then I’ve never had to actually show anything.

On my flight from Los Angeles to Narita, the airline staff asked if I had a ticket booked and I just said the date I planned to leave. On my flight from Penang to Da Nang, more recently, the airline staff asked how long I’d be in the country and I just said 90 days (which matched my visa application which they also checked).

Having said all that, I’m a white American middle aged lady who dresses sort of business casual, so I do think that “helps.” Like I said, travelers from other countries or of other races might get more scrutiny.

Final Thoughts

Proof of onward travel is one of those things that you don’t need until you NEED it. If you’re risk-adverse, then getting a cheap ticket out (or a “ticket” from an onward travel website) is worth the cost for the peace of mind you’ll have.