What is a Proof of Onward Travel?

These are countries (including visa-free states, visa on arrival, and places on which you will need to have a visa beforehand) that are enforcing these laws as an effort to stop travelers from visiting their country on a tourist visa and never leaving.

They require you to prove that you have the means to leave the country at the end of your visa.

Some countries such as Thailand have even taken these measures a step more and are asking travelers to show cash in hand (USD400 or more), establish a means of travel around and then depart the host country at the end of the visa period.

These laws are created to stop illegal immigration. Needless to say, many backpackers, digital nomads, and other travelers have no desire to emigrate and are only looking to stay for a few weeks then move on.

Proof of onward travel is typically shown in the form of a reserved flight itinerary out of the country you are visiting. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a return ticket back to your original destination, but only an onward ticket out of the country.

Alternatively, travelers can also use bus tickets, train tickets, and ferry tickets. These are less common since it is hard to find and book it from the web before arrival, and it is not always accepted by immigration.

Also, suppose travelers arrive by their own boat like a yacht or a sailboat. In that case, they’re usually exempted from the countries’ immigration laws as they have the means to depart the country via their own boat.

What Countries Require a Ticket Onward?

Surprisingly, there are only several countries that require proof of onward travel. It is stated in their immigration laws. 

These countries can include (but not be limited to) Peru, New Zealand, UK, USA, Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Before we get excited thinking that your destination country won’t require proof of onward travel, understand that while it is not within their laws, they probably will.

It is a recommended practice to book a proof of onward travel before flying out as this will supplement your travel papers. It increases your convenience upon arrival and saves you both time and money at the airport.

Enforcement at the Airline and Airport

In the past several years, many countries have passed the responsibility to the airlines entering their territory to enforce these immigration laws. In short, the airline will ask you for your onward ticket before you board your flight.

Should the departing airline you are flying with, forgot to ask for your papers and then arrive in a country where they require an exit flight, there is a high chance of getting deported at your expense. 

To prevent any liability on such an incident — the airlines will instead check it before boarding almost every time.

On the other hand, there are times that you can get through because much of the responsibility of the immigration law falls on the shoulders of the check-in staff. And when you get on your flight, it is unlikely that the destination country’s immigration staff will inspect an exit ticket. 

Given that fact, It does not mean that you should take the risk. Being prepared is much better than catching yourself off-guard and scrambling to solve the urgent problem at hand.

Why Most Travellers Don’t Like This Rule

Anyone who travels and decides to book a spontaneous and multi-country trip and has no definite return date will be likely to run into the problem of proving onward travel.

They generally realize that requirement before entering the country and then start to urgently book an onward flight. In some unfortunate situations, they arrive in the host country only to be requested to fly back home by the authorities at their own expense. 

Onward flight requirements can be inconvenient for long-term travel or spontaneous travel, and it does not need to be. You can’t do anything about every country’s laws, but there are legal ways to provide an onward travel proof when required. 

Why Such Laws Exist?

Although perpetual travelers, digital entrepreneurs, backpackers, remote workers, and digital nomads do not generally agree with these kinds of rules, their reasons are understandably justified.

As travel gets more accessible and common, there is a growing number of people who decide to travel out, but the means to cover it are not enough for the whole trip.

Even though we are all for traveling no matter what, lack of funds during travel causes overstaying, working illegally in the host country, or resorting to begging on the streets to pay for travel, which poses a problem for the locals and the economy.

These laws exist to make sure that people have the financial capacity to travel in and out of the host country.

While it is also a good recommendation to book a fully paid refundable flight, it is also discouraged when possible if you can’t afford it and it affects your travel budget and your itinerary.  

All kinds of travelers have an obligation to be respectful of local laws, customs, and authorities. And should not enter a country if they don’t have enough funds to pay for the flight out.

Should you find that you don’t have enough budget, it is a smart idea to go home, save more money and travel again at a later time when you have enough money to do so.

And for the rest of the people who have saved enough money to travel without thinking about money itself, an onward ticket is a technicality where it requires suitable documentation to be presented at immigration on arrival.