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I am flying from the USA to Switzerland with a one way ticket. I will also be flying from Switzerland to Spain and be traveling around in Europe but I do not have a return ticket because I am not sure from which country I will be departing from. Would this be an issue for the airlines?

I am flying through American Airlines and Iberia.

JonathanReez
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user12009
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  • Beware that many countries require proof of ongoing travel to issue a tourist (or other) visa. I don't know if that's the case for Schengen with US citizenship. Also, it may be cheaper to book a flexible return than two singles. – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' Mar 04 '14 at 21:44
  • This varies mostly by airline, departure airport, and destination. I was asked to show an onward ticket to board an Air Asia flight from Sydney to Malaysia one-way flight. But I was not asked show one when flying one-way from Istanbul to Seoul on Korean or from Taipei to Okinawa on Peach. – hippietrail Mar 05 '14 at 05:07
  • Yes, it could be, it's one of the things required to enter the Schengen area as a visitor, see http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/22065/visa-for-a-chilean-citizen-joining-a-tour-from-a-us-agency/22067#22067 – Relaxed Mar 05 '14 at 09:13
  • Do you have a ticket from Switzerland to Spain? – starsplusplus Mar 05 '14 at 12:46
  • What is your citizenship? – Nate Eldredge Mar 06 '14 at 02:37
  • @Nate: Why do you ask? – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo Mar 06 '14 at 09:23
  • @Tor-EinarJarnbjo it matters because airline actions on this are driven by immigration. If you are an EU/Swiss citizen then immigration can't refuse you entry and hence there is no reason for the airline to refuse you boarding. If you aren't an EU/Swiss citizen and don't have a long term visa/residence permit then they have to make a risk assesment of whether you are likely to immigrate illegally into which many factors including but not limited to your citizenship and your possetion of an onward ticket feed. – Peter Green Apr 11 '16 at 15:32
  • @PeterGreen Proof of onward travel is not a requirement for non-EEA citizens to enter the Schengen area (as I already explained in my answer). – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo Apr 11 '16 at 16:26
  • That depends on the airline. I'm flying in with China Air currently and got held up for a while because of this. Ultimately they let me go, but I have to check in again at my transfer destination now (within China). – user3116942 Mar 03 '24 at 03:51

3 Answers3

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When entering the Schengen area as a non-EEA citizen, you do not need proof of onward travel, but proof of "means of subsistence ... for the return to your country of origin or transit to a third country into which you are certain to be admitted" (Schengen Borders Code, Article 5). An onward or return ticket would of course also fulfill this requirement, but money to buy a ticket after entering the Schengen area is also enough.

As others have suggested, it may however be a good idea to check with the airline if they have additional requirements.

Tor-Einar Jarnbjo
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Arriving in a country for a "visit" without a return (or ongoing) ticket usually raises the suspicion of the immigration officers. They may think that you are not actually intending to leave. The airlines are responsible for your return transport if you are refused entry into a country, so the airline has interest in avoiding you getting refused entry at the destination. Therefore, the airline might require that you have a return or ongoing ticket before boarding your flight.

At this point you should call your airline and confirm that your eligibility to board the plane. If they require that you purchase another ticket, you can buy a fully-refundable future ticket and then refund it later (after your flight). I've had to do this once before and if you have sufficient room on a credit card, it's not a big deal.

Greg Hewgill
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    Since you are flying into a Schengen you will need to show a ticket out of Schengen (if you are asked for proof). The UK, Turkey, or a Balkan country seem like the closest off the top of my head. – hippietrail Mar 05 '14 at 05:13
  • @hippitrail: That is actually wrong. You do not need an onward ticket to enter the Schengen area. – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo Mar 05 '14 at 15:13
  • Be careful when buying "refundable" tickets. Getting the refund can be really hard for some companies. I prefer to buy a cheap ticket with cheap airlines when required. – mrmuggles May 03 '14 at 15:17
  • My 'funny' story on a refundable ticket bought in this situation was I paid X GBP and British Airways issued a refund for X USD. Ha-ha. Used credit card chargeback procedure to get the difference. And BA charged it again. So I charged it back again and wrote BA a rather nasty letter suggesting the second charge was fraud. – Andrew Lazarus Aug 24 '16 at 18:16
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The airlines will not care. The officials in the country of arrival, however, may.

I have done this twice going to Europe. When you enter, the officials want to know how long you will be "in [their country]". Answer truthfully, which in your case must be a few weeks or so.

The only time I had trouble was when, cycling to Canada, I said "I don't know how long I'll be here." Obviously a poor answer.

chreekat
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