As a result of globalization and the rise of economic asylum seekers, more and more countries are tightening their borders. Policy has become stricter and the amount of immigration officers with large pinecones lodged in their butts has increased dramatically.
In order to convince these nationalistic, power hungry, and pinecone plagued individuals that you do not plan to work or mooch off of their society, it’s never a bad idea to show proof of onward travel. It also doesn’t hurt to illustrate proof of sufficient funds.
But if you’re making money with a blog like me and only ever buy one way tickets and head out with just enough cash for the next month, you’re going to need to know how to fake it.
In the following guide, you’ll learn the easiest way to fake return tickets, bank statements, proof of employment, proof of vaccination and any thing else you might need to forge.
Which Countries Require Proof Of Onward Travel?
The need to show proof of a return flight or bus ticket out of the country varies on your nationality and particular predicament. If for example you’re an American and are arriving in Laos but have a visa for Vietnam, that’s generally enough proof for the officer that you plan on leaving soon.
But in general, the following countries will almost always demand proof of onward travel; New Zealand, Australia, Laos, Costa Rica, UK, USA, Ireland, Peru and Bolivia. I’m sure I’ve left a few out, so let me know in the comments below.
Regardless of which country you’re visiting, it’s still a good idea to be prepared with proof of onward travel.
Detention & Interrogation
If you can’t show proof of onward travel or sufficient funds, and the immigration officer finds you suspicious, there’s a good chance you may be detained or even sent home.
I was most recently detained at UK immigration for 7 hours because I did not have proof of onward travel. During this time, 5 different British immigration officers questioned me as if I was a criminal. It was only after this marathon of questioning that I received food and water.
On another occasion, I was only granted 10 days in Costa Rica because I did not have proof of onward travel. While I could have easily bought a bus ticket to Panama at the border, I didn’t want to waste the money. In the end, I spent way more than 10 days. Check out How To Overstay Your Visa In Costa Rica, to see how I left without any problems.
How To Fake A Return Plane Ticket
Faking a ticket and getting away with it is very simple and comes with little risk. Although you could buy a fully refundable ticket or a super cheap 20$ flight on a budget airline, it’s just too easy to fake. It’s always worked for me and countless other runaway backpackers.
Step 1 Download Your Ticket
After buying your flight and receiving your confirmation email, simply download the reservation PDF.
Original official travel document from Norwegian Air
Step 2 Edit The PDF
If you already have Adobe Acrobat, you can easily use this to edit the ticket.
If you don’t have Adobe or don’t know how to use it, there are many free PDF editors that you can download for free. Most editors recognize the current text font and size, and allow you to amend any text you want.
In order to make the ticket look more authentic, research an actual return flight, its flight number, and departure date and time. Then use this information to amend your ticket.
Updated travel confirmation
Step 3 Print The Updated PDF
You can either print the updated PDF or save it to your email and show it to the officer on your smart phone. And that’s it! The whole process shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. And this can be done to edit anything from plane tickets to bank statements.
Conclusion
You never know who you’re going to get as an immigration officer. While some are pleasant enough, others may see you as the perfect candidate to practice their interrogation skills on. So be sure to play it safe, avoid complications, and have your documents in order. For country specific tourist visa and border policy information, check out the Visa Costs & Requirements Around The World.
Hi Leif!
So I’m flying into London from NY and I’m a US citizen. How strict would you say immigration officer’s are today? I have a one way flight there but I don’t plan on staying longer for a month…I just don’t really know when I’m flying back to the states. I’ve read some horror stories about how nitpicky IO’s can be. I have sufficient funds and a place where I’m staying. I just don’t want to end up not being able to get in. Also how thorough do they check on the fake return flight ticket? It’s my first time in the UK so I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly….lol
Thanks!
Hey Nari, they are pretty strict unfortunately.
Hey Leif, I am flying to Nicaragua to volunteer on a farm for a few months. We have our return tickets already as my sister is getting married near the end of my stay but am curious about proof of sufficient funds. Do you think I should make a fake bank statement? If so how much is sufficient for 2 people?
Hey Blake, I really don’t think that is necessary, especially for Nicaragua. Costa Rica is the only country in Central America that likes to give Americans a hard time. Enjoy Nicaragua!!!
Does this work for Bali? Do you know if they check? I am planning on flying from Panang, Malaysia. Thanks for any feedback! :)
Hey Judith, I’m not sure but I think you should be alright. I’ve flown from Malaysia all over South East Asia on one way fights with Air Asia and never had a problem.
Anyone know about Germany/schengen area?
Hey Nick, I’ve flown into Frankfurt plenty of times with a one way ticket without ever having a problem.
Spirit didn’t send a pdf version to download – any suggestions to get around this?
It should be there as an attachment or when you login to spirit you should see a place to download it. If not, call them up and have them send you a proper eticket. But you know, unless you’re flying to costa rica, you really shouldn’t have any problems with a one way.
Actually most countries won’t let you in without a return ticket these days: it’s not as rare or unusual as you make it out to be….
Hey, for me at least, I’ve never needed proof of a return ticket when flying to most of Europe, SE Asia, Japan, and Korea to name a few. And even when I’m flying to Central America it’s only ever the airlines that want proof and hardly ever immigration in the destination country.
Very useful, if only I would have had this years ago ;)
Glad it helps. Yea, it’s pretty useful especially for those countries that require proof, like the UK, Israel, and Costa Rica
This is great. I have never done that but i think i can give it a try.
Hey Jeff, yea, it’s fairly easy. Go for it! :)
This is Great! My only concern is if the airline actually checks the reservation. Though it’s never happened to me, I once knew a guy who tried to go one way to Fiji and the airline told him he needed a roundtrip and wouldn’t let him fly.
Hey Michael, I think Fiji, as a pretty isolated island, might be an exception. That’s good to know though. Thanks for sharing.
When I flew into Paris on a one way ticket with my son, the guy didn’t even look up. He just stamped our passports and pointed towards the exit. I was shocked. I showed up all ready with all this back up and was barely even noticed. I recommend flying into France if possible from the US or Canada.\
Hey Marc, haha, that’s funny, yea, France is great. No hassle at all every time I’ve flown to CDG. While flights are usually more expensive to Paris than London from the US, London immigration always gives me a hard time.