Short answer
Get your onward ticket so that it is valid at the moment someone checks it. A paid ticket can be bought any time; a held reservation should be created shortly before the check, usually the day before or the morning of check-in, because holds last hours to a few days. For a visa application, create it close to the day you submit or attend your appointment.
Work backwards from the check
The useful question is not how far ahead of the trip, but when will someone look at this booking. For a one-way flight that is check-in, and possibly immigration on arrival. For a visa it is the day the file is submitted. Whatever you show has to be real and live at that moment.
Paid tickets do not expire before the flight, so their timing is about price and flexibility. Held reservations do expire, at a deadline the airline sets, so their timing is everything. Temporary flight reservation explains why holds are short.
Timing table
| Situation | When the check happens | Held reservation | Paid ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way flight, airline check | At check-in, bag drop or the gate | The day before or the morning of check-in | Any time before |
| Arrival immigration | On landing, hours after check-in | Deadline must fall after your landing time | Any time before |
| Long journey with connections | First check-in, any separate check-in, arrival | Deadline must cover the whole journey | Any time before |
| Visa application uploaded online | On the day of upload | The same day | After the decision |
| In-person visa appointment | At the appointment | The evening before or the morning of | After the decision |
| Onward trip you will actually take | Whenever asked | Not needed | As soon as plans are fixed |
For visas, the "after the decision" column follows official advice: for UK visa applications, GOV.UK says you should not book travel until you get a decision. For the Schengen area, applications can be lodged no earlier than six months and at least 15 days before the journey, so your reservation date follows your submission date, not your travel date.
Why early backfires with a hold
A hold created a week before check-in has probably lapsed by the time you reach the counter. The PDF still looks fine, but the lookup returns nothing, and a booking that cannot be found reads like an invented one. See how to verify a flight reservation for what a lapsed hold looks like.
If your flight is weeks away, you do not have to remember to come back. FlyProof lets you choose when the hold is created, so it is placed shortly before you need it. How it works covers scheduling.
Deadlines, time zones and overnight flights
A hold's deadline is a clock time in a particular time zone, and a long flight can cross several. Before relying on a hold, convert its deadline to the local time at the airport where you will be checked, and compare it with both your check-in and your landing.
- Check-in: Tuesday 19:30, London time
- Departure: Tuesday 21:30, London time
- Landing: Wednesday 16:00, Bangkok time, which is 10:00 in London
- Hold created: Tuesday morning, London time
- Deadline needed: after Wednesday 16:00 Bangkok time, so the booking is still live at immigration
Deciding when
Decide
How far away is the check?
- If more than a few days awaySchedule the hold to be created shortly before the check, or come back nearer the time.
- If within the next dayCreate it now and check that its deadline falls after your check-in and, if relevant, your landing.
- If a visa appointment weeks from nowCreate it the evening before or the morning of the appointment.
- If you are already at the airportCreate it now, then verify it on the airline's site before returning to the counter.
Questions
01How far in advance should I get an onward ticket?
For a paid ticket, whenever suits your plans. For a held reservation, close to the check: usually the day before or the morning of check-in, so it is still live at the counter and on arrival.
02Should I buy the onward ticket before my visa is approved?
Official advice says no. Use a reservation for the application and buy after the decision. Flight reservation for a visa application covers the details.
03My check-in is late at night. When should the hold be created?
Earlier the same day is usually right. What matters is that the deadline falls after check-in and, if you may be asked on arrival, after landing.
Sources
- 1Visa processing times: applications outside the UK · GOV.UK · checked 29 September 2026
- 2Applying for a Schengen visa · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · checked 29 September 2026
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Rules change: confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel. How we research · Report a correction