Question
Has anyone had an issue booking a one-way flight to Spain? I plan to fly into Spain on May 1st and apply for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa in Spain. I don’t want to book a return flight if I don’t need one.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“If it is as a tourist, then you have to have both tickets. At least it is the way it works traveling from Argentina to Spain. When you do the check-in, the airline personnel will request the ticket back and you won’t be able to check-in if you haven’t.”
“My family of four and I booked a one way ticket back in October and we had no issues, we had 10 luggage’s with us as well.”
“Depends where you’re coming from, you should be fine though – you’re coming as a tourist. Just tell them you’re travelling around Europe and haven’t picked the next country yet.”
“We always have a ticket reservation / dummy ticket instead whenever we travel which is verifiable on airline’s website. It costs 30 euros but much better than having a flight booked especially if there are no concrete plans yet.”
“The official answer from Spain is yes – you need to show proof of return (and it’s supposed to be back to your home country). In reality most of the time they don’t ask – and it’s usually the airline that will give you the issue.”
“Most airlines give a full refund if canceled within 24 hrs of booking. On the day of your flight just before you get on the plane, book a cheap flight out of the country, once past immigration, cancel the ticket.”
“I’m sure it depends on the airline, but with Delta (other than basic economy) you can book a round trip and then cancel the return flight after arrival for an eCredit (or possibly cash refund).”
“I travel from UK to Mallorca regularly and often don’t have a return flight booked as I don’t know how long I will stay – not been ever asked about it.”
“You can get a separate return ticket with a fully refundable fare. They are more expensive than regular tickets but work perfect for this case.”
Conclusion
The conversation reveals a consensus that while Spanish law technically requires proof of return for tourists, many travelers have navigated this requirement through various means, such as booking refundable return tickets, using dummy tickets, or planning the return booking strategically.
The experiences vary widely based on the airline and the traveler’s departure country, highlighting the importance of flexibility and research in planning one-way trips to Spain, especially for those applying for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa.
