# Iceland Visa from India: Flight Reservation vs Confirmed Ticket > Should you buy a ticket or show a reservation for an Iceland Schengen visa? What the Embassy checklist says, what the PNR booking must show, and when to pay for flights. _Published: 2026-10-22 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1147_ ## TL;DR For an Iceland visa, the Embassy of Iceland's checklist asks Indian applicants for a round-trip flight reservation showing a PNR number and the traveller's name, so you do not need to buy a ticket before the decision. The INR 9900 visa fee and INR 2900 VFS fee are not refunded if you are refused. ## Key takeaways - Iceland's checklist asks for a round-trip flight reservation with a PNR number and the name of the traveller. - Visiting several Schengen states? Add proof of intra-Schengen travel. - The INR 9900 visa fee and INR 2900 VFS service fee are not refunded after a refusal. - The European Commission recorded a 25.7% refusal rate for Schengen applications at Icelandic consulates in India in 2025. - Airside transit in Iceland between two non-Schengen countries needs no airport transit visa for Indians. **Yes. The Embassy of Iceland's visa checklist asks for proof of transportation as a round-trip flight reservation with a PNR number and the traveller's name; it does not ask for a paid ticket. Add intra-Schengen travel proof if you visit several states. The adult visa fee of INR 9900 / EUR 90 is not refunded if you are refused.** ## Article The question matters because a refused Schengen visa leaves you with whatever you have already paid for. Here is how the Iceland checklist treats flight proof, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. The Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi handles all visa matters for India and receives applications through VFS Global centres. The full process is in our Iceland visa guide for Indians. ### What does the Iceland checklist ask for as flight proof? The Tourism, Business and Visiting family and friends checklist used by the Embassy and VFS lists proof of transportation as a roundtrip flight reservation with PNR number and name of traveler. If you will visit several Schengen states, you also show proof of the travel between them, such as an onward flight, train or bus booking. The same checklist asks for a cover letter that states the purpose and duration of the trip, accompanying persons, and the transport and accommodation details. Your flight reservation is therefore read alongside the letter, the hotel bookings and your leave dates. It has to tell the same story. ### Flight reservation or confirmed ticket: how do they compare? PointFlight reservation with PNRPaid, confirmed ticketMatches the checklistYes: a round-trip reservation with PNR and traveller name is what it asks forYes, since a ticket also carries a PNR and name, but it is not requiredMoney at risk if the visa is refusedOnly the cost of the reservation serviceThe fare, subject to the airline's cancellation rulesVisa fee and VFS feeINR 9900 and INR 2900, not refunded if refusedSameIf the decision takes longerA new reservation can be issued for new datesDate change depends on the fare rulesBest time to useWhen you lodge the applicationAfter the visa is issuedA verifiable reservation is a genuine booking held in an airline or reservation system, not an edited or invented document. Embassies generally advise against buying non-refundable tickets before the visa decision, and nothing in the Iceland checklist requires you to. ### Why is buying the ticket before the decision a risk? Three facts from the official sources explain it. - Fees are lost on refusal. The visa fee (INR 9900 / EUR 90 for adults, INR 4950 / EUR 45 for children aged 6-12) and the VFS service fee of INR 2900 (Euro 29) are not refunded. - Refusals are common. The European Commission's statistics show a refusal rate of 25.7% for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Icelandic consulates in India in 2025 (2,793 visas not issued; 10,906 applications lodged), up from 16.3% in 2024. - The timeline can move. Processing usually takes 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives the application, not including transport time, and may be extended in specific cases. Missing documents must be e-mailed to the Embassy within 5 days of your VFS appointment. ### What should your Iceland flight reservation show? - A PNR number that can be checked - The name of every traveller exactly as in the passport - An outbound and a return flight; Iceland's checklist asks for a round trip - Dates that match your cover letter, hotel bookings, insurance period and leave letter - Intra-Schengen legs if Iceland is part of a longer Schengen trip Remember the passport rule too: it must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you leave the Schengen area, so check that your return date on the reservation fits inside that window. ### Do you need a visa if you only change planes in Iceland? That depends on where you fly next. Iceland's airport transit list (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka) does not include India, so an airside transit between two non-Schengen countries needs no airport transit visa. Check your luggage through to the final destination. Flying on from Iceland to another Schengen airport counts as entering Schengen, and then you need a Schengen visa. Your booking should make the routing clear. ### How do hotel bookings and funds fit with the flight proof? Accommodation proof can be hotel reservations, a holiday rental or campus residence, or the host's sponsorship or private accommodation proof. The original bank statement for the last three months, with every page stamped and signed, must show 8000 ISK per day for a hotel stay, or 4000 ISK per day if a third party bears the expenses. Travel medical insurance must cover all Schengen countries for the entire trip, with at least 30,000 EUR of cover; an insurance card alone is not sufficient. Like the flight, the hotel booking does not need to be prepaid in the Iceland checklist. A confirmed hotel reservation that matches your itinerary is what the officer compares against the flights. ### When should you book the reservation and apply? You can lodge an application up to six months before travel. For the March-June peak season, the Embassy advises applying early because securing a VFS appointment can take several days. Make the reservation shortly before your appointment so that the PNR is active when the file is examined, and buy the real ticket once your passport comes back with the visa. #### Mistakes to avoid - Showing a one-way booking when the checklist asks for a round trip. - Dates on the flight that do not match the insurance or leave letter. - Forgetting the internal Schengen leg on a multi-country trip. - Paying for non-refundable fares before the decision. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). See our flight reservation service, WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can I use a one-way flight booking for an Iceland visa? The Iceland checklist asks for a round-trip flight reservation with a PNR number and the traveller's name. If you leave the Schengen area from another country, show those flights and the intra-Schengen travel between the countries. #### Is a dummy ticket allowed for an Iceland visa? A dummy ticket in the sense of a verifiable flight reservation with a real PNR matches what the checklist asks for. A fabricated or altered ticket is not acceptable and should never be submitted. #### Does every family member need to be on the Iceland flight reservation? The checklist asks for a reservation showing the name of the traveller, so each applicant's name should appear. Family members can be on one booking or on separate ones, as long as each applicant's name and PNR are shown. #### What if my Iceland visa takes longer than 15 days? The Embassy says processing usually takes 15 calendar days from receipt and may be extended in specific cases. A reservation can be reissued for new dates, which is one reason not to buy a non-refundable ticket before the decision. ## FAQ ### Can I use a one-way flight booking for an Iceland visa? The Iceland checklist asks for a round-trip flight reservation with a PNR number and the traveller's name. If you leave the Schengen area from another country, show those flights and the intra-Schengen travel between the countries. ### Is a dummy ticket allowed for an Iceland visa? A dummy ticket in the sense of a verifiable flight reservation with a real PNR matches what the checklist asks for. A fabricated or altered ticket is not acceptable and should never be submitted. ### Does every family member need to be on the Iceland flight reservation? The checklist asks for a reservation showing the name of the traveller, so each applicant's name should appear. Family members can be on one booking or on separate ones, as long as each applicant's name and PNR are shown. ### What if my Iceland visa takes longer than 15 days? The Embassy says processing usually takes 15 calendar days from receipt and may be extended in specific cases. A reservation can be reissued for new dates, which is one reason not to buy a non-refundable ticket before the decision. ## Sources 1. [Embassy of Iceland New Delhi / VFS - Visa document checklist Tourism/Business/Visiting family and friends (Feb 2025)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/iceland/india/english/pdf/Checklist-Tourism-Business-VFF-EN.pdf) — Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi / VFS Global 2. [Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi - Visa to Iceland](https://www.government.is/ministries/diplomatic-missions/new-delhi-india/visa-to-iceland/) — Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi 3. [Ísland.is - Airport Transit Visa](https://island.is/en/do-you-need-a-visa/airport-transit-visa) — Government of Iceland (Ísland.is) 4. [European Commission — Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2025)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/56816949-e59f-442b-9091-5d03360bf860_en) — European Commission