Flying into Germany on a one-way ticket

I am moving to Munich in the end of May to go to grad school. I don't have a student visa because I'm not accepted yet, so my plan is to go without a visa (as a US citizen), and to procure a student visa within the 90-day timespan.

My situation is as such. I currently live in Connecticut, so I'll be flying out of NYC. When I will go back to the US for school holidays, I will be going to my parents, who live in the South. I figured out that the cheapest option is to buy a one-way student NYC - Munich, and round-trip tickets for all the holidays from then on.

Would the one-way ticket be a problem in terms of passport control at the airport and such?

I'm enrolling in a Sprachschule for the months of June and July. Does that make me look more legit in the eyes of immigration officers at the airport? Or should I pretend I'm going for the World Cup and don't have a return ticket because I don't know what city I'll end up in last? I'm student-aged, so the World Cup option could be believable. The only thing that may trip me up for that is that I'm planning on bringing two very large suitcases and a large carryon. Though I'm a girl, so it's plausible that I packed two suitcases for less than two months.

Has anyone gone through passport control with a student-fare one-way ticket?

Thanks!

Didi

I do it all the time. No problems, have never been asked about it in the past 7 years. (My tickets always originates from Germany to the US so usually the ticket for my return trip is waiting for me in Germany.)

If you are asked, just tell them what you said here. The true version, I mean.)

Even as a student, you don't get a visa before you arrive (at least, I didn't). You just show up and sort everything out in Munich.

Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about it not being a problem. When we were leaving Australia, the woman was frowning, looking at our ticket information saying "But this is one-way". We explained, no, it was the return flight, that we lived in Germany. She brightened and explained to us that Germany has a problem with people flying in on one-way tickets.

I would phone the German embassy and check it out properly before trying it. Also, I would check on tickets - you might find that return is cheaper than a one-way.

I was asked to show my return ticket (when I first entered on a visitors visa). Although I pointed out that I am with my German Husband (who was standing, EU passport in hand, next to me!)

Was very glad I got a return ticket, although I never used the return flight!

I only flew in one-way once...a couple years ago...but they didn't say anything

If you already have a visa for Germany, it's probably less of an issue.

Well I am going to agree with Showem. It might not be a problem but I think there will be a slight problem. When I flew into Amsterdam(last year) with a one way ticket I got some hassle at passport control because I only had a one way ticket. Luckily I had a reciept for a Dbahn ticket saying I was going to Regensburg(Germany) one way so they let me through. Now I do not think they will prevent you from entering the country just expect some questioning. Good luck.

Edit: Also agree with the point to double check with round trip tickets very often round trip is cheaper.

I always bought round trip anyhow and never used the return ticket. I always find it cheaper to purchase Round Trip tickets from America that One-Way.

I agree with Showem. You should check with the german embassy closest to you to obtain the official version. I came the first time also with a one-way ticket but I already had a student visa so no questions asked. But that may not be the case if you come as a tourist because in principle when you are a tourist you can only stay for 90 days so there is no real reason to come with a one-way ticket. Btw, as far as I know, you can only obtain a student visa in your home country. At least that's what I was told when applying to come here. Check that one out also. Good luck with it.

if you know your dates for when you're going to visit your parents check on prices now. if it seems like a good deal you could always buy that and the oneway (if you're set on oneway- although as many pointed out roundtrip is usually cheaper) and you can prove you're leaving the country again. (but they might see that it's longer than the 90days... so then you'll have to explain the getting a student visa).

I`ve been through customs at least 15 times here and never once was I asked to show my return ticket, but you never know.

I would just risk it because round-trip tickets between Germany and the US is a lot cheaper when flying out of Germany. I usually pay around 400 Euros to NY or San Francisco, whereas most tix from the US are around 700 dollars.

Or get an open jaw ticket.

Those are hard to get, unfortunately. Every agency I talked to before always made me set a return date within the year, and then I was charged 25 bucks plus a difference in airfare for any changes.

I had the same issue as Showem when leaving Oz on a one way ticket. I needed a letter from the German Consulate (re no need for a visa) , and needed the employment offer letter with me. Once 3 different people viewed these I was let through customs. You should probably have the confirmation letter from the language school just to be sure.

It would probably be sufficient to show your acceptance letter to whatever educational program you're in. I brought mine just in case, but they never asked for it.

Why don't you just say Bush is sending you.
Tell them your friends will be over later as soon as you find the WMDs.

Ok, so it seems like I should be ok if I have lots of proof of being legit. I'll show my registration at the language school, my host family's address (I'm not an au pair, it's a family contracted by the language school), my testdaf scores, and my folder o' academic qualifications with which I plan on applying.

Someone mentioned proof of income. Do I really need that at the airport? And what would that be, anyway? A letter from my parents? A receipt from my tenants? All of these things are so easy to fake, you'd think the airport wouldn't bother.

Didi

You need proof that you have enough money to buy a ticket back home. A credit card will do.

Ah, that makes sense. Do they check the ballance or something, or does the fact that some sucker credit card company issued you a credit card suffice?

Didi

I've never been questioned about having a return ticket..or questioned about anything for that matter...and I've been flying between Germany to the US for 6 yrs now... so chances are that u really don't have anything to worry about.

Im thinking of training this summer to be a Berlitz summercamp counsler (if they accept me) and I will be staying for a good couple of months, It would be a really nice chunk of change to save If i could buy only a one way ticket instead of a round trip seeing how as i really dont know when I will be coming back. I was wondering if anybody has had any experience with this or have had any issues with arriving with a one way ticket and could possibly give me any advice.

Thanks again, ---max

Topics merged by admin

They don't ever check the ticket. Don't worry about it.

Just a warning though Berlitz is the crappiest of crap when it comes to ESL. be careful.

I flew from the U.S. to Munich this winter on a one-way ticket and had no problems on either end. No extra security hassles or "random" checks in the U.S. (I flew from Chicago), and nothing out of the ordinary connecting within Europe and arriving here in Munich. I was advised by the ticket agent when checking in, however, that I may need to secure a visa in Germany if I would be staying longer than the visa waiver period.

You might want to take a look Flying into Germany on a one-way ticket. And feel free to use the search function to find out whether some questions that you might have have been already discussed in the forum.

Recently, I have accepted a job in Munich. Actually, I have been accepted into a training program in Munich which would then allow me to be employed in Munich, legally. My question is, I have yet to get a visa because 1. I haven't officially been hired. 2. I am leaving in 6 weeks and can apply in Germany. When I fly into Germany from San Francisco on a one way ticket, what should I fill out on the customs form they give you on the airplane? I'm not hired yet nor am I a tourist. I don't want to some BS happening to me at customs. I have a letter of intent to hire upon completing training. Should this be enough? I will also have my bank statements, etc. Any suggestions of what I should fill out? Anyone been in a similar situtation?

A one-way ticket from US > Germany on DELTA AIRLINES was a big problem for me.

I came to Germany in April, having bought a one-way ticket from the Student Universe web site. At the airport check-in, they wouldn't let me get on the plane without a return ticket. They said I need either a ticket or a German passport. I argued. "How do I know where I'm going to go next? I have 90 days to figure it out!" They said, those are the rules, not our fault that whoever sold you the ticket didn't tell you, blah blah blah.

It was extremely stressful because the line was very slow and running late, and there I was with my remaining worldly possessions in the San Diego Airport. I asked if the woman at the check-in, "What's it gonna take for me to get on the plane? Can you sell me a ticket?" After searching for a minute, she said "Here's a return ticket for August, the cheapest one I could find costs $3200." I said, "That's fucking ridiculous, do you think I'm an idiot or something?" So she looked again, and found another, round trip ticket (Berlin - US - Berlin, in August) for $750. I paid for it and got on the goddamn plane, totally pissed but, whatever, mission accomplished.

After I got to Germany, I called Delta and canceled the round trip ticket. They of course slapped me with a $250 fine.

In buying a one-way ticket, I was only saving about $200 in the beginning. I too had done some research including Toytown, to see if there were any laws or problems with a one-way ticket. Having seen several posts from people saying they do it all the time, I felt satisfied that it'd be OK. In the end, with the fine, it more or less evened out, but the stress was, uhh, priceless ... I felt so scammed, this lady and the baggage guy totally had me over a barrel, trying to take advantage of me, and I knew that if I wanted to go to Germany I had no choice but to play along with them. Whether there is actually a law about having a return ticket or not, I am not sure. At any rate, I can say with no uncertain terms, fuck Delta Airlines, I'm never going to fly with them again. And, gee, to think that that was my last experience in the US. It pisses me off just to think about it, grrr.

If I were doing it again, I would call the airline and ask for something in writing, or just buy a round trip ticket so I know everything's going to be ok. Bottom line is, you are 100% at their mercy, no matter what the ticket says.

Yes advice on this forum always carries a caveat emptor. Just because some people "get away with it" doesn't make it right or guarantee that everyone else will be lucky. All you have to do is ask the airlines about the one way ticket issue because they are the one's who get hit when it all goes wrong.

If you get on a plane with a one way ticket and land in a foreign country which won't accept your entry, it's the airline who is liable for a fine and must return you to your country of origin. Surely that's pretty easy to understand?

Last time I flew via Bangkok to NZ, I was questioned in Bangkok on the way back for having a ticket with final destination in Munich. They said they would need to see my residence permit for Germany before they could accept the ticket. This was Thai Airways.

I have also sometimes not been asked, but there's no guarantee you'll be ok.

AFAIK, there is no form to fill out when flying from the U.S. to Germany, only when flying INTO the U.S.

There's also one to fill out when flying into the UK.

Right, and Japan and probably others, too (but I think that's beside the point here without knowing the specific U.S.-Germany itinerary).

Thanks for all your help. Thankfully as an American, we can apply for permits/visas AFTER we get there. I will bring a print out of that, as well as my intent for employement letter and my filled out visa/permit forms. I HOPE that works, I just spent $850 on the one way ticket!

I flew into Frankfurt today on a one way ticket from Chicago and absolutely no questions were asked. Can't believe it's quite this easy to get into Germany.

It depends on your nationality. For example, if you are American...no worries. If you are from Ghana...there might be a problem. I checked with the Embassy two weeks ago and they assured me that an American flying on a one-way ticket to Germany is fine. I printed off the email just in case.

I applied for a spouse visa("Ehegattennachzugsvisum"/"Visum zur Familienzusammenführung) last month.

Would i have problems getting into Germany on a one way ticket once I have the visa?

My German husband and I naively went to purchase a one way ticket only to be informed that you need the right visa before you can buy them. We had no idea that i couldn't fly in on a one way ticket! She told us that Germany doesn't just let anyone get a visa, married or no. And she said $1500 was the best deal we would find, give or take a few dollars (we've since found many for $1100 including taxes).

Just a small point, have you tried looking for a return ticket, you may find it cheaper, one way tickets are often more expensive than the cheapest return. You don't have to use the return flight, the airline won't come round your house and force you on the plane!

That's what I did when I moved here (buy a round trip and not use the return half). It was more than a thousand dollars cheaper.

Edit: Note: I applied for my visa after getting here, being an American, but made sure to get it before the date on the return ticket.

Has anyone had any problems flying from the US to Tegel airport (berlin) on one-way tickets? We're flying from the states to Denmark to Berlin and bought one-way tickets because they were much cheaper. Will we have to go through passport control in both countries? Or just the first? Does it help to have proof of ongoing travel to a country outside of the EU (like Asia or Africa)? I realize getting another one-way tickets back to the states would be better, but they are too expensive at this point and the airlines here have crazy charges for refunds. Any advice? I'm going to be getting a student visa and my boyfriend is going to try for a residence permit once we arrive, but so far we don't have any documentation because the consulate here told us to do everything once we get to Berlin. Thanks for the advice!

It all depends on the airline/agent checking you in.
I actually think you are less likely to get questioned by passport control than you are to get asked questions by the airline.
You should bring copies of your onward itinerary--that should be enough to satisfy the airline (assuming the onward travel is within 90 days of your arrival into Germany).

You can also point out to the airline that US citizens can apply for a residence permit after arrival. The airline agent can look that up in Timatic (the IATA-managed service of international documentation requirements).
I had to do that once, myself. I had a roundtrip ticket, but the return was 10 months out, and online check-in gave me an error to see an agent. I did not have a visa because of Germany's unique policy that a few countries' citizens can do the paperwork after arrival. I simply told the agent that--she verified it in Timatic, and all was good.
Here is a link to Timatic so you can look it up for yourself. (This page is from Delta, but all airlines use it)
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations...rt_information/

Thank you so much!!! This really eases our worries!

Just wanted to update for those interested: we got in with no problems at all! We didn't even need to use our one-way tickets to Marrakech as proof of ongoing travel (yes, I realize in retrospect that this was a weird idea anyways, but when you're planning to up n move to another country you start to get a little paranoid and do stranger / less-intelligent things than you normally would do... plus they were only 10 euro on ryanair.com). The ladies at the United desk in SFO asked us some quick questions (they were obviously looking at the Timatic page) and we said that we were students and needed to get our visas in Berlin. After that, they let us go without much fuss. Copenhagen passport control just looked at the passports briefly, stamped, and let us go. Didn't ask to see tickets of any kind.

bravo. which airline did you fly on?

United, I gather.

I want to go on a one way ticket to frankfurt with my partner from Australia. I see that I dont need a visa to enter the country and will apply for one when I am in berlin. we will be flying with Qantus I hope this is ok.

I actually did the same thing in February, I flew out of Sydney where the check-in person was a quite concerned that I only had a 1-way ticket and was questioning whether they would let me in upon arrival in Germany. The thing is upon arrival in Germany you don't need to submit any documentation indicating length of stay or even where you will be staying as is the case with other countries, you simply present your passport. They might ask you how long you will stay/what you will do etc when you go through passport control upon arrival in Germany, I would answer that you are planning to travel throughout europe ( keep it simple). No need to mention that you will be applying for a Visa here-as an Australian you are entitled to 90 days here without an additional Visa.

Good luck and safe travels!

If the check-in agent does question you, just tell them to look up the entry requirements in TIMATIC (they all have access to this--it is a database maintained by the IATA).
Germany does not require you to have proof of onward/return travel.
It also states in there that citizens of those specified countries can apply for a visa after entry on the waiver.

I didn't have any problem and no one gave me a second glance flying into Frankfurt on a one way ticket with no visa when I arrived here. Don't sweat it.

Thanks All Thats the info I am happy to read, of course this is a big move I am paranoid and nervouse and really excited Highered, do you have a link where this is written down so i can print out the information?

I posted a link to TIMATIC on Delta's website a few posts back.
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations...rt_information/

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