also called proof of onward travel · return ticket requirement
Evidence of a booked flight or transport leaving a country, sometimes required to enter.
An onward ticket is proof that you have a flight or other transport already booked to leave a country, which some borders and airlines want to see before they let you in. The idea is to show you do not plan to overstay. For open-ended nomads who have not decided where they are going next, it can be an awkward requirement.
You show up to fly somewhere with no fixed plans beyond it, and the airline refuses to board you without proof you will leave again. To get on the plane you end up buying a cheap throwaway flight, or renting a temporary onward ticket, just to satisfy the check.
Open-ended nomads can be denied boarding without one, forcing throwaway bookings or rental-ticket services.
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