My Onward Ticket
Thirty million passengers fly into Brazil each year and a surprising number of them hit a wall at the Delta counter at JFK or the Air France desk at CDG because they didn't know Brazil asks for proof of departure. A dummy ticket, also called an onward ticket, is a real PNR booked for visa or border-check purposes without paying for the flight. Read this before you pack.
1. The rule applies even if you don't need a visa
US, UK, Canadian, and Australian passport holders don't need a Brazilian visa. Good. That doesn't mean the Polícia Federal stops asking how you're leaving. Visa-free isn't requirement-free.
Brazil's Migration Law (Lei 13.445/2017) sets departure requirements independently of visa obligations. Every tourist category, regardless of nationality, is expected to show a verifiable means of exiting the country. The immigration officer at GRU doesn't check your visa status and wave you through. They check your exit plan too.
2. Your screenshot will fail the GDS check
An OTA booking confirmation PDF, a flight search result page, a wishlist screenshot from a travel app -- none of those pass the verification check carriers run before boarding passengers on Brazil routes.
Check-in agents consult the IATA Timatic database. Timatic, for most nationalities entering Brazil, requires a verifiable outbound booking. "Verifiable" means a live PNR that returns a real result when typed into a GDS terminal.
| Document type | Passes GDS verification? | Polícia Federal accepts? |
|---|---|---|
| Real paid return ticket (PNR) | Yes | Yes |
| Dummy ticket with live PNR | Yes | Yes |
| OTA export without confirmed PNR | No | No |
| Flight search screenshot | No | No |
| Hotel confirmation only | No | No |
| Booking.com "reserved" status | No | No |
The KLM agent at AMS and the Lufthansa agent at FRA are both checking the same database. Don't assume one airport is easier than another.
3. The exit date has to land inside your 90-day window
Brazil's visa-free window for most Western passports is 90 days. Your onward or return flight must depart Brazil before that window closes. Book a dummy ticket dated 110 days after entry and a sharp officer will spot the mismatch between your declared stay length and your exit booking.
If you're on a consulate visa rather than a visa-waiver entry, the onward ticket departure date must fall within the visa's validity period. Don't book beyond the visa expiry date.
4. Carriers check you before Brazil does
Your first checkpoint isn't the Polícia Federal desk. It's the check-in agent in your departure city. Delta at MIA, American at MIA and JFK, TAP at LIS, Air France at CDG -- they all check Timatic before printing your boarding pass. If your exit documentation doesn't pass there, you don't reach Brazil at all.
Book your dummy ticket at My Onward Ticket before you leave for the airport. Sorting it at the check-in counter is stressful and sometimes impossible if the queue is long and the flight is closing.
For the full breakdown of what agents type into their terminals, see our guide on what check-in agents verify for onward tickets.
5. Overland exits need extra thought
You might plan to leave Brazil by crossing into Argentina at Foz do Iguaçu, into Uruguay at Santana do Livramento, or into Colombia at Tabatinga. That's a legitimate exit. You still need to show proof of departure at the Polícia Federal desk when you arrive in Brazil.
A cross-border bus booking or ferry confirmation works in theory, but officers are most confident with airline PNRs they can verify in real time against GDS data. Book a dummy flight, save your overland documentation for the actual crossing, and don't leave the onward ticket question to chance.
6. The name and date on the ticket must be exact
Two details kill dummy tickets that would otherwise pass: the wrong name and the wrong date.
The passenger name on your dummy ticket must match your passport exactly. Surname transposition, missing hyphens, or a nickname in the first-name field will get flagged. Book under your full legal name as it appears on the passport you're carrying.
The departure date must be realistic for your trip. If you tell immigration you're staying two weeks but your dummy ticket shows a departure eight months from now, that inconsistency raises questions you don't want to answer in an airport interview room.
Seen this go wrong at GIG. The traveller had booked the dummy ticket under a middle name that wasn't on the passport. The check-in agent at CDG caught it.
7. Fixing it takes two minutes if you plan ahead
You don't know your exit date. Your plans are open. You might leave via Recife or Porto Alegre instead of GRU. None of that is a problem if you have a verified dummy ticket with a live PNR, a date that falls within your stay window, and a name that matches your passport.
Book once, carry the PDF, show it when asked. That's the whole process. For a detailed look at how long PNR records stay active after booking, check our piece on PNR expiry timelines before you decide on timing.
Frequently asked questions
Can a bus booking serve as the onward ticket for Brazil entry?
In theory, yes. In practice, airline PNRs are what Timatic references and what officers are trained to verify. A bus ticket PDF from an operator that can't be checked in GDS carries real risk of rejection. Use a dummy flight ticket.
What's the maximum stay for US passport holders in Brazil?
Up to 90 days per entry under the current bilateral arrangement restored in 2023. Check the IATA Travel Centre for your specific nationality -- bilateral terms do change and Timatic is updated in near-real time.
Does the onward ticket have to depart from the same airport I'm arriving at?
No. A dummy ticket from GRU to Lima is fine even if you're landing at GIG. The ticket just needs to show a departure from Brazil within your permitted stay period.
Will the immigration officer call the airline to check?
They don't call. They type the booking reference into a GDS-connected terminal and the system returns the flight record. If the PNR is live and correct, that's the verification done.
What if my plans change after I've booked the dummy ticket?
The dummy ticket documents your intent at entry. If your plans shift after you're in Brazil, that's between you and your exit itinerary. The onward ticket doesn't lock you into a specific departure date after you've cleared immigration.