Denmark is refreshingly direct about flights. Its embassy in New Delhi tells applicants, in writing, not to pay for a fare before a decision, and its consulate in Dubai says the same thing. So the question for most people is not "reservation or ticket?" but "how do I make the reservation agree with everything else in the file?" Copenhagen trips also tend to be short and combined with Sweden or Norway, which brings its own paperwork. This guide sets out the Danish wording, the money and timing rules, and the small details that decide whether a file reads cleanly. General Schengen points live in our Schengen visa flight reservation guide; this page sticks to Denmark.
Denmark at a glance: the 2026 essentials
| Topic | Danish or EU position |
|---|---|
| New Delhi's flight line | "Flight reservations of return or round ticket". Visiting other Schengen states too? Add the internal flights, trains or car hire.[3] |
| Buy a ticket first? | No. "The Embassy recommends that you do not buy a plane ticket before your visa has been approved."[3] |
| Who decides, from India | The Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi. VFS Global takes applications and couriers files from centres outside Delhi.[4] |
| Visa fee | €90 per adult and €45 for a child aged 6 to 12, with INR 2,109 on top for VFS.[4] |
| Decision time | The Embassy aims for 15 days once your file reaches New Delhi; some take longer.[4] The EU ceiling is 45 days.[1] |
| Money to show | DKK 350 a day in a private home, DKK 500 a day in a hotel.[3] |
| Missing papers | Three days to hand them in at VFS in India; five days in Dubai.[3][6] |
Who needs a visa for Denmark?
Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa for any short visit to Denmark, whether for tourism, family or business. The same Schengen sticker lets you move across the other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180.[1][4] Indian diplomatic and official passport holders have separate rules, which this guide does not cover.
Nationality, not residence, decides whether you need a visa. A Dubai resident holding an Indian passport still applies. The visa list is common to every Schengen state, so a Gulf citizen exempt for one is exempt for Denmark too; Bahraini citizens, for instance, appear on the Danish checklist in Bahrain with their own extra documents.[7] If you are unsure about your passport, check the EU list on the European Commission site before booking anything.[1]
What does the Danish checklist say about flights?
We read three Danish checklists in October 2026. Each one names a reservation, and two go further and advise you not to buy. Here is the wording, unedited:
- Royal Danish Embassy, New Delhi (tourist list handed out by VFS): "Flight reservations of return or round ticket. If applicant is traveling to several Schengen states proof of intra-Schengen Flight reservation, Train Itinerary or Car rental." It continues: "People joining cruise liner in the onward journey, should provide the ticket & payment receipt. The Embassy recommends that you do not buy a plane ticket before your visa has been approved."[3]
- Royal Danish Consulate General, Dubai (tourism checklist, June 2026): "Copy of flight reservation including return flight (travel itinerary indicating intended travel dates)." Then: "The Consulate recommends that you do not buy a plane ticket before your visa has been approved."[6]
- Danish checklist at VFS Bahrain: "Copy of flight ticket or flight reservation, including return flight and the reservation number." Item 8 adds that applicants "are required to provide their travel plan."[7]
Our reading: a held reservation answers all three. Bahrain's list wants a reservation number, so the PNR must be printed clearly on the page. The New Delhi list is the only one with a paid-proof rule, and it applies narrowly: if part of your journey is a cruise that you board after arriving, show the cruise ticket and its payment receipt. Flights stay a reservation.
The Embassy's own covering note also asks for a cover letter stating "transport and accommodation details".[3] In that letter, call your document a flight reservation and give the flight numbers and dates. Officers read the letter and the reservation side by side, so they should tell the same story.
Will Denmark take a reservation, or must you pay for the flight?
For flights, a reservation fits every Danish list we found. The table sorts the wording by what it means for you.
| Danish or EU phrase | Source | Is a hold enough? |
|---|---|---|
| "Flight reservations of return or round ticket" | New Delhi[3] | Yes. It names a reservation and advises against buying. |
| "Copy of flight reservation including return flight" | Dubai[6] | Yes, with the intended dates visible. |
| "Flight ticket or flight reservation ... and the reservation number" | Bahrain[7] | Yes, provided the booking reference is on the printout. |
| Cruise "ticket & payment receipt" | New Delhi[3] | No, not for the cruise leg. A held booking does not show payment. |
| "Proof of means of transport and itinerary" | EU harmonised list for India[8] | Yes. The EU wording asks for proof of plans, not of payment. |
Our frank opinion: there is no upside in paying for a Copenhagen fare before the sticker is in your passport. The Embassy says so itself, and VFS adds that the Danish mission is not liable for flight-change costs caused by visa details.[4]
Where do you apply for a Denmark visa from India?
All short-stay files from India are decided by the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi. You fill in the form on the Danish portal applyvisa.um.dk, pay the visa fee there, print the receipt, and then give biometrics at a VFS Global centre.[3][4] The VFS page covers India and Bhutan, and anyone applying outside Delhi pays a compulsory courier charge of €4 (INR 444) because the file travels to New Delhi and back.[4]
First-time applicants must attend in person. Children under 12 come along for a photograph but are not fingerprinted.[4] The Embassy's checklist page also asks that every document be in colour and on A4 paper, which catches people who print bank statements in black and white.[5]
Copenhagen is often one stop on a Nordic loop. Sri Lankan residents should note that Norway's Embassy in New Delhi lists Denmark among the countries it handles visas for in Sri Lanka.[10] Our Norway visa guide explains that route.
Danish visa fees and waiting times
On the VFS page the consular charge is €90, or €45 for a child from six up to twelve, converted at the exchange rate on the day you apply. The VFS service fee is INR 2,109 (€19), payable by cash, card or UPI at the centre.[4] Children under 6 pay no visa fee under EU rules.[1]
Decisions "must normally be made within 15 days" counted from the day the Embassy receives the file, not the day you visit VFS.[4] That difference matters if you apply in Chennai or Pune, because courier time sits on top. EU law opens the window six months before travel and closes it 15 days before you fly.[1]
An example: you want to see Copenhagen in late May. Book the VFS slot for late March or early April. If the Embassy asks for something extra, you have three days to supply it, so a calm calendar beats a tight one.[3]
What daily budget does Denmark expect you to prove?
Denmark is one of the few Schengen states that puts a daily figure on its Indian checklist. You need DKK 350 per day if you stay in a private home and DKK 500 per day if you stay in a hotel. The checklist adds that failing to show enough funds "may lead to refusal".[3]
Your flight reservation feeds straight into that sum. A ten-day hotel stay needs DKK 5,000 at the stated rate, so the dates on your reservation set the number of days the officer multiplies. If you shorten the trip on paper, shorten it everywhere: form, cover letter, hotel and insurance. The bank statement itself must be the original, stamped and signed, covering the last three months.[3]
Is Denmark really your main destination?
Denmark is the right mission when Copenhagen is your sole Schengen stop, when most of your nights fall there, or when it is the reason for the trip. A tie on nights goes to your first Schengen entry point.[1][2]
Two examples. Copenhagen five nights, then Malmö two and Stockholm two: four nights in Sweden against five in Denmark, so Denmark it is. Now flip it: Copenhagen three nights and Oslo plus the fjords six. Norway wins, and the file should go to the Norwegian Embassy instead.
Once Denmark is correct, show every leg. New Delhi expects you to document travel between Schengen countries as well as accommodation "covering the whole duration".[3] A multi-city or open-jaw reservation works well when you fly into Copenhagen and home from Stockholm. Tricky splits are covered in our guide to picking the right Schengen mission.
Details your Danish file's reservation needs
- Names copied letter for letter from each passport, middle names included where printed.
- An out-and-back route that leaves from, and returns to, the country you are applying in.
- A visible reservation number. Bahrain's list names it outright, and it lets anyone check the booking.[7]
- Dates that match your leave letter. The Indian checklist asks for holiday approval from your employer.[3]
- Insurance that covers arrival and departure days. The Danish wording says the policy must include "the date of arrival & departure".[3]
- Hotel nights for the whole stay, in Denmark and any other state. Gaps can be covered with our hotel booking for visa.
How to prepare the flight part of your Denmark file
- Count the nights per country and confirm Denmark leads.
- Complete the form at applyvisa.um.dk and pay the visa fee there; keep the printed receipt.[3]
- Book a VFS appointment at the centre nearest you.
- Get the reservation made roughly three days ahead of your VFS slot, so the PNR is active at submission. You will see the hold window before paying on our booking page.
- Open the PNR on the airline's own "Manage booking" page. Our walkthrough on checking a reservation before submission covers this.
- Do the arithmetic: days on the reservation times DKK 350 or 500, against your bank balance.
- Print in colour on A4, as the Embassy asks.[5]
With the sticker issued, pay for an actual fare whose dates sit within it.
Denmark-specific slips that weaken a file
- A bank balance that cannot cover the daily rate for the days on your reservation.[3]
- Insurance ending the day before your return flight, when the checklist wants arrival and departure days covered.[3]
- Black-and-white copies handed in where colour A4 is requested.[5]
- A cruise leg backed only by a hold, when New Delhi asks for the ticket and payment receipt.[3]
- Missing the three-day window for extra documents, after which the Embassy decides on what it has.[3]
- A Sweden-heavy route filed with Denmark. Count nights before choosing the mission.
What happens at check-in and at the Danish border?
Once you hold the visa, the reservation's job is done. At check-in, the airline looks at your passport and visa for the journey you are actually flying. At the Schengen border, the entry conditions still apply: you must be able to justify the purpose of the stay and show enough money for the visit and for the return journey.[9] Carry your paid return ticket, hotel confirmations and insurance on the day you travel. Do not rely on the old reservation for this stage; it was evidence for the application, not a ticket to fly on.
Can the Embassy check your reservation?
The Danish Embassy does not publish its checking methods. Anyone holding your surname and PNR can open a genuine booking on the carrier's site. A fabricated booking counts as a false document, which Visa Code Article 32 lists among reasons to refuse.[2] The Indian list also reminds you that extra papers or a personal interview may be requested.[3] We issue genuine airline reservations only.
Applying for Denmark from the Gulf
You apply where you legally live. In the UAE, the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai processes files collected by VFS. Its June 2026 checklist asks for a UAE residence permit valid three months beyond your departure from Schengen, insurance verifiable by QR code if issued in the UAE, a full itinerary, and proof of pocket money in your own name at 350 or 500 DKK per day, "even if their trip is fully sponsored". The same checklist covers applications to Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.[6]
In Bahrain, the Danish list asks non-Bahraini residents for a residence permit valid at least three months from departure and a valid exit and re-entry visa, along with an employer letter stamped by the Chamber of Commerce.[7] If you are an Indian working in the Gulf, start and end the reservation in your Gulf city, not in India, unless you really are flying from home. Our page for Gulf-based Indian residents covers the wider picture.
Denmark flights and visas: common questions
Must I buy my flights before applying for a Danish visa from India?
No. The New Delhi checklist names a return flight reservation and recommends that you do not buy a plane ticket until the visa is approved. A held return reservation with a working PNR meets that wording. Buy your real ticket after approval, for dates inside the visa.
Is a dummy ticket accepted by the Danish Embassy?
The Embassy's list names a flight reservation. A real booking sitting in the airline's system meets that description. What it will not accept is a made-up or edited document. The Embassy decides each case on its merits, so a reservation supports your file but cannot secure a visa on its own.
How many days before my VFS appointment should I book the reservation?
We suggest two to four days before. The booking needs to be live when you submit. Ours remain valid for as long as two weeks, though the carrier sets the precise window, so reserving a month early risks a lapsed hold before the Embassy opens your file.
I am taking a Baltic cruise from Copenhagen. What do I submit?
For the flights, a return reservation is fine. For the cruise, the New Delhi checklist asks people joining a cruise liner on the onward journey to provide the ticket and payment receipt. That means a paid cruise booking, not a hold. Keep the cruise dates consistent with your flights and hotel nights.
How much bank balance does Denmark expect?
The Indian checklist sets DKK 350 per day when staying in a private home and DKK 500 per day in a hotel. Multiply by the number of days between your reservation's outbound and return flights. The statement must cover three months and be stamped and signed by your bank.
Can I visit Sweden and Norway on a Danish visa?
Yes, a Schengen visa issued by Denmark is valid across the Schengen area. What matters is that Denmark is your main destination when you apply. If you plan more nights in Sweden or Norway than in Denmark, apply to that country instead.
My UAE residence permit expires soon. Does that affect the reservation?
It affects the whole application. The Dubai checklist asks for a residence permit valid three months beyond your intended departure from Schengen. If your return date on the reservation pushes past that limit, renew the permit first or plan shorter dates.
Price and booking
You receive a real airline booking under your name, carrying a PNR that opens online, for whichever dates and cities you pick. Nobody has paid for a seat, and no airline will let you board with it.
Each figure covers one traveller, for a single or a return journey. Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo on one booking? Every two legs are priced as one unit (see dummy ticket price). Checkout runs on Razorpay (UPI, card, netbanking), your PDF usually lands about 10 minutes later, and progress shows on our tracking page. To compare options, see flight reservation for visa; for other destinations, requirements by country; for exit proof on one-way trips, onward ticket.
Book your Denmark visa flight reservation
Return or multi-city, with the PNR printed clearly. ₹699 / $9 per passenger.
Please note: only reserve a journey you mean to take. The decision rests with the Danish mission, and paperwork alone never assures a yes.
Neighbouring guides: Finland, Norway, Iceland and Estonia, or several Schengen countries on one trip. Back to the home page.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text: Articles 5, 21 and 32.
- Royal Danish Embassy, New Delhi, via VFS Global, Tourist Visa Checklist (PDF).
- VFS Global, Apply for visa to Denmark in India and Bhutan (fees, courier charge, processing, biometrics).
- Embassy of Denmark in India, Document checklists.
- Royal Danish Consulate General, Dubai, via VFS Global, Document checklist: tourism (PDF, June 2026).
- Denmark checklist for tourist visit, VFS Global Bahrain, Checklist for tourist visit (PDF).
- European Commission, Implementing Decision C(2025) 4379, Annex: supporting documents for visa applicants in India (PDF, 4 July 2025), published by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code): Article 6, entry conditions.
- Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, Visitor's visa (representation for Denmark and Iceland in Sri Lanka).
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · hotel booking for visa · all visa guides.