Retirement visas are mostly about money and health. Embassies want pension letters, bank balances, insurance and medical certificates, and they read those closely. The flight question is smaller, but it is not the same everywhere: one Thai embassy lists a travel booking, another does not; Portugal names a reservation with your date of entry; Malaysia's MM2H list says nothing about flights. Below we take each programme from its own official page, in the order most Indian retirees ask us about them, and say where a held reservation fits, where it is pointless, and where only a paid ticket will do.
Retirement visa key facts for 2026
| Programme | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| Thailand O-A (long stay) | Age 50 or over; monthly income of at least 65,000 THB or a balance of 800,000 THB; health insurance of at least 3,000,000 THB; one-year stay; applied for on thaievisa.go.th.[1] |
| Thai flight wording | Embassy in Doha: "Travel booking confirmation".[1] Embassy in Oslo: no travel booking on its list.[2] |
| Portugal D7 | For retirees and passive-income holders; New Delhi and Goa want a named flight reservation "showing the date of entry in Portugal".[6][7] |
| Portugal visa validity | Two entries, valid 4 months (120 days), during which you apply for residence in Portugal.[6] |
| Malaysia MM2H | Silver, Gold and Platinum need fixed deposits of USD 150,000, 500,000 and 1 million; age 25 or over; applications only through licensed agents; no flight document on the guidelines page.[4][5] |
| Visiting Malaysia first (Indian passport) | Visa-free until 31 December 2026, up to 30 days, provided travellers hold confirmed return tickets.[8] |
Do retirement visas ask for a flight ticket?
Some do, some do not, and the wording matters more than the country name. Here is what the official lists we read actually say:
- Thailand O-A, Royal Thai Embassy in Doha: "Travel booking confirmation", listed between proof of residence in Qatar and a CV.[1]
- Thailand O-A, Royal Thai Embassy in Oslo: no travel or flight document at all; the focus is insurance, money and residence in Norway or Iceland.[2]
- Portugal D7, Embassy in New Delhi and Consulate General in Goa: under "Transport document/flight reservation", a reservation in your name showing the date you enter Portugal. Both note that paying for a ticket brings no priority.[6][7]
- Malaysia MM2H: the guidelines page sets age, deposit, stay and agent rules. It does not mention flights.[4]
So for Portugal, a held reservation is exactly what the checklist describes. For Thailand, it depends on your embassy, and "booking confirmation" is a reasonable fit for a verifiable reservation. For MM2H, there is nothing to submit, and adding one gains you nothing.
Thailand's O-A visa: what the embassies list
The Non-Immigrant O-A is Thailand's long-stay visa for people aged 50 or over who will not work. The Royal Thai Embassy in Doha sets out the conditions clearly: no criminal record, none of the prohibited diseases, and financial evidence of a monthly income of no less than 65,000 THB or a balance of 800,000 THB. Health insurance must cover at least 3,000,000 THB, and a medical certificate must be under three months old. Applications go online through thaievisa.go.th, with processing of up to 10 working days.[1]
The Doha list includes "Travel booking confirmation". The Oslo list, for the same visa category, does not; it sets an insurance floor of 100,000 USD or 3,000,000 THB and asks for proof of permanent residence in Norway or Iceland.[2] That difference is normal for Thai missions. The e-Visa system shows you the upload list for the embassy that covers where you live, and that list is the one that counts.
Our view: if your upload list includes a travel booking, a verifiable reservation showing your intended arrival in Thailand fits the phrase "booking confirmation". If the list does not include one, do not add it. The officer is reading pension and bank papers, not flight times.
Retirees living in the Gulf often apply from there. If that is you, notice that Doha also asks for your Qatar residence permit as proof of where you are. The reservation should start from that country, not from India, so the file tells one consistent story.
Scouting Thailand before you apply
Many people visit first. Thailand added India to its 30-day visa exemption list from 15 September 2026.[3] Exempt visitors must prove they will move on within those 30 days.[9] That check happens at the airline counter and at immigration, and a reservation that has lapsed by the time you land is no help. Our Thailand onward ticket guide covers the details, and the Thailand visa guide explains the tourist e-Visa.
Portugal's D7: a reservation with your entry date
The D7 is Portugal's residence visa for retirees, people living on passive income such as rents or dividends, and religious workers. The New Delhi embassy's checklist explains that the visa gives two entries and is valid for four months (120 days), during which you must apply for residence with the Portuguese authorities.[6]
The money side is detailed. You show financial resources for at least 12 months, with six months of stamped bank statements and three years of income tax returns. Retirees add an official pension document carrying a Hague Apostille. Travel insurance must be the original, from an approved Indian insurer, with at least €30,000 of cover, a QR code, and the whole stay covered.[6]
The flight line is short: a reservation in the applicant's name, "showing the date of entry in Portugal".[6] Goa's checklist, dated August 2025, uses the same wording.[7] Note what it does not ask for. There is no return leg, because you are moving there. A one-way reservation into Lisbon or Porto matches the request, and it is what we would book.
Which office? Residents of Maharashtra and Goa go through Goa's consulate, along with the small union territories nearby; elsewhere in India, New Delhi. Our Portugal visa guide explains the split for short-stay applicants, and the same jurisdictions apply here.
Malaysia MM2H: no flight document, but watch the entry trip
The current MM2H rules have three standard tiers. Silver needs a fixed deposit of USD 150,000 and a home worth at least RM600,000, for a 5-year pass. Gold needs USD 500,000 and RM1 million, for 15 years. Platinum needs USD 1 million and RM2 million, for 20 years.[5] Applicants must be at least 25, and those under 50 must spend 90 days a year in Malaysia, counted cumulatively. Applications go only through tour businesses licensed for MM2H by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.[4]
The guidelines page does not ask for a flight booking.[4] Your licensed agent will tell you when you need to be in Malaysia, for example for the medical check that follows approval.[5]
That trip is where flights matter. Indian citizens can visit Malaysia without a visa until 31 December 2026 for up to 30 days, but Malaysia's New Delhi mission expects confirmed return flights and a confirmed hotel at screening, plus the MDAC filed three days before arrival.[8] A held reservation is not a confirmed ticket. For that journey, buy a real return fare, ideally one you can change. We would rather say that plainly than sell you the wrong document. More in our Malaysia visa guide and Malaysia onward ticket guide.
Thailand, Portugal and Malaysia compared
| Question | Thailand O-A | Portugal D7 | Malaysia MM2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight item on the list? | Depends on embassy: Doha yes, Oslo no[1][2] | Yes: reservation showing entry date[6] | No[4] |
| Return leg needed? | Not stated | No, entry date only | Not for MM2H; yes for an Indian visa-free visit[8] |
| Does a held reservation fit? | Yes, where the list asks for a booking | Yes, it matches the wording | Not needed for MM2H; not enough for the visa-free entry |
| Money test | 65,000 THB a month or 800,000 THB balance[1] | 12 months of resources, pension proof apostilled[6] | USD 150,000 to 1 million fixed deposit[5] |
| Insurance | At least 3,000,000 THB[1] | At least €30,000, approved Indian insurer[6] | Medical check after approval[5] |
One-way or return for a retirement visa?
Retirees often worry that a one-way booking looks suspicious. For a residence visa, it is the honest choice. Portugal's checklist asks only for the date you enter, because the visa leads to residence.[6] The Thai O-A gives a one-year stay, and the Doha list asks for a booking confirmation without saying return.[1]
Say you plan to settle in Chiang Mai from 1 February and your O-A upload asks for a booking. A one-way reservation from your city to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, dated close to 1 February, tells the officer exactly what you intend. A return dated two weeks later would contradict the visa you are asking for.
The exception is a short visit made before you apply. There, the visitor rules apply, and they usually want proof that you will leave on time.
Preparing the flight part of a retirement application
- Get the upload list for your embassy. On the Thai e-Visa site or the Portuguese checklist for your jurisdiction, find the exact transport line, if there is one.
- Pick a realistic entry date. For Portugal, it should fall inside the four-month validity. For Thailand, match the date in your application.
- Book one way unless the list says return. Use the departure city that matches where you live now.
- Enter names exactly as in the passport. Include a spouse travelling with you on the same booking.
- Book a few days before submission. A hold lasts at most a fortnight, by the carrier's rules.
- Verify the PNR. Retirees can type reference and surname into the carrier's booking lookup and compare every detail.
- Pay for travel after approval. Fly within the validity window and keep your boarding passes.
Retirement visa travel mistakes we see
- A return reservation for a long-stay visa. It suggests a short trip, which is the opposite of your application.
- An entry date outside the visa window. For Portugal's D7, aim inside the 120 days.
- Using a reservation for Malaysia's visa-free entry. The High Commission wants confirmed return flight tickets.[8]
- Adding a booking where none is asked for. MM2H agents and the Oslo O-A list do not need one.
- Booking too early. A hold made weeks before your appointment may not still exist when it is checked.
- A spouse missing from the booking. If you move together, show both names.
Need a reservation for a D7 or O-A file?
Single or return routes for pensioners. ₹699 or $9 a person, sent over email in about ten minutes.
Retirement visa and flights: what people ask
Does the Thai O-A retirement visa need a flight ticket?
It depends on the embassy handling your e-Visa. The Royal Thai Embassy in Doha lists a "Travel booking confirmation"; the embassy in Oslo lists no travel document for the same visa. Check the upload list the e-Visa site shows you. Where a booking is requested, a verifiable reservation showing your arrival fits the wording.
What does Portugal's D7 checklist say about flights?
New Delhi and Goa each want a reservation bearing your name and Portugal arrival date. Each also says buying the fare will not hurry the decision. A one-way reservation into Portugal, dated inside the visa's four-month validity, matches that wording.
Do I need a flight booking for MM2H?
Not for the application. The MM2H guidelines cover age, fixed deposits, property, the 90-day stay rule and licensed agents, with no flight item. You will still travel to Malaysia at some point, and an Indian passport holder entering visa-free must show confirmed return flight tickets, so buy a real fare for that trip.
Should a retiree book one way or return?
One way, for a residence visa, unless the checklist asks for a return. Portugal asks only for your entry date, and a one-year Thai stay does not call for a return within days. A short return booking can look like it contradicts your plan to settle. Visitor trips are different: they normally need proof that you will leave.
Can my spouse be on the same reservation?
Yes. Couples can share a single reservation; we charge per head and copy both passport names letter for letter. Portugal's Goa checklist asks the cover letter to name accompanying travellers, so a single reservation for the couple keeps everything consistent across both files.
How long will the reservation stay valid?
Up to a fortnight; carriers differ on the precise span. Order once your pension paperwork is ready, a few days ahead of uploading. If your appointment moves, take a fresh reservation for the new dates rather than relying on the old one.
I am visiting Thailand first to look at towns. Is a reservation enough?
Be careful. Under the exemption you must show a departure within 30 days, and carriers may ask for it when you check in. A held reservation can lapse before you land. For that trip, a cheap refundable onward ticket or a real return is the safer choice.
What it costs and how to order
For retirees we hold seats one way or return on the dates you pick, under your passport name, with a live PNR the carrier's site will show. Being unpaid, it is no boarding document.
Pricing is per person regardless of single or return. Checkout runs on Razorpay (UPI, cards, netbanking) via the booking page; delivery by email takes around ten minutes, with status shown on the tracking page. For more detail see the price page, flight reservation for visa, how to verify before submission and our hotel booking service. Related reading: golden visa and investor routes, volunteer visas, the Schengen guide and requirements by country.
A note on honesty: book the trip you actually plan and call it a reservation in your cover letter. The embassy decides every application.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Doha, Retirement / long stay visa: Non-Immigrant Visa O-A.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Oslo, Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay).
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT Newsroom, New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September.
- Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Requirements and regulations.
- MM2H, category pages: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
- Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi via VFS Global, D7 residence visa checklist (PDF).
- Consulate General of Portugal in Goa via VFS Global, D7 residence visa checklist (PDF, August 2025).
- High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi, Visa requirements for foreigners.
- Royal Thai Embassy, London, Visa exemption.
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.