ANA (All Nippon Airways, flight code NH) is one of Japan's two big full-service airlines and a Star Alliance member, and its India website lists Delhi and Mumbai among its destinations.[2][5] So if you're applying for a Japan visa from India, an ANA reservation is often the most natural flight evidence you can attach. This guide covers how ANA's own booking pages work: the lookup screen, the payment deadlines, the paused Keep My Fare hold, and ANA's very specific name rules. Then it covers what the Japanese visa checklists actually ask for. Rules link to the ANA, VFS or government page we read, listed at the end.
ANA booking facts for a Japan visa file
| Question | What ANA or the checklist says |
|---|---|
| How do I look up a booking? | Search by reservation number (or e-Ticket number), with First (Given) name and Last (Family) name.[1][2] |
| When must I pay on ana.co.jp? | Before the "Purchase by" and "Payment due" dates shown for your booking; otherwise the whole itinerary is cancelled automatically.[3] |
| Does ANA sell a fare hold? | Keep My Fare holds a fare for up to 72 hours, but the India site says sales are currently suspended due to a system malfunction.[3] |
| Name length | Up to 48 characters for first and last names combined; first and middle names together 25 or fewer.[4] |
| How far ahead can I book? | Generally from 355 days before departure until 6 hours before boarding.[3] |
| Japan visa flight wording (India) | "Itinerary with the flight/ship number and date of arrival and departure to and from Japan."[7] |
Is an ANA reservation enough for a Japan visa?
For the visa application itself, the checklists we've read ask for an itinerary, not a purchase. The checklist published by VFS Global for the Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata repeats the same line for tourist, visiting-relative and business categories: "Itinerary with the flight/ship number and date of arrival and departure to and from Japan."[7] The same document wants hotel reservations marked "booking only- not confirmed", which tells you something about the spirit of it. Japan asks to see a plan, not money already spent.
A held ANA reservation gives exactly that: real NH flight numbers, your dates in and out of Japan, and your names. We would still not buy the fare before the visa is issued. If the trip changes or the application is refused, a paid ticket is a cost you didn't need to carry.
The same Kolkata list also asks for a "Day to day itinerary / travel itinerary/ schedule of stay" in the format published on the VFS website.[7] Your flight reservation and that day-by-day plan should tell one story. If ANA lands you in Tokyo on the morning of 3 December, day one of your plan should be 3 December in Tokyo, not a day earlier in Osaka.
Two points to keep separate in your head:
- The visa application is what the itinerary is for. Our Japan visa guide covers fees, centres and the other documents.
- Boarding and arrival are separate checks. Once you have the visa, buy the real ticket. If you're visa-exempt for Japan, see onward ticket for Japan.
How do you look up an ANA reservation?
ANA's Manage Your Booking page says you can find upcoming flights by reservation number, e-Ticket number or ANA Mileage Club number.[1] The non-member search form asks for three fields when you use the reservation number:[2]
- Open ana.co.jp, choose your country site (India, for example), and go to My Bookings.
- Select the search by Reservation Number.
- Enter the reservation number from your PDF.
- Enter the First (Given) name and Last (Family) name as on the booking.
- Check names, NH flight numbers, dates and airports against your passport and visa form.
The difference from many airlines is that ANA wants both names, not just the surname. If a lookup fails, the first-name field is often the cause. For instance, a middle name typed into the first-name box at booking must also be typed there at lookup. Our walkthrough on checking a reservation before you submit explains how to work through lookup errors calmly.
Japan visa appointment coming up?
An ANA reservation showing real NH flight numbers and your dates, at ₹699 or $9 for each applicant, sent by email in around 10 minutes.
How does ANA want names entered?
ANA starts from a hard rule: for international travel, the name on the passport must match the name on the ticket, and a mismatch can stop you boarding.[4] Its name-entry page then gives worked examples, and several are directly relevant to Indian passports.
| Situation | ANA's instruction |
|---|---|
| You have a middle name but the passport has no middle-name field | Put it in the First (Given) name field. Use the Middle name field only if the passport has one.[4] |
| A title is printed on the passport | Leave it out of the name fields.[4] |
| Hyphens, periods or spaces | Delete them or replace them with spaces; spaces may also be removed.[4] |
| Names in brackets | Remove the bracketed name.[4] |
| A one-letter surname | Repeat it, so "A" becomes "AA".[4] |
| First or last name missing | Contact ANA by telephone.[4] |
| A very long name | Up to 48 characters across first and last; contact ANA if longer.[4] |
The single-name case is worth flagging. Many Indian passports carry only a given name. ANA does not publish a placeholder such as FNU for this; it asks you to phone. Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia handle it differently, which is a good reminder that each airline sets its own convention. If your passport has a single name, tell us when you order and we'll make sure the reservation follows the passport exactly. Our name format guide has more examples.
Here's an everyday example. Say the passport shows Surname: SHARMA and Given name: ANIL KUMAR, with no middle-name field. On ANA, Last name is SHARMA and First name is ANIL KUMAR (or ANILKUMAR). At lookup, type it the same way.
Can you hold an ANA booking without paying?
Sometimes, briefly, and on ANA's terms. Its India booking page says international reservations come with a "Purchase by" date and a "Payment due" date, and that "Your entire itinerary will be automatically cancelled" if you miss them.[3] The deadline depends on the fare you choose.
ANA also sells Keep My Fare, which lets you hold a reservation and fare for up to 72 hours before a ticket is issued. It applies only to itineraries of ANA-operated flights with an ANA flight number (plus some Japan domestic codeshares), and fares with a purchase deadline under 72 hours can't use it. Once you take it, the itinerary can't be changed and the fee isn't refunded. ANA lists fees on several country sites, such as USD 10 on the US site and JPY 1,000 on the Japanese site.[3] As of October 2026, though, the India site carries a notice that sales of Keep My Fare are suspended due to a system malfunction.[3]
| ANA purchase deadline | Keep My Fare | Reservation from us | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Time to pay for a booking you made | Locking a fare while you decide | Flight evidence while a visa is decided |
| How long | Set by the fare; shown on the booking | Up to 72 hours[3] | Up to 2 weeks; the airline sets the exact period |
| Cost | None until you pay | Non-refundable fee | Our fee |
| Available now (India site)? | Yes | Suspended[3] | Yes |
Our opinion: ANA's own deadlines are designed for buyers, and Japan visa processing usually runs longer than a few days. A reservation built for the visa stage, then a real purchase after the visa, is the calmer sequence.
Which ANA routes suit a visa file?
Use the route you would genuinely fly. ANA's India site lists Delhi and Mumbai, alongside Tokyo and destinations across East and Southeast Asia.[5] A few patterns we see:
- Straight to Japan: Delhi or Mumbai to Tokyo and back. The simplest file, and it matches the "arrival and departure to and from Japan" wording directly.
- Japan plus a second country: for example India to Tokyo, then Seoul, then home. Japan's checklist only needs your dates in and out of Japan, but your file should still make sense end to end. Our open-jaw reservation guide covers routes that don't return from the same city.
- Onward through Tokyo: ANA's website lets you add codeshares and other airlines' flights only when combined with an ANA Group or codeshare flight to or from Japan.[3] If you're transiting Japan, check whether you even need a Japan visa.
Comparing Japanese carriers? Our Japan Airlines guide covers the other big one. For a Seoul connection, see Korean Air.
Families, partner airlines and paying for the real ticket
A few ANA rules matter once more than one person, or more than one airline, is involved.
Group size. ANA's website lets you reserve up to nine seats at a time, adults and children together, when seats are available.[3] A family of four applying together can sit on one reservation, which keeps the file tidy. Larger groups need separate bookings or a call to ANA.
Other airlines on the same itinerary. ANA's booking page warns that where an itinerary includes another airline's flight, that airline's reservation and ticketing rules apply, and the other airline "may cancel your reservation based on its purchase deadlines or due to a duplicate reservation".[3] In practice, keep a visa reservation simple. If the whole trip can be shown on ANA flights, do that.
Paying from India once the visa arrives. When you buy the real fare on ANA's India site, you need a valid email and a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card. ANA notes that, following a Reserve Bank of India directive, Indian-issued card numbers are tokenised when you pay on the India site.[3] UPI isn't listed there, so have a card ready. (For our reservations, UPI works fine through Razorpay.)
Say you, your spouse and two children have VFS appointments on 14 November. Order one reservation for all four a few days before, check it on ana.co.jp with one traveller's names, and buy the four real tickets after the visas are stamped.
What to check before you submit an ANA reservation
- NH flight numbers and the dates you arrive in and leave Japan are visible, as the checklist wording requires.[7]
- Names follow ANA's rules and your passport, with no title and the middle name in the right box.
- The reservation opens on ana.co.jp with reservation number, first and last name.
- Dates agree with your day-by-day itinerary, hotel bookings and leave letter.
- Every applicant in a family file is on it, or has their own.
- Your forms call it a reservation or itinerary, never a ticket.
Refunds and changes on paid ANA tickets are handled separately; ANA's refund page sets time limits, such as one year and 30 days from the first flight for involuntary refunds.[6] That only matters once you've bought the real fare.
How do you order an ANA reservation?
Match the arrival and departure dates in your visa form.
ANA's lookup needs both, so be exact.
Through Razorpay; the PDF normally arrives in about 10 minutes.
Reservation number, first name and last name.
Per passenger, one way or round trip; multi-city routes are priced per pair of legs. See the price list, check progress on order tracking, and add a hotel booking for the nights in Japan if you need one. A reservation stays valid for up to 2 weeks, and the airline decides the exact period, so order it a few days before your VFS appointment. You can also start from our home page.
Honest reminder: a reservation is not a paid ticket and won't let you board. The consulate decides what it accepts, and no document can promise a visa.
ANA dummy ticket: common questions
Can I check an ANA reservation online?
Yes. On ana.co.jp, open My Bookings and search by reservation number, entering both First (Given) name and Last (Family) name. You can also search by e-Ticket number or ANA Mileage Club number. If the search fails, check that the first-name field matches what was entered on the booking.
Does the Japan visa need a paid ANA ticket?
The VFS checklist for the Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata asks for an "Itinerary with the flight/ship number and date of arrival and departure to and from Japan." It doesn't ask for payment. A genuine reservation showing those details fits that wording; buy the fare after the visa.
What is ANA Keep My Fare, and can I use it?
It is a paid service that holds an ANA reservation and fare for up to 72 hours before ticketing, for ANA-operated flights. The fee isn't refunded and the itinerary can't be changed. ANA's India site currently says sales are suspended because of a system malfunction.
What happens if I miss ANA's payment deadline?
ANA's India booking page says the entire itinerary is cancelled automatically if you don't complete purchase and payment before the "Purchase by" and "Payment due" dates. Those dates depend on the fare, so check them on the booking screen before you rely on the reservation.
Where does my middle name go on ANA?
If your passport has no middle-name field, ANA asks you to enter the middle name in the First (Given) name field. Use the Middle name field only when the passport itself has one. Titles printed on the passport are left out.
My passport has only one name. What does ANA want?
ANA's name page says to contact ANA by telephone if either your first or last name is missing. It doesn't publish a placeholder. Tell us when ordering and we'll follow your passport exactly, so the name can be traced straight back to your travel document.
How early should I order the reservation?
A few days before your appointment. Our reservations remain valid for up to 2 weeks, with the precise period set by the airline. Ordering weeks ahead risks it lapsing before the officer looks at your file.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- ANA (India), Manage Your Booking.
- ANA, Search Reservation (reservation number and names).
- ANA (India), Reserving and purchasing international flights on the ANA India website: reservation period, Keep My Fare, purchasing timeframe.
- ANA (India), Information when entering your name when making reservations.
- ANA (India), Where We Travel.
- ANA (India), Refunds and Rebooking.
- VFS Global for the Consulate General of Japan, Kolkata, Document checklist for Japan (PDF).
Related: flight reservation for visa · requirements by country · onward ticket · Schengen guide.