E-Visa Scams
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How to spot a fake or overpriced e-visa website

Last checked: 19 October 2026 · Guides

Check three things before you pay: the web address, the price and the promise. Official sites use government domains, such as .ica.gov.sg in Singapore 1 or .go.id in Indonesia 2. The price should match the official fee. GOV.UK warns that some sites “make you pay for things that would be free or cheaper” 3. Canada says offers of faster processing “are false” 4. A high search ranking proves nothing, the Hong Kong Consumer Council found 5.
Check 1
The address ends in the right government domain 1
Check 2
The price matches the official fee 3
Check 3
No promise of faster or guaranteed approval 4
Search ads
Top results can be copycats 5
Free forms
Arrival cards such as Thailand's TDAC cost nothing 6

Sign 1: the web address is not a government domain

This is the fastest check. Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority says “Official ICA websites or e-Services' URLs will always contain “.ica.gov.sg”” 1. Indonesia's immigration service says official government sites end in .go.id 2.

Canada tells people to “Check the address in your browser's address bar when you land on a website” 4. Look at the whole domain, not just the start. A name like a country plus “visa” on a .com address is not a government site.

Our list of official e-visa websites gives the right address for each scheme we cover.

Sign 2: the price is higher than the official fee

GOV.UK says some websites look like part of an official service when they are not. “Some make you pay for things that would be free or cheaper if you used the official government service” 3.

The Hong Kong Consumer Council said unofficial agency sites often charge fees “several times higher than those of the official websites” 5. In one case a traveller paid US$100 for an Australian ETA that cost AUD20 5.

Know the real price first. A UK ETA costs £20 7. A Canada eTA costs CAN$7 8. Thailand's arrival card is free 6.

Sign 3: it promises speed or a guarantee

Canada says: “Don't pay for offers of guaranteed entry into Canada or faster processing of your application. These claims are false” 4.

GOV.UK says you cannot get a faster UK ETA decision by applying through another website or app 9. India says it charges no emergency or express e-Visa fee 10.

Sign 4: the disclaimer is hidden

Many copycat sites admit they are private, in small print. The Hong Kong Consumer Council found a notice “in hardly legible fine print” at the bottom of one site saying it was a private company 5.

Türkiye's consulate in Boston said fake e-visa sites carry a footnote reading “This is a commercial/private website, NOT an official website of the Government” 11.

The Consumer Council says an official site will show the government department it represents in a prominent place, with its address and contact details 5.

Sign 5: it ranks high in search results

The Hong Kong Consumer Council warned that “Search engine rankings do not necessarily represent the reputation and credibility of individual website” 5. Danish payment firms said copycat sites buy high places in Google results 12.

GOV.UK says you can report scam or misleading adverts, including those in search engines, to the Advertising Standards Authority 3.

Other red flags from regulators

  • Odd payment options. Australia's Scamwatch warns about sites with only one payment method, or that ask for gift cards or Bitcoin 13.
  • Pop-ups with urgent warnings that ask you to click a link 13.
  • Requests to pay a visa fee by cash or money transfer. GOV.UK says you will never be asked to pay for a UK visa that way 14.
  • Lookalike apps. Japan's Digital Agency warned of a fake app posing as Visit Japan Web that asked for credit card details 15.
  • Messages that look like they come from a government agency. The US FTC says not to click on any link in them 16.

Common questions

Is a visa website with a flag and a crest official?

Not on its own. The Hong Kong Consumer Council found a copycat site using the national flag and words like “immi” and “eta” 5. Check the domain.

Can a private company apply for my visa or ETA?

Some schemes allow it. Under the EU's ETIAS rules commercial middlemen may apply for travellers and keep any extra charge 17. The trouble is sites that hide what they are.

How do I find the official site?

Start from a government page you trust. GOV.UK tells people to search GOV.UK for official services 3. Our official sites list gives addresses for 20 schemes.

What do I do if I already entered my details on a fake site?

Call your card issuer straight away 18. In Australia, IDCARE can help you limit the damage 13.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email hello@evisascams.com with the official link.

Sources

  1. Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (Singapore): Advisory on Fake or Misleading Websites (accessed 19 October 2026)
  2. Directorate General of Immigration (Indonesia): official website (accessed 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Avoid and report internet scams and phishing (accessed 19 October 2026)
  4. Government of Canada (IRCC): Internet, email and telephone fraud (page dated 1 September 2026)
  5. Consumer Council (Hong Kong): Unofficial Visa Agency Websites Charge Exorbitantly but No Protection for Unsuccessful Applications (17 June 2019)
  6. Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports: Tourism Ministry warns of fake TDAC websites charging fees (17 October 2025)
  7. GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK (accessed 19 October 2026)
  8. Government of Canada: Apply for an eTA (accessed 19 October 2026)
  9. GOV.UK: Apply for an ETA (accessed 19 October 2026)
  10. Government of India: Indian e-Visa (accessed 19 October 2026)
  11. Consulate General of Türkiye in Boston: Fraudulent E-Visa Websites (19 April 2019)
  12. The Local Denmark: Danish travellers warned to avoid scam US, Canada and UK visa websites (19 June 2025)
  13. Scamwatch (ACCC, Australia): Website scams (26 March 2026)
  14. GOV.UK: Report visa and immigration scams (updated 11 October 2024)
  15. Digital Agency (Japan): Alert Regarding Suspicious Information (accessed 19 October 2026)
  16. US Federal Trade Commission: How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam (accessed 19 October 2026)
  17. The Local Sweden: Non-EU travellers warned about unofficial ETIAS tourist visa websites (16 April 2023)
  18. US Federal Trade Commission: What To Do if You Were Scammed (updated 21 August 2026)

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