How to find the official visa application website
Find the real government visa route, recognise authorised contractors, and avoid paying for a free arrival form or an unnecessary service.
Open the application service from a destination government's immigration or consular page, not from an advertisement or a familiar-looking logo. Save the government page as well as the application link. That gives you a way to verify who is collecting your passport details and why.
Sources retrieved on 9 November 2026. This is a practical checking method, not a claim that every private agency is fraudulent. TripColour does not sell visas, submit applications or receive visa-service affiliate fees.
First establish whether you need to apply
Start with your passport, destination, purpose and length of stay. Applying through the genuine portal for the wrong document is still a problem. An arrival declaration may be required alongside a visa; a visa exemption may remove the visa application without removing the declaration.
Use the TripColour checker, open the official source and confirm that it covers your nationality. Look for ordinary passports rather than diplomatic or emergency documents. Check whether a residence permit or dual nationality changes the route.
Do not assume that a search titled "visa application" proves you need a visa. A commercial landing page can be designed to sell help even when an eligible traveller can complete a simple government process directly.
Follow a chain you can explain
A defensible route looks like this: destination immigration authority or consulate, then its visa instructions, then the service it links.
For example, the Brazilian consulate's eVisa page links to a VFS application service for eligible US, Canadian and Australian passports. That is a commercial-domain service connected from an official government page.
This matters because "only use a website ending in .gov" is not a reliable global rule. Government domain conventions differ, and some governments appoint contractors. The relationship must be verified from the authority, not inferred from a contractor's own badge.
When sharing the route with someone else, send the government instruction page first. It provides context if the application address later changes.
Separate the fee from the service charge
Write down what you are paying for:
| Charge | What to check |
|---|---|
| Government application fee | Named document, category, currency and applicable passport. |
| Government-appointed service charge | The official page identifies the provider and route. |
| Optional private assistance | Who operates it, what help is included, total price and refund conditions. |
| Arrival declaration | Whether the authority provides the form free of charge. |
The UK ETA page lists its government fee and warns that other websites may charge more. Read the current fee there rather than trusting an old screenshot or a price quoted in another currency.
The UK's Indonesia entry guidance, scoped to British citizen passports, says the All Indonesia arrival card service is free and warns against alternative sites requesting payment. A separate visa can still have a fee. Paying for a visa does not automatically mean you have completed every arrival form.
Inspect the page before uploading a passport
Read the address carefully. A country's name in the page title is not the operator's identity. Check the exact hostname against the link you followed from the official authority.
Look for a clear explanation of the document, eligibility, price, contact route and data use. Pause if the service asks for unrelated information or presents an unexplained additional payment. HTTPS protects the connection; it does not prove government ownership or good business practices.
Do not share passport scans, application numbers or payment details in public forums while asking whether a site is real. Describe the hostname and the claim instead. If you need help from an authority, use the contact details on the authority's own page.
Watch for approval claims the authority does not make
Indonesia's official Visitor Visa FAQ says third-party assistance websites are not endorsed by or associated with the Indonesian government. It also says the immigration officer can refuse entry even to someone holding a visa.
Similarly, Tanzania's visa guidelines distinguish the grant notice from final entry clearance. A seller promising guaranteed admission is promising more than these authorities do.
An application receipt is not the same as an approved visa. A payment confirmation proves a payment, not permission to travel. Before departure, locate the actual decision or issued document in the official system and check the personal details.
Check details before pressing pay
Compare the passport number, name, nationality and date of birth against the passport you will use. Check the visa category, entries, intended dates and permitted entry points. Review every traveller separately, including children.
The Indonesian official FAQ says incorrect information can invalidate the visa and payments for application errors are not refunded. That is a good reason to slow down at the review screen, not to assume a paid intermediary will catch mistakes for you.
Save your application reference, receipt and decision securely. Do not store them only in a chat thread or on a device you will leave at home.
If something has already gone wrong
Return to the original government page and use its published support route. For a disputed private charge, contact the provider and your payment institution through their normal channels. Keep receipts and correspondence; do not assume the government can refund an agency's fee.
If passport or card information may have been misused, contact the relevant passport authority or card issuer promptly for advice. Do not post the documents publicly to seek reassurance.
Avoid submitting duplicate government applications or making repeated payments just because a page appears stuck. Indonesia's FAQ specifically advises contacting its support desk about unsuccessful transactions before making a new request.
A thirty-second final check
Before entering sensitive information, be able to answer: which authority directed me here, which document am I applying for, why do I need it, what is the full cost, and how will I verify the decision?
If one answer is missing, stop and resolve it. A clear official route usually saves more trouble than choosing the first result and trying to establish its legitimacy after payment.