Official visa websites for Indians, and how to avoid fake ones

In short: For most countries a government website is the only place you need to apply, and it is usually cheaper. Look-alike sites rank high in search and charge for what governments give free: for example, Sri Lanka's tourist ETA is free for Indians, and the Maldives' Traveller Declaration is free for everyone. Below are the official sites for popular destinations, as named by the governments themselves, and a quick test for any other site.

Official websites (as published by each government)

• Thailand: the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi says all applicants must apply through thaievisa.go.th.
• Sri Lanka: eta.gov.lk. The tourist ETA is processed free of charge for Indian nationals since 25 May 2026.
• Maldives: imuga.immigration.gov.mv for the Traveller Declaration, free. Maldives Immigration warns about third-party websites that charge a fee.
• Vietnam: evisa.gov.vn. The e-Visa costs US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry), valid up to 90 days.
• Kenya: etakenya.go.ke. The standard eTA is US$30.
• Bahrain: evisa.gov.bh, which describes itself as "the only official website to apply for a visa to the Kingdom of Bahrain".
• Indonesia: evisa.imigrasi.go.id for the e-VOA and extensions: Rp 500,000 for 30 days.
• Rwanda: Irembo (irembo.gov.rw) for online visas, or apply at the border. Rwanda says no single agent is authorised to apply on your behalf.
• Turkey: evisa.gov.tr.
• Russia: evisa.kdmid.ru.
• Georgia: evisa.gov.ge, which adds a mandatory second step with a US$15 fee, shown on the official portal.
• Kyrgyzstan: evisa.e-gov.kg.
• Zimbabwe: evisa.gov.zw (pre-fill for visa on arrival).
• Singapore: visas go through authorised visa agents, a Singapore mission or a local contact on the ICA e-Service. ICA does not accept visa applications at immigration counters.

A five-point test for any visa website

1. The address. Government sites usually end in .gov, .gov.xx or an official domain. Type the address yourself, from the embassy page, instead of clicking an ad.
2. The fee. If a site charges Rs 3,000 for something the government calls free, you are paying an agent, not the government.
3. The embassy confirms it. The embassy or mission page should name the same website.
4. No upfront promises of approval. Governments cannot guarantee a visa, and a site that does is not telling the truth.
5. Payment and data. Pay only by card on a secure page; do not send your passport photo by chat.

If you already paid a look-alike

Keep the receipt, check whether the visa is real on the government's own site, and contact the payment provider. A genuine agent should tell you clearly that it is a service company, not the government.

What we could not confirm

We did not test any individual look-alike site, and we do not name any. The list above covers only the destinations where we could read the official statement.

How we checked this

We read each government or embassy page on 10 and 11 November 2026. Portals change, so confirm the address on the embassy's page. Our visa guide lists the official source and date for each country.