Chapter 01
Official visa websites for Pakistanis, by country (checked 13 October 2026)
This is the list we use ourselves. Each domain was checked on 13 October 2026. When in doubt, open the embassy's own website and follow its link.
| Country | Official website(s) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai / UAE | icp.gov.ae, smartservices.icp.gov.ae, gdrfad.gov.ae, u.ae | ICP and GDRFA Dubai are the UAE immigration authorities; u.ae is the government portal |
| UK | gov.uk, visa.vfsglobal.com/pak/en/gbr | Apply on GOV.UK; biometrics at VFS Global. GOV.UK says official UK government sites always end in .gov.uk |
| USA | pk.usembassy.gov, travel.state.gov, ceac.state.gov, ustraveldocs.com/pk | DS-160 on ceac.state.gov; fee and appointments on ustraveldocs.com/pk, linked from the US Embassy's visa page |
| Canada | canada.ca, ircc.canada.ca, visa.vfsglobal.com/pak/en/can | Apply in your IRCC account; biometrics at VFS Global |
| Spain (Schengen) | pak.blsspainvisa.com (redirects to thespainvisa.com) | BLS International, the Spanish Embassy's outsourced partner |
| Italy (Schengen) | intianaitalyvisa.com | Visa centre named by the Italian Embassy, Islamabad |
| Germany (Schengen) | pakistan.diplo.de | The German Embassy and Consulate run their own appointment system |
| Other Schengen countries | The embassy's own website | Each embassy names its provider; always start from the embassy site |
| Thailand | thaievisa.go.th | Thai e-Visa portal |
| Malaysia | malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my | Malaysia eVISA |
| Singapore | ica.gov.sg | Immigration & Checkpoints Authority |
| Indonesia | evisa.imigrasi.go.id | Indonesian immigration e-visa |
| Türkiye | evisa.gov.tr, anatoliatravelservices.com | e-Visa (only for eligible applicants); sticker visas only through Anatolia Travel Services |
| Azerbaijan | evisa.gov.az | ASAN e-visa |
| Hong Kong | immd.gov.hk | HK Immigration Department |
| Saudi Arabia | ksavisa.sa, visa.visitsaudi.com | Saudi visa platform and tourist e-visa |
| Australia | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au | ImmiAccount (Department of Home Affairs) |
| China | visaforchina.cn | Chinese Visa Application Service Center (Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi) |
| Japan | pk.emb-japan.go.jp | Embassy of Japan in Pakistan |
| Sri Lanka | eta.gov.lk | Sri Lanka ETA |
| Uzbekistan | e-visa.gov.uz | Uzbekistan e-visa |
| Pakistan (complaints) | fia.gov.pk, complaint.fia.gov.pk, beoe.gov.pk | FIA and the Bureau of Emigration |
Not every official site has a government ending. Visa centre sites (VFS Global, BLS, Anatolia, CVASC) and ustraveldocs.com are private companies working under contract. That is why the safest check is always: does the embassy's own website link to it?
Chapter 02
How do fake e-visa websites trick Pakistani travellers?
Fake and lookalike e-visa websites copy the name, colours and flag of the real portal, then charge extra or never deliver a visa. They usually appear at the top of search results as paid ads. The common tricks are:
- A domain one letter or one word away from the real one. The official Azerbaijan e-visa portal is evisa.gov.az. When we checked on 13 October 2026, evisa.govt.az was live and its own disclaimer described it as a "private entity". Another, evisa.com.az, is run by a travel group. Azerbaijan's official fee is USD 20 for a standard e-visa (3 working days) and USD 50 urgent.
- Charging double or more. Turkish embassies warn that unofficial sites obtain the e-visa from the official portal and charge "more than twice" the fee. The Turkish Embassy in Kabul states that every site other than evisa.gov.tr claiming to give e-visas is fake.
- Long lists of copycats. For Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission in Colombo has published a list of unauthorised ETA websites, including eta.org.lk, srilankavisa.org.lk, e-visa.org.lk and srilankavisa.lk. The only official site is eta.gov.lk.
- Arrival-card and follow-up scams. After you apply, fake emails may ask you to pay for an "arrival card" or "verification". Thai immigration said in March 2026 that at least 10% of foreign arrivals had used fake arrival-card (TDAC) sites (Khaosod English, news).
- "Fast-track" promises. The UAE's ICP warned in July 2025 about unauthorised offices and websites promising fast-track visas, saying no third party has special privileges (Arabian Business, news).
Chapter 03
The 8 warning signs of a fake visa website or agent
| Warning sign | What to do |
|---|---|
| You reached the site by clicking an ad | Type the official address yourself. Since 22 October 2025, Google labels uncertified ads for e-visas and similar services "Not a government website" |
| Domain ends in .com, .org, .net or an odd variant (.govt.az, .org.lk) | Compare with the official list above |
| No official fee shown, or one bundled price | Official portals show the government fee. A legitimate agent shows the official fee and its own fee separately |
| A promise of certain approval | No one can promise approval. IRCC and US embassies say so publicly |
| Payment to a personal bank account, mobile wallet or cash with no receipt | Pay official fees only through the portal or visa centre |
| Selling appointment slots | Book only on the provider's own website (see below) |
| Offers to "arrange" a bank statement, hotel booking or sponsor letter | This is document fraud. It can lead to refusal, a ban and prosecution |
| Visit visa offered with employment waiting | Illegal. See "Overseas employment scams" below |
Chapter 04
Is buying a VFS, BLS or embassy appointment slot a scam?
Yes. Buying appointment slots from touts, Facebook pages or WhatsApp sellers is not an authorised service, even if you do get a slot. Official appointments are booked on the visa centre's or embassy's own website.
- Italy: the Italian Embassy in Islamabad names its official visa centre and asks people to report anyone selling appointments.
- Spain: BLS says its staff never ask for payment to get an appointment. For UAE residents, BLS now requires self-booking and rejects bookings made through intermediaries (Khaleej Times, July 2026).
- UK: brokers were reported reselling UK visa appointments in Pakistan for hundreds of pounds in 2023 (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre).
Appointments are scarce for some countries, especially Schengen. The honest answer is to check the official system regularly and plan early, not to pay a tout. We do not sell appointment slots.
Chapter 05
Fake visas: what happens if you travel on one?
A fake visa is usually discovered at the airport, and the traveller faces arrest as well as losing the money. Two 2026 cases:
- Karachi, January 2026: a passenger flying to Canada had paid Rs2 million for a visa that turned out to be fake. FIA offloaded him and arrested two agents in the airport car park (Aaj News).
- Lahore, July 2026: FIA stopped another traveller on a fake Canada visa; Rs9.8 million had been agreed and over Rs4 million paid (Daily Times).
How to check your visa is real:
- E-visas: check the status on the official portal. Turkish embassies advise checking any Turkish e-visa on evisa.gov.tr.
- UK, Canada, USA: your application and decision appear in your own GOV.UK, IRCC or ceac.state.gov account. If an agent will not give you your own login, be suspicious.
- Sticker visas: you should have attended biometrics yourself at the visa centre. A visa "obtained" without your biometrics, for a country that requires them, is a red flag.
Read more about what happens at the airport and FIA checks.
Chapter 06
Overseas employment scams disguised as visit visas
Scammers often sell a visit visa as a route to paid employment abroad. This is illegal and dangerous. Working on a visit visa is illegal in the destination country, and in Pakistan it can lead to prosecution under the Emigration Ordinance. We only assist genuine visitors.
The warning signs, from recent Pakistani alerts:
- Southeast Asia offers. In September 2026 the Bureau of Emigration warned that high-salary, free-travel, easy-visa offers for Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos are warning signs (Daily Pakistan, 22 Sep 2026). Pakistani missions have warned of scam centres near the Myanmar and Laos borders. Officials told the Express Tribune that 3,313 Pakistanis who went to Cambodia on visit visas over three years did not return (Express Tribune, Aug 2026).
- Gulf "free visa" offers. The Bureau has warned against so-called "Azad visa" offers for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Unlicensed recruiters. FIA has arrested unregistered agents in Karachi, Sahiwal and Mardan in 2026 over fake overseas employment visas.
How to check a recruiter: genuine overseas employment goes through a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter. Check the licence on the Bureau of Emigration's list of licensed OEPs. A travel agent or visit-visa agency is not allowed to arrange overseas employment.
Chapter 07
Where to report a visa scam in Pakistan
| What happened | Where to report |
|---|---|
| Fraud by a visa or travel agent, fake visa, human smuggling | FIA: complaint.fia.gov.pk, complaints@fia.gov.pk, helplines 051-111-345-786 or 1991 (FIA FAQ) |
| Online fraud, fake websites, social media scams | National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which took over cybercrime cases from FIA |
| Fake overseas employment offer or unlicensed recruiter | Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment or your nearest Protector of Emigrants office |
| Fake Azerbaijan e-visa site | Azerbaijan's Blacklist.gov.az, per Azerbaijan CERT |
| Appointment sellers for Italy | The Embassy of Italy, Islamabad |
Keep evidence: screenshots, payment receipts, bank transfer details, phone numbers and chat history.
Chapter 08
How to check any visa agent, including us
Ask any agent these questions before paying:
- What is your travel agency licence number? Licensed agents can give their provincial licence number. Ours is licence number, issued by licence authority.
- What is the official fee, and what is your fee? These should be shown separately.
- Will I have my own login on the official portal? For e-visas and online applications, you should be able to see your application.
- Who prepares the documents? They must be your genuine documents. No agent should create them for you.
- What happens if the visa is refused? Ask for the refund terms in writing. Official fees are almost never refundable.
Chapter 09
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if an e-visa website is official?
Type the address yourself instead of clicking an ad, and check it against the list of official domains on the government or embassy site. Most official e-visa portals use a government ending such as .gov.tr, .gov.az, .go.th, .gov.my, .go.id or .gov.lk.
Is evisa.govt.az the official Azerbaijan e-visa site?
No. The official Azerbaijan ASAN e-visa portal is evisa.gov.az. On 13 October 2026, evisa.govt.az described itself on its own site as a private entity offering a simplified application system.
Do VFS Global or BLS charge for appointments?
Booking an appointment on the official visa centre website is part of the normal process, and BLS says its staff never ask for payment to get an appointment. Anyone selling appointment slots on social media is not authorised, and the Italian Embassy in Islamabad asks people to report appointment sellers.
Can an agent promise my visa approval?
No. Only the embassy or immigration authority decides. Canada's IRCC and several US embassies say publicly that no one can promise visa approval, so treat any such promise as a warning sign.
How can I check if an overseas employment offer is genuine?
Check that the recruiter is a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter on the Bureau of Emigration's list at beoe.gov.pk. Overseas employment must go through a licensed promoter and protector registration, never a visit visa.
Where do I report a visa scam in Pakistan?
Report fraud by agents to FIA at complaint.fia.gov.pk, complaints@fia.gov.pk or the 1991 / 051-111-345-786 helplines. Report recruitment fraud to the Bureau of Emigration. Online fraud can also be reported to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
How do I check if my Turkish e-visa is real?
Turkish embassies advise checking any e-visa on the official status page of evisa.gov.tr. Turkish missions also warn that unofficial e-visa sites can charge more than twice the official fee.
Is it a scam if a website charges more than the government fee?
Not always. Some private services openly charge a service fee. It becomes a problem when a site hides that it is private, looks like a government site, or does not show the official fee separately.
Chapter 10
How Visit Visa Specialists helps
We are a private agency, and we say so on every page. We show the official fee and our service fee separately (see our fees), we file on the official portals, and you can see your own application where the portal allows it. If you have been offered a visa or a website you are unsure about, send it to us and we will tell you whether it matches the official route. Service fee for a document or offer check: Quote on WhatsApp.
Every fact, checkedSources+
- GOV.UK: UK government websites always end in .gov.uk; visa fraud warnings (gov.uk, checked 13 October 2026)
- IRCC: online and telephone immigration scams; no one can promise approval (canada.ca, checked 13 October 2026)
- Turkish Embassy New Delhi: unofficial e-visa sites charge more than twice; verify on evisa.gov.tr (newdelhi-emb.mfa.gov.tr, checked 13 October 2026)
- Turkish Embassy Kabul: sites other than evisa.gov.tr claiming to provide e-visas are fake (kabul-emb.mfa.gov.tr, checked 13 October 2026)
- Turkish Embassy Islamabad (Feb 2026): sticker visa applications only through Anatolia Travel Services offices (islamabad-emb.mfa.gov.tr, checked 13 October 2026)
- Azerbaijan Embassy Ottawa: evisa.gov.az is the only official ASAN e-visa site (ottawa.mfa.gov.az, checked 13 October 2026)
- Azerbaijan ASAN e-visa official fees: USD 20 standard (3 working days), USD 50 urgent (evisa.gov.az, checked 13 October 2026)
- Azerbaijan CERT: warning about fake websites; reporting via Blacklist.gov.az (cert.gov.az, checked 13 October 2026)
- High Commission of India, Colombo (updated Jul 2026): list of unauthorised Sri Lanka ETA websites; official site eta.gov.lk (hcicolombo.gov.in, checked 13 October 2026)
- Embassy of Italy Islamabad: official visa provider domain (intianaitalyvisa.com); report appointment sellers (ambislamabad.esteri.it, checked 13 October 2026)
- BLS International: outsourced partner of the Embassy of Spain in Pakistan (pak.blsspainvisa.com, checked 13 October 2026)
- US Embassy Pakistan: nonimmigrant visa process via ustraveldocs.com/pk (pk.usembassy.gov, checked 13 October 2026)
- Google Ads: uncertified ads for government documents, including e-visas, labelled 'Not a government website' (support.google.com, checked 13 October 2026)
- Google Ads Government documents and services policy update, effective 5 Oct 2026 (support.google.com, checked 13 October 2026)
- Arabian Business (news), Jul 2025: UAE ICP warns about unauthorised offices and websites promising fast-track visas (arabianbusiness.com, checked 13 October 2026)
- Aaj News (news), Jan 2026: Karachi passenger with fake Canada visa (Rs2m paid) offloaded; two agents arrested (english.aaj.tv, checked 13 October 2026)
- Daily Times (news), Jul 2026: Lahore fake Canada visa case, Rs9.8m agreed (dailytimes.com.pk, checked 13 October 2026)
- Daily Pakistan (news), 22 Sep 2026: Bureau of Emigration alert on high-salary, easy-visa offers for Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos (en.dailypakistan.com.pk, checked 13 October 2026)
- Express Tribune (news), Aug 2026: 3,313 Pakistanis who went to Cambodia on visit visas over three years did not return (officials) (tribune.com.pk, checked 13 October 2026)
- Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment: list of licensed Overseas Employment Promoters (beoe.gov.pk, checked 13 October 2026)
- FIA FAQ: complaint email complaints@fia.gov.pk, helplines 051-111-345-786 and 1991, complaint.fia.gov.pk (fia.gov.pk, checked 13 October 2026)
- Khaleej Times (news), Jul 2026: BLS Spain UAE self-booking; staff never ask for payment for appointments (khaleejtimes.com, checked 13 October 2026)
- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (reporting), Oct 2023: brokers reselling UK visa appointments in Pakistan (business-humanrights.org, checked 13 October 2026)
- Chinese Visa Application Service Center official site (visaforchina.cn, checked 13 October 2026)
We are an independent private agency, not affiliated with any government. Visa decisions are made solely by the relevant authority.
