Official portal or agency: both are legal
You can apply yourself on the official portal and pay only the government fee. Many travellers use an agency instead, because a person checks the details, the delivery time is guaranteed and there is someone to call if something goes wrong. Paying a service fee is normal. The problem is sites that pretend to be the government, or that take your money and disappear.
Warning signs of a fake website
- It uses government flags and seals but is not on evisa.gov.vn.
- There is no company name, address or phone number anywhere.
- The total price only appears at the last step, or extra fees are added after payment.
- It promises a visa on arrival with no approval letter. That does not exist.
- It asks you to pay by bank transfer to a personal account or in cryptocurrency.
How to check an agency in two minutes
- Search the company name with the word reviews and read recent ones on Google or Trustpilot.
- Look for a physical office address in Vietnam and a working phone or WhatsApp number.
- Check that the price table shows the government fee and the service fee separately.
- Pay by card, which gives you protection if something goes wrong.
Already paid a suspicious site?
Contact your bank or card provider straight away to dispute the payment. Then make sure you still have a valid visa for your trip: if your flight is close, an urgent e-Visa from a licensed company can still get you there on time.