Can you apply for a visa without an agent?
Yes. Consulates and their visa centres publish checklists, forms and booking systems for the public, and VFS Global states that its appointments are free and booked only on its own website. If you have a straightforward trip, a clean travel history and time to read the checklist carefully, applying yourself is reasonable and costs only the official fees.
Read the consulate's own checklist rather than a summary of it, and apply only through the official website or the visa centre it names. VFS Global and GOV.UK both warn about fake websites that copy official pages, so check the address before you enter passport details or pay.
When is a visa agent worth paying for?
An agent earns its fee when it saves you a refusal or a lost week: several countries in one trip, a first international trip, self-employed income that needs explaining, children travelling with one parent, a previous refusal, a group or a corporate delegation, or a date that leaves little room. A good agent also tells you when you do not need them.
| Your situation | Usually sensible |
|---|---|
| Single-country trip, salaried, travelled before, plenty of time | Apply yourself |
| Multi-country itinerary or a tight travel date | An agent can help |
| Self-employed, irregular income or a previous refusal | An agent can help |
| Group, delegation or corporate travel | An agent or the company's travel desk |
What can no agent do?
No agent can guarantee a visa, speed up a consulate's decision or buy an appointment. VFS Global says it does not sell appointments, that slots are released by the governments, and that its optional services do not influence a decision. GOV.UK warns that people promising guaranteed visas or faster decisions are a common sign of fraud.
How do you tell a genuine visa consultant from a scam?
A genuine consultant has a real office, a verifiable accreditation, written fees with the government fee shown separately and paid to the official body, and files built only from your real documents. A scam promises outcomes, asks for payment to a personal account, offers to supply bookings or letters, and pushes you to act immediately.
- Check the office address and visit if you can.
- Verify any IATA code on IATA's CheckACode service.
- Ask for the fee in writing, with the government fee and visa-centre fee shown separately.
- Read the completed form before it is submitted; you are responsible for every answer.
- Refuse anyone who offers dummy tickets, invented letters or a guaranteed result.
- Never share passwords or one-time codes by chat or email.
What does a visa consultant usually charge?
Fees vary with the country, the visa and how much work the file needs, so a single figure would mislead. What matters is that the quote is written, separates the consultant's service charge from the government and visa-centre fees, and says what happens if the visa is refused or if you withdraw. Arika states its fee in writing before you pay.
Where Arika fits
Arika Visa is the visa desk of Arika Group, established in 1994 in Goregaon (East), Mumbai, and IATA-accredited (code 14359656, verifiable on CheckACode). It handles tourist, business, student, medical, visitor and transit visas, not work, employment, dependant or spouse visas, and it does not promise outcomes.
Visa services in MumbaiSources
Official and primary pages this guide was checked against on 14 November 2026. Figures are as published by each body; Arika confirms the current figure in writing when you apply.