Do I need an agent to get a visa?

Short answer: No. The visa steps are free or official, and one of them an agency cannot legally do for you.

What is free or official

• Universitaly pre enrolment: free (Universitaly)
• Visa appointments, including through VFS: free (Embassy of Italy Dhaka)
• Declaration of Value in Dhaka for study: free (Dhaka fee table)
• CIMEA: paid, but requests are accepted only from the holder of the qualification (CIMEA)
• The residence permit kit after you arrive: patronati help with it, and that is their job

What an agency can honestly offer

Help choosing courses, a second pair of eyes on a document set against the checklist, and the labour of chasing things. That is real work, and some people reasonably want to pay for it.

What no agency can offer

• A guaranteed visa. The decision belongs to the officer.
• An appointment slot for a fee. They are free, and VFS emails you.
• A CIMEA faster than CIMEA's own urgent service.
• A ratio at a particular university (V22).

The thing to watch

If an agency fills in your file, you still sign it and you own everything in it, including anything that was "improved" along the way (V18). Read every page before you sign.

What this site does

I help with the parts that are judgement and writing: choosing programs, the statement of purpose, the research proposal, interview preparation. I am not an immigration adviser and I do not give visa advice. The visa steps above you can do yourself, for free, and this section exists so that you can.