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Is this marriage agency legitimate?

Twelve questions about the agency you are considering, an instant verdict and a list of what to check before you pay.

Twelve points, about three minutes

Keep the agency’s website open in another tab. Each question tells you how to check the point.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Your answers stay in your browser
  • Instant verdict, point by point

Why this checklist

An international marriage agency often charges between €2,000 and €8,000 for a full programme. Many clients sign without checking anything, although most checks take a few minutes from a computer.

Four points are core criteria: a real office in the country it claims, public prices, a company in a public register and no pay-per-letter. A single “no” on any of them is enough to rule the agency out, whatever the rest of the score.

The 12 points checked

A legitimate agency meets 11 or 12 of them. Core criteria are flagged.

  1. 1.Verifiable office in the country

    Core criterion

    Without a real office in the country, the agency cannot meet the women it presents: it is usually a profile reseller or a pay-per-letter site.

  2. 2.Women met in person

    Without an in-person meeting, nothing proves that the women in the catalogue exist, or that they really want to meet someone.

  3. 3.Public, fixed prices

    Core criterion

    A “price on request” adjusts to what the agency thinks you can pay. Without a published price, you can neither compare nor dispute.

  4. 4.Identifiable founder

    A real founder leaves traces beyond their own website. A name you cannot find answers for nothing if there is a dispute.

  5. 5.Identifiable testimonials

    An anonymous testimonial cannot be checked. Real clients usually agree to give a first name, an initial, a city and a year.

  6. 6.Video testimonials

    A video of a client showing their face is the hardest proof to fake. Its absence does not condemn the agency, but it removes a support.

  7. 7.Over two years in business

    Dubious outfits close and reopen under a new name within months. Two years of stable existence is a first filter.

  8. 8.Company in a public register

    Core criterion

    Without a company in a public register, you have no recourse if the service never happens.

  9. 9.Direct contact, fast reply

    An agency that is hard to reach before you pay will be even harder to reach afterwards.

  10. 10.Method described step by step

    Without a written method, you cannot claim what was never done. A serious agency describes every step up to the meeting.

  11. 11.No pay-per-letter

    Core criterion

    Paying per message rewards the conversation, not the meeting: the agency has every reason to make it last forever.

  12. 12.Written refund terms

    Without written terms, any refund depends on the agency’s goodwill. Outside the EU, the contract is your only protection.

Frequently asked questions

How many points should a legitimate agency meet?

Ideally 11 or 12 out of 12. At 10, ask for a written explanation of the missing points. At 8 or 9, have the agency audited before you pay. Below 8, do not commit. A “no” on a core criterion is enough to rule the agency out.

What if I cannot answer a question?

Choose “I don’t know”: the point appears in your result with how to check it. If it is a core criterion, pay nothing until you have checked it. Do those checks, then take the test again.

Can an agency based in Russia be legitimate?

Yes, if it is open about where it works: a real office in the country where its women live, a registered company and published prices. The country is not what matters, transparency is.

Are my answers stored?

No. The test runs in your browser: your answers are neither stored nor sent anywhere.