Auschwitz Ticket Scams: 5 Red Flags to Spot Before Booking
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ŁukaszFraudulent websites and unauthorized intermediaries regularly sell overpriced or fake Auschwitz entry passes. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial has issued official warnings about these practices. The only legitimate way to reserve entry cards is through visit.auschwitz.org—the Museum does not cooperate with any external booking platform.
5 Red Flags of a Fake Auschwitz Ticket Site
- The URL is not visit.auschwitz.org. Any other website selling tickets to Auschwitz or guided tours is an unauthorized reseller—regardless of how official the site may appear. The Museum has repeatedly emphasized that it does not cooperate with any external companies, which often offer tours without actually booking them. They also rarely mention the requirement to have a personalized entry pass and a valid photo ID.
- The website looks unprofessional, contains grammatical errors, or provides vague contact information. Genuine government or Museum websites are clear, professional, and include contact information in Polish. Fake websites often contain spelling mistakes, stock photos, do not provide a real address, or use fake chatbots with “24/7 support” that redirect users to payment pages.
- Prices significantly higher than the official rates and suspicious payment methods. A tour with a Museum educator costs 140–190 PLN (around 40 EUR). If a website charges over 100 EUR per person for Auschwitz tickets, you’re paying a huge markup to an intermediary—not the Museum itself. Exceptions include: groups of up to 10 people (skip-the-line option), transportation or lunch included in the price, and extended visits lasting 6 or 8 hours. Be wary of any non-refundable or unusual payment options (like bank transfer, cryptocurrencies, or gift cards).
- “Private tour” without specific details. Some operators advertise private tours to Auschwitz that, in reality, are limited to transportation from Kraków. Some even use misleading phrases such as “with English-language guidance,” which in practice simply means that the driver speaks English.
- Last-minute schedule changes and pressure. Dishonest operators often do not have actual reservations. They attempt to make last-minute booking and then change the confirmed date or cancel the reservation entirely, blaming the Museum. Scammers may also use pressure tactics by sending emails or displaying pop-up windows with the message “Tickets have just become available—book now or you’ll lose your spot.” This is a documented scam tactic targeting people who did not manage to book tickets in time.
At the last minute, customers were informed that, due to alleged booking issues, the departure time was being moved to very early in the morning or even the middle of the night. Unfortunately, this misleading practice became a business model for some entities.
— Andrzej Kacorzyk, Deputy Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Scanning tickets at the entrance to Auschwitz—every visitor must present a similar personalized entry pass and a valid photo ID to enter.
How Auschwitz Ticket Scams Work
Based on documented cases and official sources, several common practices can be identified.
Website Impersonation
Scam sites mimic the design and language of the official Museum website, creating the impression that you are booking directly with the Memorial. You are not.
Fake Cancellations
After taking your payment, some operators send last-minute messages claiming your visit was cancelled due to “official events” at the Memorial—then offer an alternative date or refuse a refund.
Language Deception
Visitors are sold tour passes in a language they do not speak, with assurances they can switch groups on arrival which is not possible—for safety and organisational reasons. If a guide speaking the required language is not available, an interpreter may be engaged and you should be informed.
Transportation Only
A private tour to Auschwitz may, in reality, consist solely of transportation. Some companies mislead customers by suggesting they will provide a truly private visit to the Museum, when in fact they only provide a private transfer.
Unfortunately, we are also observing new and troubling practices by certain 'intermediaries' that mislead visitors.
— Andrzej Kacorzyk, Deputy Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Visitors scanning entry cards inside the Auschwitz I reception—you need the ticket also for Birkenau, so keep it.
The Only Safe Way to Reserve Auschwitz Entry Cards
Since 1 March 2026, all entry cards are available exclusively online through visit.auschwitz.org (no on-site ticket sales at the Museum entrance). Do not rely on any third party to make this reservation for you.
How to Book Tickets Yourself?
Entry passes can be booked 3 months in advance. Real-time availability is shown for last-minute visits. The process takes a few minutes and ensures you hold a valid entry card directly from the Museum—detailed guidelines:
- Free entry (only in the afternoon)
- Join a guided tour
- Hire a guide
- All guided tour options
Are Auschwitz Reseller Tickets Legit?
External tour operators use the same public reservation system that is available to everyone—they do not have any special access or reserved seats. Some of them are reputable travel agencies that combine transportation from Kraków with a visit to the Museum. For added peace of mind:
- check reviews of a particular tour operator on Google or TripAdvisor.
- require your entry pass immediately after getting a confirmation
- look for tour offers letting you pay only after the tour
The stickers available at the Auschwitz I reception—only to individual visitors joining guided group sightseeing.
Never pay for Auschwitz entry cards on any website other than visit.auschwitz.org. If a deal looks too good or too expensive to be true, it probably is. If you have already been scammed, contact your bank to dispute the charge and report the incident to the Museum.
