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Visa policy of Laos

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Lao visa sticker
Lao entry and exit stamps

Visitors to Laos must obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.[1]

Visa policy map

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  Lao People's Democratic Republic
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (15 days) or eVisa (30 days)
  Visa not required (14 days) or eVisa (30 days)
  Visa on arrival or eVisa (30 days)
  Visa required in advance

Visa exemption

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Ordinary passports

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According to the Ministry of Public Security of Laos, holders of ordinary passports of the following countries (including all ASEAN member states) may enter Laos without a visa for stays up to the duration listed below:[2]

30 days

15 days

14 days

# - Temporary visa exemption policy from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Tour groups

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From 1 July to 31 December 2024, Laos is implementing a 15-day visa-free policy for visitors with documents of following jurisdictions who are visiting Laos through approved tour groups:[15]

Non-Ordinary passports

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Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports issued by following countries may enter Laos without a visa for up to 30 days (unless otherwise noted):[2]

D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - 90 days
2 - 14 days

Laos signed a visa-free agreement with Kazakhstan for holders of diplomatic and official passports in July 2024 and it is yet to come into force.[16]

Visa on arrival and e-Visa

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External image
image icon Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility
The official Lao e-Visa logo
e-Visa Approval Letter
Visa on arrival for Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone

Most nationals of other countries may obtain a visa on arrival in Laos or an e-Visa online for a fee, except those who are ineligible for either facility.

The duration of stay of a visa obtained upon arrival in Laos is 30 days, but can be extended twice, for a maximum stay of 90 days. Visa extensions are handled by the province immigration office inside Laos for a fee.[17][18]

The Laos e-Visa service was launched in July 2019.[19][20] It is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.[21] e-Visa can be issued within 3 business days.

Travellers eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa can enter Laos through one of the following ports of entry:[22][23]

Port of entry Opposite side VoA eVisa
Luang Prabang International Airport Yes Yes
Pakse International Airport Yes Yes
Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) Yes Yes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane) Nong Khai, Thailand Yes Yes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet) Mukdahan, Thailand Yes Yes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge III (Thakhek) Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand Yes No
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge IV (Houayxay) Chiang Khong district, Thailand Yes Yes
Samliemkham Thailand and Myanmar Yes No
Khamsavath railway station (Vientiane) Nong Khai railway station, Thailand Yes No
Daensavan Lao Bảo, Vietnam Yes No
Veunkham Nong nok khian, Cambodia Yes No
Vang tao Chong Mek, Thailand Yes No
Boten (road checkpoint) Mohan, China Yes Yes
Boten railway station Mohan railway station, China No Yes

All other ports of entry not listed above neither accept visa on arrival nor e-Visa. Some of them are closed to third-country visitors, while others require visitors from non-visa-exempt countries to present visas obtained in advance from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions around the world.

Visa required in advance

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Nationals of the following countries are ineligible to obtain a visa on arrival nor an e-Visa. They must thus obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions in advance. However, if they are traveling on an official visit, they may still obtain a visa on arrival, provided they are holding an official letter of guarantee issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos:[1][24]

Statistics

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Most visitors arriving to Laos were from the following countries of nationality:[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Visa exemption – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". The Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Laos - Travel Page". www.mfa.gov.sg. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore). 12 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  4. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 05 March 2004
  5. ^ "Lao Airlines". www.laoairlines.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  6. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 10 May 2004
  7. ^ a b Under the Visa Agreement on 1 July 2004
  8. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 28 October 2004
  9. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 1 April 2005
  10. ^ "Under the Visa Agreement on 10 April 2005" (PDF).
  11. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 14 September 2007
  12. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 20 November 2009
  13. ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 23 September 2011
  14. ^ [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1biBWE9Y026IOQDWpBybsjvPQIo5yrLPr/view Implementation of Visa exemption policy and determination of length of stay in Lao PDR for target country tourists during the Visit Laos Year 2024 - Reg. No. 2520/IMM - Ministry of Public Security General Department of Public Security Department of Immigration]
  15. ^ Laos to grant visa-free entry for Chinese tourists starting in July
  16. ^ Laos, Kazakhstan sign deal for visa exemption
  17. ^ "How to apply the visa extension". immigration.gov.la. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Law On EntryExit, And the Management of Foreigners in the Lao PDR Article 41 Section 5". Laoservicesportal.gov.la. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  19. ^ "Laos launches e-Visa service in Vientiane". 9 July 2019.
  20. ^ "Lao E-visa launched for foreigners". Archived from the original on 2019-07-09.
  21. ^ eVisa Laos
  22. ^ "Checkpoints – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". immigration.gov.la. Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  23. ^ PDR, Consular Department-Ministry of Foreign Affairs LAO. "Lao e-Visa / Faq". laoevisa.gov.la. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  24. ^ Who can Apply for Lao e-Visa
  25. ^ "Statistical Reports on Tourism in Laos".
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