Laos Visa Policy

There are different types of visas available for Laos. You will be required a visa even if you are transiting through Laos unless you are from a visa-exempt group.

You can realize your planned trip to Laos by obtaining a Laos visa. Foreign nationals can apply to Laos short-term visas (valid for single entry only), e-Visa, through the embassy, or on arrival for temporary reasons (tourism, business, cultural, and other short-term purposes).

Required Documents for Laos E-visa

1. Application Form 

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of six months beyond the date of your departure from Laos.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months
• Format – JPG, PNG
• 4x6 cm Size
• Minimum 10 KB
• Maximum 1 MB
• The height and width of the Photo must be equal.
• The photo should present full face, front view, eyes open and without spectacles
• Center head within frame and present full head from the top of hair to bottom of the chin
• The background should be plain light-colored or white background.
• No shadows on the face or on the background.
• Without borders.

4. Photocopies

• Passport cover page
• Copy of the main page of your passport

5. When You Arrive in Laos, You Must Present also:

• Printed Laos e-Visa
• Travel Itinerary including:
  • Flight reservation
  • Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)

*Additional documents may be required. 

Processing Time for Laos E-visa

The average processing time for Laos E-Visa is 3 working days.

Laos E-visa Application Fee

Laos e-Visa fee is 45-57 USD. The fee may vary depending on your nationality.

Please click here to calculate your e-Visa Fee.

 Where to Apply for Laos E-visa Application?

You will apply for Laos E-Visa online. You can apply for an E-visa through this website.

 Most of the visitors to Laos can obtain Visa on Arrival. Eligible nationals of this visa type can obtain Laos visa in three different ways:

Required Documents for Laos Visa on Arrival

1. Passport

• Validity minimum of six months beyond the date of your departure from Laos.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

2. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 4x6 size

3. Travel Itinerary

• Flight tickets (Return ticket)
• Accommodation confirmation/reservation (hotel booking, house contract, apartment reservation, etc.)

4. Proof of Financial Sources

• Bank statements, cash, travelers' cheques, vouchers, etc.

*Additional documents can be required by the border control.

Processing Time for Laos Visa on Arrival

The average processing time for Laos Visa on Arrival is a few minutes.

Laos Visa on Arrival Fee

Laos Visa on Arrival fee is 30-50 USD for all foreign citizens. The fee may vary depending on your nationality. Travelers are expected to pay the visa fee in cash. It is possible to pay this fee in USD.

Where to Apply for Laos Visa on Arrival?

You will apply for Laos Visa on Arrival at the border. Please see above the list of borders.

You can apply for a Laos Short-term visa for realizing your temporary travel to Laos. Reasons to apply for this type of visa can be tourism, visiting family or friends, business trips, short-term education, exchange programs, short-term work, and many other non-permanent nuances.

Required Documents for Laos Short-term Visa

1. Application Form 

• Fully completed in English and signed and dated by the applicant himself (signed by both parents in case of minors, below the age of 18)

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of six months beyond the date of your departure from Laos.
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 4x6 size

4. ID Card Copy

• Validity minimum of six months beyond the date of your departure from Laos.

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)

• Validity minimum of six months beyond the date of your departure from Laos.

6. Photocopies

• Copy of the main page of your passport
• Copies of previous visas

7. Travel Itinerary 

• Flight reservation (return ticket)
• Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)

8. Letter from Local Employer/Sponsor (Proof of Occupation)

• The letter must include:
  • Name, postal address, and telephone number of sponsor/company
  • Details regarding the applicant’s working position, starting date of the employment, and salary
  • The timeframe of work leave (expected date to resume duties) and purpose of travel
• Valid trade license copy and company ownership documents (if a person is an owner of the company).
• Letter from University (if student)
• Copy of sponsor’s valid passport and residence visa (if any) to be attached to letter from sponsor (if an applicant is a dependent)

9. Proof of Financial Means

• Generally, there are several recognized ways to prove your financial sufficiency:
  • Personal bank statements
  • Credit card
  • Cash
  • Traveler’s cheques
  • Payslips
  • Proof of employment
  • Supporting document to attest sponsor’s readiness to cover your expenses during your stay
  • Proof of prepaid accommodation
  • Document about accommodation in private
  • Proof of prepaid transport
  • Other

10. Supporting Documents that Show Your Reason for a Trip

• For Tourist visa:
  • This visa is issued to foreigners wishing to visit Lao as tourists.
    • Confirmation of the accommodation (hotel confirmation, apartment rental contract, etc.)
• For Business/congress/sports travel visa:
  • This visa is issued for foreign business people, including their family members, who come to the Lao PDR for investment or economic data collection.
    • Original invitation letter by the company/organization
    • Confirmation of the accommodation (hotel confirmation, apartment rental contract, etc.)
• For Study visa:
  • This visa is issued to students coming to study, to research, to collect data, or to attend a technical internship at the Lao PD.
  • When you are accepted to study in Laos, you can apply for a tourist visa with the embassy to enter Laos, after you have reached Laos, your school office will continue to apply for your Long-stay visa.
    • Original invitation letter by the educational establishment in Laos
    • Acceptance letter to education establishment in Laos
    • Confirmation of the accommodation (apartment rental contract, dormitory contract, etc.)
• For Transit visa:
  • This visa is issued to foreigners and stateless people whose travel is to transit to other countries.
    • An entry visa (if any) and an onward ticket to the intended country of destination
• For Spouse visa:
  • This visa is issued for Foreigners and stateless people who have legally registered their marriage with Lao citizens.
    • Certificate of the marriage of a spouse and a passport/national ID, if the applicant comes to visit a spouse
• For Courtesy visa:
  • Invitation letter by Laos authorities
    • This visa is issued for the Staff of the cooperation office dealing with bilateral cooperation, the staff of the United Nations Organization, and other international organizations posted at the representative office of such organization in the Lao PDR
    • Foreign experts or technical officers who come and work for cooperation project between the two governments
    • Foreign experts or technical officers of foreign voluntary organizations who accompany their projects of grant assistance to the Government of the Lao PDR
    • Experts who come to collect information on loans and monitor the loan agreement projects provided to the Government of the Lao PDR
    • Foreign experts who have been invited to organize seminars, training, or discourse
    • Staff serving at embassies, general consulates, consulates, and diplomats’ personal residences who are not Lao citizen or have no permanent residency in the Lao PDR
    • Very Important Person who is in the movement plan in providing assistances and honorary person
    • Family members of the people specified in Point 4 of this Article
• For Expert visa:
  • This visa is issued for foreigners and stateless people who come to work as laborers in the Lao PDR, including their family members Experts, and staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are authorized to perform their duties in the Lao PDR
  • Experts and technicians who are employed or contractors of government, private or other international organizations, including their family members
    • Original invitation letter by a company in Laos
    • Confirmation of the accommodation (apartment rental contract, hotel confirmation, etc.)
• For Media visa:
  • This visa is issued for foreign journalists who come to collect news in the Lao PDR;
    • Original invitation letter by the company/organization
    • A copy of the official Press-ID (if applicable)

11. For Minors:

• Copy and English translation of either birth certificate/proof of adoption/custody decree if parents are divorced/death certificate of parent
• Letter of consent from parent/s or legal guardian/s, if traveling unaccompanied

*Additional documents can be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Laos Short-term Visa

The average processing time for a Laos Short-term Visa is 14-20 working days. It depends on your visa application country.

Laos Short-term Visa Fee

Laos Short-term Visa fee is 31-45 USD for a single-entry visa (it can vary depending on your country and nationality). Additionally, you may also need to pay other Administrative fees such as the Visa Application center fee, courier service fee, etc., depending on the country and location of your documents' submission.

Where to Apply for Laos Short-term Visa?

You will apply for a Laos Short-term visa in Laos visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.

If you intend to stay in Laos for a long period, you can extend your visa or apply for a residence permit in Laos in most cases. Foreigners, general stateless people with a long-stay purpose in the Lao PDR shall have money in their bank account of a bank in the Lao PDR at least twenty thousand US dollars for a six-month stay in the Lao PDR and forty thousand US dollars for a one-year stay in the Lao PDR. However, it is advisable to contact the nearest Laos embassies/consulates for the exact information for Laos long-term visas. In some cases, they can issue long-term visas for you or they can issue a short-term visa for you, so you can enter Laos with that visa and apply for an extension or residence permit in Laos.