Visa policy of Laos
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 Laos portal |
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
Visa exemption
Ordinary passports
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]
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30 days 15 days
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| Date of visa changes |
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Cancelled:
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Tour groups
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:[13]
Non-Ordinary passports
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]
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D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - 90 days
2 - 14 days
Visa on arrival and e-Visa
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 Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility |
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.[14][15]
The Laos e-Visa service was launched in July 2019.[16][17] It is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.[18] 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:[19][20]
| Port of entry | Opposite side | VoA | eVisa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luang Prabang International Airport | — |  |
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| Pakse International Airport | — | |
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| Wattay International Airport | — | |
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| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane) | Nong Khai province, Thailand | |
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| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet) | Mukdahan, Thailand | |
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| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge III (Thakhek) | Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand | |
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| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge IV (Houayxay) | Chiang Khong district, Thailand | |
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| Samliemkham | Thailand and Myanmar | |
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| Thanaleng railway station | Nong Khai railway station, Thailand | |
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| Daensavan | Lao Bảo, Vietnam | |
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| Veunkham | Nong nok khian, Cambodia | |
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| Vang tao | Chong Mek, Thailand | |
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| Boten (road checkpoint) | Mohan, China | |
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| Boten railway station | Mohan railway station, China | |
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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
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][21]
Statistics
Most visitors arriving to Laos were from the following countries of nationality:[22]
| Country | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Thailand |
1,797,803 | 2,009,605 | 2,321,352 | 2,043,761 | 2,059,434 | 1,937,612 | 1,579,941 |
 Vietnam |
891,643 | 998,400 | 1,187,954 | 1,108,332 | 910,164 | 705,596 | 561,586 |
 China |
639,185 | 545,493 | 511,436 | 422,440 | 245,033 | 199,857 | 150,791 |
 South Korea |
170,571 | 173,260 | 165,328 | 96,085 | 81,799 | 53,829 | 34,707 |
 United States |
38,765 | 58,094 | 63,058 | 61,460 | 61,608 | 53,380 | 50,092 |
 France |
36,760 | 54,953 | 55,151 | 52,146 | 52,411 | 46,903 | 44,399 |
 Japan |
32,064 | 49,191 | 43,826 | 44,877 | 48,644 | 42,026 | 37,883 |
 United Kingdom |
27,723 | 39,170 | 41,508 | 39,061 | 41,741 | 35,964 | 35,622 |
 Germany |
23,776 | 34,018 | 31,897 | 29,800 | 29,250 | 23,417 | 21,280 |
 Australia |
20,886 | 33,077 | 34,655 | 44,964 | 35,441 | 33,878 | 31,874 |
| Total | 3,868,838 | 4,239,047 | 4,684,429 | 4,158,719 | 3,779,490 | 3,330,072 | 3,330,072 |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Visa exemption – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". The Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 05 March 2004
- ^ "Lao Airlines". www.laoairlines.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 10 May 2004
- ^ a b Under the Visa Agreement on 1 July 2004
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 28 October 2004
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 1 April 2005
- ^ "Under the Visa Agreement on 10 April 2005" (PDF).
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 14 September 2007
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 20 November 2009
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 23 September 2011
- ^ Laos to grant visa-free entry for Chinese tourists starting in July
- ^ "How to apply the visa extension". immigration.gov.la. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ "Law On EntryExit, And the Management of Foreigners in the Lao PDR Article 41 Section 5". Laoservicesportal.gov.la. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ "Laos launches e-Visa service in Vientiane". 9 July 2019.
- ^ "Lao E-visa launched for foreigners". Archived from the original on 2019-07-09.
- ^ eVisa Laos
- ^ "Checkpoints – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". immigration.gov.la. Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
- ^ PDR, Consular Department-Ministry of Foreign Affairs LAO. "Lao e-Visa / Faq". laoevisa.gov.la. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ Who can Apply for Lao e-Visa
- ^ "Statistical Reports on Tourism in Laos".