Visa policy of Laos
| 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]
|
30 days 15 days
|
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]
|
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.[6]
| Date of visa changes[7] |
|---|
Cancelled:
|
Visa on arrival / Electronic Visa (e-Visa)
| External image | |
|---|---|
| Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility |
The duration of stay of a visa obtained upon arrival in Laos is 30 days, and 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.[18][19]
The Laos e-Visa service was launched in July 2019.[20][21] It is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.[22]
Travellers eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa can enter Laos through one of the following ports of entry:[23][24]
| Port of entry | Opposite side | VoA | eVisa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luang Prabang International Airport | N/a | ||
| Pakse International Airport | N/a | ||
| Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) | N/a | ||
| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane) | Nong Khai, Thailand | ||
| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet) | Mukdahan, Thailand | ||
| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge III (Thakhek) | Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand | ||
| Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge IV (Houayxay) | Chiang Khong district, Thailand | ||
| Samliemkham | Thailand and Myanmar | ||
| Khamsavath railway station (Vientiane) | Nong Khai railway station, Thailand | ||
| Daensavan | Lao Bảo, Vietnam | ||
| Veunkham | Nong nok khian, Cambodia | ||
| Vang tao | Chong Mek, Thailand | ||
| Boten (road checkpoint) | Mohan, China | ||
| Boten railway station | Mohan railway station, China |
Visa required in advance
Citizens of the following countries are ineligible to obtain a visa on arrival or an e-Visa. They must obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions in advance. 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][25]
Visitor statistics
Most visitors arriving in Laos were from the following countries of nationality:[26]
| 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
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Laos.
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.
- ^ "ラオスビザ案内" (in Japanese). 駐日ラオス大使館. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Laos - Travel Page". www.mfa.gov.sg. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore). 12 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ https://laotiantimes.com/2025/09/22/laos-timor-leste-implement-30-day-visa-free-travel/
- ^ "Laos, Kazakhstan sign deal for visa exemption".
- ^ "The Department of Immigration of Lao PDR - Visa". Immigration of Lao PDR. Ministry of Public Security (Laos). 12 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
- ^ Partially supplanted by a new agreement, covering diplomatic passports only, on 25 December 2017
- ^ Supplanted by a new agreement on 20 March 2014
- ^ Supplanted by a new agreement on 30 March 2018
- ^ "Under the Visa Agreement on 10 April 2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ Supplanted by a new agreement on 2 December 2017
- ^ Under the Visa Agreement on 14 September 2007
- ^ "Laos, Kazakhstan sign deal for visa exemption".
- ^ Souvannasane, Thongsavanh (22 September 2025). "Laos, Timor-Leste Implement 30-Day Visa-Free Travel". Laotian Times. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ Martins, Filomeno (13 May 2025). "Parliament Approves Visa Waiver Agreements Between Timor-Leste and Lao DPR". TATOLI Agência Noticiosa de Timor-Leste. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ 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
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. 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". Archived from the original on 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2017-06-13.