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Visa policy of Laos

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Visitors to Laos must obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens from 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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Visa policy of Laos
  Laos
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (15 days)
  Visa not required (14 days)
  Visa on arrival / eVisa (30 days)
  Visa required

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

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

According to IATA, the Passport Index, and the Henley Passport Index, citizens of Hong Kong SAR can enter Laos without a visa for 14 days.[18]

Visa on arrival / Electronic visa (e-Visa)

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Lao Official Online VIsa
e-Visa Approval Letter
OwnerMinistry of Foreign Affairs
Websitelaoevisa.gov.la
External image
image icon Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility
Visa on arrival for Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone

The duration of stay of a visa obtained upon arrival in Laos is 30 days, and can be extended for up to 180 days. Visa extensions are handled by the province immigration office inside Laos for a fee.[19][20]

The Laos e-Visa service was launched in July 2019.[21][22] It is valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.[23]

Travellers eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa can enter Laos through one of the following ports of entry:[24][25] Visa requirements and the availability of visa on arrival or e-Visa may change at individual land border crossings. For recent updates on these requirements, see the Laos visa guide by Laos Bus Tickets.

Port of entryOpposite sideVoAeVisa
Luang Prabang International AirportN/aYesYes
Pakse International AirportN/aYesYes
Wattay International Airport (Vientiane)N/aYesYes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane)Nong Khai, ThailandYesYes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet)Mukdahan, ThailandYesYes
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge III (Thakhek)Nakhon Phanom province, ThailandYesNo
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge IV (Houayxay)Chiang Khong district, ThailandYesYes
SamliemkhamThailand and MyanmarYesNo
Khamsavath railway station (Vientiane)Nong Khai railway station, ThailandYesYes
DaensavanLao Bảo, VietnamYesNo
VeunkhamNong nok khian, CambodiaYesNo
Vang taoChong Mek, ThailandYesNo
Boten (road checkpoint)Mohan, ChinaYesYes
Boten railway stationMohan railway station, ChinaNoYes

Visa required in advance

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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][26]

Visitor statistics

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Most visitors arriving in Laos were from the following countries of nationality:[27]

See also

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Visa requirements for Laotian citizens

References

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  1. 1 2 "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Visa exemption – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". The Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "ラオスビザ案内" (in Japanese). 駐日ラオス大使館. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "Laos - Travel Page". Mfa.gov.sg. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore). 12 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Laos, Timor-Leste Implement 30-Day Visa-Free Travel".
  6. ↑ "The Department of Immigration of Lao PDR - Visa". Immigration of Lao PDR. Ministry of Public Security (Laos). 12 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Partially supplanted by a new agreement, covering diplomatic passports only, on 25 December 2017
  8. ↑ Supplanted by a new agreement on 20 March 2014
  9. ↑ Supplanted by a new agreement on 30 March 2018
  10. ↑ "Under the Visa Agreement on 10 April 2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  11. ↑ Supplanted by a new agreement on 2 December 2017
  12. ↑ Under the Visa Agreement on 14 September 2007
  13. ↑ "Laos, Kazakhstan sign deal for visa exemption".
  14. ↑ Souvannasane, Thongsavanh (22 September 2025). "Laos, Timor-Leste Implement 30-Day Visa-Free Travel". Laotian Times. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Вступило в силу соглашение между Беларусью и Лаосом об отмене виз для владельцев обычных паспортов". Belta.by. Jan 16, 2026. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Notification_EN.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Visa requirements for Hong Kong, China Nationals Travelling to Lao People's Democratic Republic".
  19. ↑ "How to apply the visa extension". immigration.gov.la. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "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.
  21. ↑ "Laos launches e-Visa service in Vientiane". 9 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Lao E-visa launched for foreigners". Archived from the original on 2019-07-09.
  23. ↑ PDR, Consular Department-Ministry of Foreign Affairs LAO. "Lao Visa Online | Lao eVisa Authorization Application". Laovisa.gov.la. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Checkpoints – ກົມຕຳຫຼວດກວດຄົນເຂົ້າ-ອອກເມືອງ". immigration.gov.la. Department of Immigration of Lao PDR. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  25. ↑ PDR, Consular Department-Ministry of Foreign Affairs LAO. "Lao e-Visa / Faq". laoevisa.gov.la. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  26. ↑ "Laos eVisa: Eligibility, Requirements, Types & Processing Time". Lao-evisa.com. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Statistical Reports on Tourism in Laos". Archived from the original on 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
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