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.
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:
30 days
15 days
14 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):
ASEAN member states (except Indonesia) D
1
2 1 11
2 11
1 D 1 1 1 11 1 1
D 1
D - Diplomatic passports only. 1 – 90 days 2 – 14 days
Date of visa changes 17 July 1977: Vietnam (diplomatic and service passports) 1 January 1978: Cuba (diplomatic and service passports) 18 June 1978: Mongolia (diplomatic and service passports) 15 September 1978: Czech Republic, Slovakia (diplomatic and service passports) 10 September 1981: Poland (diplomatic and service passports) 28 October 1981: Cambodia (diplomatic and service passports) 20 December 1984: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan (diplomatic and service passports) 27 March 1989: North Korea (diplomatic and service passports) 8 October 1989: China (diplomatic and service passports) 1 March 1992: Malaysia (diplomatic and service passports) 8 February 1994: Thailand (diplomatic passports) 23 May 1996: Philippines (diplomatic and service passports) 12 August 1998: Singapore (diplomatic and service passports) 23 November 1998: Myanmar (diplomatic and service passports) 5 March 1999: Thailand (service passports) 16 July 2001: Indonesia (diplomatic and service passports) 6 November 2002: India (diplomatic and service passports) 22 January 2004: Timor-Leste (diplomatic and service passports) 5 March 2004: Vietnam 10 May 2004: Cambodia 1 July 2004: Malaysia, Singapore 28 October 2004: Thailand 29 November 2004: Russia (diplomatic and service passports) 1 April 2005: Brunei 10 April 2005: Philippines 1 January 2007: Japan (unilateral, days length extended up to 30 days from Jun 1, 2025) 20 August 2007: Japan (diplomatic passports) 1 September 2007: Russia 14 October 2007: Mongolia 1 September 2008: South Korea (unilateral) 1 June 2009: South Korea (diplomatic and service passports) 7 July 2009: Luxembourg and Switzerland (unilateral) 20 November 2009: Myanmar 23 September 2011: Indonesia 5 October 2011: Peru (diplomatic and service passports) 23 June 2012: Brazil (diplomatic and service passports) 6 January 2013: Bangladesh (diplomatic and service passports) 13 July 2014: Serbia (diplomatic and service passports) 1 June 2013: Hong Kong (diplomatic and service passports) 27 September 2013: Ecuador (diplomatic and service passports) 27 January 2014: Mexico (diplomatic and service passports) 20 March 2015: Switzerland (diplomatic and service passports) 1 April 2015: Japan (service passports) 28 October 2015: Kuwait (diplomatic and service passports) 25 August 2016: Pakistan (diplomatic and service passports) 1 August 2018: Sri Lanka (visa on arrival) 1 September 2018: South Korea (unilateral) 1 June 2019: Norway (diplomatic passports) 9 September 2019: Hungary (diplomatic and service passports) 29 January 2020: Turkey (diplomatic passports) 1 October 2021: Morocco (diplomatic, official and service passports) 1 October 2022: Georgia (diplomatic, official and service passports) 5 January 2025: Kazakhstan (diplomatic and service passports) 15 August 2025: Timor-Leste 15 January 2026: Belarushttps://belta.by/society/view/vstupilo-v-silu-soglashenie-mezhdu-belarusjju-i-laosom-ob-otmene-viz-dlja-vladeltsev-obychnyh-pasportov-759439-2026/
Cancelled: 1 January 2018 - 31 December 2018: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden 1 July 2024 - 31 December 2024: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain and SwedenImplementation 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
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.
Visa on arrival / Electronic visa (e-Visa)
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.
The Laos e-Visa service was launched in July 2019. It is valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.eVisa Laos
Travellers eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa can enter Laos through one of the following ports of entry: 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 entry Opposite side VoA eVisa Luang Prabang International Airport Pakse International Airport Wattay International Airport (Vientiane) 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:Who can Apply for Lao e-Visa
Visitor statistics Most visitors arriving in Laos were from the following countries of nationality:
Country 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 1,797,803 2,009,605 2,321,352 2,043,761 2,059,434 1,937,612 1,579,941 891,643 998,400 1,187,954 1,108,332 910,164 705,596 561,586 639,185 545,493 511,436 422,440 245,033 199,857 150,791 170,571 173,260 165,328 96,085 81,799 53,829 34,707 38,765 58,094 63,058 61,460 61,608 53,380 50,092 36,760 54,953 55,151 52,146 52,411 46,903 44,399 32,064 49,191 43,826 44,877 48,644 42,026 37,883 27,723 39,170 41,508 39,061 41,741 35,964 35,622 23,776 34,018 31,897 29,800 29,250 23,417 21,280 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 Visa_requirements_for_Laotian_citizens
References
External links
Lao PDR Immigration Department Lao eVisa