In this Laos Tourist Visa Guide, we’ll show you all the different options available to obtain a tourist visa for entering Laos, depending on your nationality. We recommend reading our full Laos Travel Guide before visiting to get familiar with customs & traditions in Laos. Getting a visa to visit Laos is straightforward and nothing to worry about. These are the main options:
We’ll focus only on tourist visas for maximum stays of up to 90 days in Laos – not long-term visas.
For most visitors the Laos Tourist Visa on Arrival is a convenient option to stay in Laos as a tourist. The official Visa type for Tourists in Laos is “T-B3”. It is available at several entry points into Laos and you can stay in Laos for 30 Days. The procedure to obtain a Visa on Arrival is quite simple: Once arriving at the border, there are signs pointing you in the right direction, where to fill out the necessary paperwork for the Visa on Arrival. You will get a form from the Immigration Officer, which you have to complete with your basic information (name, passport number, hotel address, phone number, etc.). If you want to save some time, you can also fill out the Visa on Arrival form before arriving.
Are there any Visa Requirements? No. Simply pay for your visa and you will get it. There are no requirments, such as an onward ticket, proof of accommodation or proof of funds to stay in Laos (as other blogs wrongly writing about!). At least not for the citizen who are eligible for Visa on Arrival or eVisa. Other nationalities need to check before coming.
This is something, which should usually be answered straight forward, but it is Laos and prices can vary a bit, depending on the point of entry. The official price of the VOA is $ 40 (Fourty USD). It can be paid in cash only! Also make sure that the banknotes must be in perfect condition, otherwise the Immigration Police will not take them. Furthermore, the banknotes can not be older than from 2009, so make sure they were issued after 2009.
If you don’t have US Dollars, paying in Thai Baht is usually also possible. But then you have to accept the bad exchange rate, set by the Lao Immigration. If you are paying in THB, the price will be between 1800 – 2000 THB (~ $ 53 – $ 59), which is noticeably higher than the official $ 40. If you are coming from a land border with Vietnam (via Lao Bao border), the visa fee can also be paid in Vietnamese Dong (VND), but same here: they will set the price and you will overpay.
Visa on Arrival is available at 3 International Airports in Laos and 10 Land Borders.
Land Borders Thailand – Laos:
Land Border Cambodia – Laos:
Land Border Vietnam – Laos:
Land Border China – Laos:
Most of the nationalities worldwide can easily obtain a Visa on Arrival for Laos, but there are some countries who need an Embassy Visa instead. Updated List of Countries, NOT eligible for Lao VOA:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Swaziland, Tonga, Turkey, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
If your country is not on this List, you can get a Visa on Arrival to enter Laos for 30-days. Passport holders from the mentioned countries (mostly african countries) need to contact the closest Lao embassy and need a sponsor letter to enter.
The Laos eVisa is an official electronic travel authorization that allows eligible travelers to apply for a tourist visa online before arriving in the country. It offers a convenient and faster alternative to the traditional Visa on Arrival, with approval typically granted within 3 business days. The eVisa is valid for entry through select international airports and land borders. This is the official Laos eVisa website: https://www.laoevisa.gov.la/index
With the eVisa you can enter Laos at certain entry points, as listed below:
Wattay International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge 1 (Vientiane – Nong Khai), Luang Prabang International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge 2 (Savannakhet – Mukdahan), Pakse International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge 4 (Bokeo Province), Boten International Checkpoint, Boten Railway Station, Khamsavath Railway Station (Vientiane Capital)
The procedure of obtaining is self-explaining and straight forward. Just make sure you apply for it early enough, because the processing time is about 3 working days (weekends excluded).
Receive Confirmation & Processing Time: You’ll receive an application ID via email, Processing usually takes 3 business days, During peak times, allow for up to 5 days
Once approved, download and Print Your eVisa Approval Letter.
The eVisa fee is calculated based on your nationality. It varies between $ 35 – $ 50. For most countries it will be $ 50 though. So the eVisa option is slightly more expensive compared to obtaining a Visa on Arrival (VOA). The eVisa fee can also be calculated on the official eVisa website. With eVisa you can save time and don’t need to stand in line waiting to fill out the paperwork at the Visa on Arrival counter. Usually the queues are not long, but waiting time can be longer during peak travel season in Laos (October – January). So if you want to choose the most convenient way and pay a bit extra, eVisa is the way to get your Laos Tourist Visa.
There are again citizen from certain countries, who can’t apply for an eVisa to enter Laos and must get an embassy or consulate visa instead. The List is basically the same as for Visa on Arrival and eVisa. If you’re country is on the following list, you can not apply for an eVisa:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Swaziland, Tonga, Turkey, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Obtaining a tourist visa from a Lao embassy or consulate abroad is a reliable option for travelers who prefer to have their visa secured before departure. The process usually takes 3 to 5 working days, depending on the location and workload of the embassy. At the consulates in Vietnam, you can get your visa within 24 hours (an express fee may apply). Requirements typically include a completed application form, passport-sized photo, a valid passport (with at least 6 months validity) and sometimes proof of travel or accommodation, but this is very unlikely in Laos. This type of visa is ideal for travelers from countries not eligible for Visa on Arrival or eVisa or for those entering Laos at border crossings that do not accept eVisas or Visa on Arrival.
While not universally mandated, some Lao embassies may require applicants from the aforementioned countries who are not eligible for VOA or eVisa (mostly from African countries) to provide an invitation or sponsorship letter from a contact or organization in Laos. This letter serves as a formal invitation, indicating the purpose of the visit and affirming support during the stay. It’s advisable to contact the specific Lao embassy or consulate where you plan to apply to determine if such a letter is necessary.
As Laos is part of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), citizen from other ASEAN countries do not need any visa to enter Laos for a period of 30 or 15 days.
List of countries who can enter Laos without Visa-free for a period of 30 Days:
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Russia
List of countries that can enter Laos Visa-free for a period of 15 Days:
Japan, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Myanmar
The Visa on Arrival or eVisa is granted for a period of 30 Days. The Laos Tourist Visa is a Single Entry Visa, means if you leave Laos and come back you have to get a new one. For Multiple Entry Visa you have to apply at an Embassy / Consulate. If you like Laos so much and decide to stay longer than 30 Days, both eVisa an Visa on Arrival can be extended up to a maximum stay of 90 Days. So you can extend twice for another 30 Days, reaching a maximum of 90 Days. The Visa can be extended daily as well if you don’t need another full 30 days. After 90 Days you have to leave Laos and re-enter again if you wish. Then the process starts again (getting VOA, paying the visa fee, getting a 30 Days stamp). Laos is not as strict as Thailand with their Visas. You can theoretically enter Laos as many times as you want on a Tourist visa, extend, leave and enter again.
The price for Visa Extension is 20.000 LAK (~ 1 USD) per Day + a service fee of 40.000 LAK (~ 1,50 USD). So the total costs of a 30 Days Visa Extension in Laos costs 630.000 LAK (~ 30 USD).
The Visa on Arrival or eVisa can be extended at any Immigration Office in Laos, which is usually located at the provincial police station. The process of a Lao Tourist Visa Extension is straight forward:
The Visa on Arrival or eVisa can be extended at any Immigration Office in Laos, which is usually located at the provincial police station. The process of a Lao Tourist Visa Extension is straight forward:
Official Immigration Website with detailed information about the Visa Extension: http://immigration.gov.la/en/service/1/
If you don’t want to extend your visa at an Immigration Office (for whatever reason), you can also just cross over into one of the neighbouring countries and come back to Laos (e.g. Thailand). Keep in mind that you have to pay for the Visa again once arriving in Laos (40 USD, passport sized photo, etc.). This is also possible when you reached the maximum stay of 90 days in Laos and want to restart the process again. Its convenient when you are at the border with Thailand, like Savannakhet, Thakek or Huay Xai.
Note: When crossing into Thailand, there are NO MORE RESTRICTIONS on how many times you can come into Thailand on a Visa Exemption stamp! On some blogs, I still see outdated information about this. The max. of 2 land border crossing into Thailand is no longer in effect since July 2024!
Sometimes it happens that you accidentally overstay your Visa. This should be avoided, but is not a big deal either. The fine for overstaying a Lao Tourist Visa is $ 10 / Day, which is much more expensive than extending the Visa at your nearest Immigration Police Office. Overstaying a Visa to many times can raise questions and extra money could be demanded. So follow the rules & laws in Laos and everything will be fine.
When you arrive by plane, an Arrival/Departure Card will be handed out in the plane. Fill out the Arrival Card when arriving in Laos and keep the other half of that paper for Departure. If you arrive on a land border, there will be no Arrival/Departure Card. Keep in mind, that at some land border crossings the Officials might demand a small “service fee” if you don’t have a passport sized picture.
There is also an overtime fee when you arrive after 4 pm at a land border. An overtime fee of 10.000 LAK (~ 0,5 USD) applies. If they ask more than that, you can friendly ask what it is, demand a payment slip and refuse extra payments. Remember to always be polite and don’t lose your patience. For first timers in Laos, read our Laos Travel Guide about how to behave and what to do/what not to do. It is common that at some land borders like Mukdahan-Savannakhet, they ask for 100 THB or 200 THB, which also simply can be refused. It is a common thing, not only in Laos, to demand some small pocket money from Tourists. This usually only happens at land border crossing and not at airports.
Whether you choose the Visa on Arrival, the convenient eVisa, or apply at a Lao embassy, getting a tourist visa for Laos is a simple process for most travelers. The visa allows you to stay in the country for up to 30 days, with the option to extend. Each method has its advantages, so the best choice depends on your nationality, travel plans, and preferred entry point. Make sure to check the latest visa rules before your trip to ensure a smooth arrival in Laos.
