# Visa policy of Laos

Visitors to Laos must obtain a visa from 1 of the Laotian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of 1 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 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:
| Brunei  Cambodia  Indonesia  Malaysia | Mongolia  Philippines  Russia  Singapore | South Korea  Thailand  Vietnam |
| Japan | Luxembourg | Switzerland |
* 14 days
* Myanmar
* Date of visa changes
* 2004: Vietnam
* 2004: Cambodia
* 2004: Singapore
* 2004: Malaysia
* 2004: Thailand
* 2005: Brunei
* 12 July 2005: Philippines
* 1 January 2007: Japan
* 1 September 2007: Russia
* 14 October 2007: Mongolia
* 1 September 2008: South Korea
* 7 July 2009: Luxembourg and Switzerland
* 2009: Myanmar
* 2011: Indonesia
* 1 August 2018: Sri Lanka (visa on arrival)
* 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 Sweden

### 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):
| Azerbaijan  Bangladesh  Belarus$^1$  Brazil  China  Hong Kong$^2$  Cuba$^1$  Czech Republic$^1$  Ecuador  Hungary$^1$ | India  Indonesia$^2$  Japan$^1$  Kyrgyzstan  Kuwait  Mexico$^1$  Mongolia  North Korea  Norway$^D$  Pakistan$^1$ | Peru$^1$  Poland$^1$  Russia  Serbia$^1$  South Korea$^1$  Slovakia$^1$  Switzerland  Timor-Leste  Turkey$^{D1}$ |
$_{D–Diplomaticpassportsonly.}$ $_{1–90days}$ $_{2–14days}$
Laos signed a visa-free agreement with Kazakhstan for holders of diplomatic and official passports in July 2024.

## 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 twice, for a maximum stay of 90 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 60 days from the date of issuance and its holders may stay for up to 30 days in Laos.
Travellers eligible for a visa on arrival or an e-Visa can enter Laos through 1 of the following ports of entry:
| Port of entry | Opposite side |
| 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 1 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:
| Afghanistan  Algeria  Bangladesh  Burundi  Cameroon  Congo  DR Congo  Eswatini | Ghana  Guinea-Bissau  Ivory Coast  Iran  Iraq  Jordan  Lebanon  Lesotho | Liberia  Libya  Mozambique  Nauru  Niger  Nigeria  Pakistan  Senegal | Sierra Leone  South Sudan  Sudan  Suriname  Syria  Tonga  Zambia  Zimbabwe |

## Visitor statistics

Most visitors arriving in Laos were from the following countries of nationality:
| 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 |