Arrival in Laos

Check your nationality-specific entry rules with the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs before travelling. Some nationalities may enter under a visa exemption, while others need a visa. Children and infants also need a visa when their nationality requires one. A passport should normally remain valid for at least six months after arrival. The Lao eVisa is currently available for Ordinary Passport holders for tourist travel. It permits a single entry and a stay of up to 30 days. The approval letter can be valid for no more than 60 days, and a complete application usually takes about three working days. Submit it at least five days before travel, print the approval letter and enter with the same passport used for the application. Fees depend on nationality and the portal and are not refundable. An eVisa does not guarantee admission if another entry condition is not met. An eVisa is valid only at the designated ports: Wattay International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I, Luang Prabang International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge II, Pakse International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge IV, Boten International Checkpoint, Boten Railway Station and Khamsavath Railway Station. At another port, the eVisa is not valid; a visa on arrival may be possible only for the relevant port, nationality and travel purpose. Verify the checkpoint before departure. Foreign nationals and stateless people travelling with a passport must complete the Lao Digital Immigration Form, or LDIF. The form covers arrival and departure and must generally be submitted within three days before each entry or exit. Since 2025, it applies at Wattay, Luang Prabang, Pakse and Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I, where it replaces the paper card but not the visa. Prepare passport details, travel purpose, contact information and the intended checkpoint online. Keep the passport, visa or exemption evidence, LDIF confirmation, accommodation address and any onward-travel or purpose documents available for immigration inspection. Check the entry stamp and permitted stay immediately at the checkpoint. Overstaying or working or conducting business without the required permission can lead to a fine or further measures. Extend the permitted stay or leave before it ends; do not rely on an informal border crossing practice. Hotels, guesthouses and other accommodation hosts must report the stay of foreign guests to the relevant local authority. The exact deadline, form and responsible office are not uniform across Laos, so ask the host and local immigration office how the report is handled. Keep a copy of the passport, entry stamp, visa, LDIF code, address and an emergency contact. Tourist eVisa status does not authorize employment, study or business activity. Long-term, work and study stays normally require the correct purpose-based permission and a sponsor. A work or investment pathway can involve enterprise or foreign-worker approval, a work permit from the Ministry or provincial Department of Labor and Social Welfare, an immigration residence or temporary-stay permit, and a multiple-entry visa through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A one-stop service office may assist with investment or work procedures, but requirements and fees remain case-specific. Health access exists but varies sharply by location. Vientiane and other urban centres generally provide better care than rural areas, and medical treatment may require payment in advance or proof of insurance. Consider evacuation insurance, especially for travel outside urban centres. Routine vaccinations and MMR should be current; hepatitis A is recommended for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and older, and hepatitis B depends on age and exposure risk. Japanese encephalitis is particularly relevant for a move, a stay of at least one month or substantial rural exposure. Malaria prevention requires location-specific advice in Attapeu, Champasak, Khammouane, Salavan, Savannakhet and Sekong; transmission is rare in the north and is not reported in Vientiane or Luang Prabang according to the supplied health guidance. Yellow-fever vaccination is not an entry requirement for Laos according to the same guidance. Plan protection against mosquitoes, unsafe water, rabies and heat, and check whether medicines may legally be imported with the medicine in its original packaging and the prescription. For the first journeys, use official taxis or trusted transport and avoid night travel and unverified motorcycles. Road and ambulance standards can be limited outside urban areas. Unexploded ordnance and landmines remain a risk in several provinces and on remote routes; stay on established main roads and never touch metal objects. The May-to-October monsoon can cause floods, landslides and delays. Check current conditions separately for Xaisomboun and border or special economic zone areas.