Laos visa and entry requirements

How your entry route is decided

Nationality, length of stay and border crossing decide it.

1. Check the visa-free list - ASEAN passports (Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and others) and countries with bilateral agreements (Russia, South Korea) enter visa-free for 14 to 30 days.
2. Apply for an e-Visa - citizens of more than 160 listed countries apply online at the official government portal, https://laoevisa.gov.la. Approval normally takes 3 working days, for a single stay of up to 30 days.
3. Visa on arrival (VOA) - the same broad set of nationalities can get one at selected international airports and land crossings, paid in cash at USD 40 as standard, for 30 days.
4. Embassy visa required - citizens of 31 specified higher-risk states (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria and others) cannot use the e-Visa or VOA and must obtain a visa in advance at a Lao embassy abroad.

Entry formalities that apply to everyone

• Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) - introduced on 1 September 2025 on the immigration department's portal (https://www.immigration.gov.la), replacing the old paper card. File it no later than 72 hours (3 days) before entry, uploading your identity details, passport number, your address in Laos, and a photo of your passport with a verification selfie. You get a QR code valid for 3 days to show at immigration. Phase one covers Vientiane Wattay, Luang Prabang and Pakse airports and the First Friendship Bridge (Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I).
• Cash limits - local currency (LAK) import and export is capped at 2,500,000 LAK per person. Foreign cash worth more than USD 2,500, or USD 10,000 under international rules, needs a written customs declaration.
• Duty-free - 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, and 1 litre of spirits.
• Accommodation registration - every licensed provider must report a foreign guest to the local immigration police within 24 hours of check-in. You simply hand over your passport at check-in for a copy.

What actually matters in practice

Travellers in r/laos and r/travel consistently report three things at entry points:

• Your dollar bills must be pristine. The VOA fee (USD 40) is cash US dollars, and officers refuse notes that are creased, torn, written on, or from an older series. Pay in Thai baht instead and the counter applies an exchange rate marked up by 10–15%.
• Bring a passport photo. Applying for a VOA without a physical 4x6 cm photo costs an extra administrative fee of USD 1–2, or THB 50–100, on the spot to scan the one in your passport.
• Arriving out of hours costs extra. Before 08:00, after 16:00, at weekends and on public holidays, the desk charges a statutory processing surcharge of USD 1 plus an entry fee of about 2,500 LAK.