Karst peaks and morning mist seen from Mount Nam Xay, Vang Vieng, Laos

Who needs a visa for Laos?

South-eastern Asia · Vientiane

Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Of 198 nationalities, 15 enter Laos with no paperwork at all. The rest: 155 can get a visa at the border and 28 must be approved before they travel.

Typical decision
Usually 3 working days
Stay permitted
Single entry. Enter within 60 days of approval; stay up to 30 days.
Apply on the official Laos government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 18 October 2026 — read the fees and rules on laoevisa.gov.la

What Laos asks for

  • Passport valid for more than 180 days from arrival
  • Scan of the passport bio page, including the two MRZ lines
  • Photograph 4x6 cm, taken within the last 6 months
  • The eVisa Approval Letter, shown on arrival

Worth knowing

  • The eVisa fee is not refundable.
  • The eVisa can be used only at the airports, bridges and railway stations the site lists as eVisa ports.
  • Carry the Approval Letter. Without it you will be refused entry.

Photo requirements

We have not yet read the photo rules for Laos on an official page, so we print no sizes. Photo rules we have checked, and official links for the rest

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 15

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

Visa on arrival 155

Issued at the border rather than beforehand. Bring the fee in cash in the currency the border post accepts. It is a permission, not a guarantee.

Visa required 28

You must apply and be approved before you travel. Airlines will refuse to board you without it.

About Laos

Region
South-Eastern Asia
Capital
Vientiane
Population
7,873,046 2025 · 102nd of 197
Size
236,800 km² 82nd largest of 199
Density
33 per km²
Language
Lao
Currency
Lao kip LAK
Borders
Cambodia China Myanmar Thailand Vietnam

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.