LivingTravelLaos visa on arrival and other essential information for...

Laos visa on arrival and other essential information for the traveler

The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia receives heavy visitor traffic from its land crossings from China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. You can actually get a visa on arrival at many of these land crossings.

Only travelers with passports from Japan, Russia, Korea and Southeast Asian countries do not need a visa to enter. Everyone else must have one before entering Laos or secure one upon arrival. The visa takes up a full page in your passport and is valid for 30 days.

Two passport size photos may be required for application. A visa on arrival costs US $ 35 for US citizens; the rate varies according to citizenship, from just US $ 30 to US $ 42.

To facilitate processing, pay the visa application fee in exact exchange with US dollars. Lao Kip and Thai baht are accepted, but you can pay more for currency exchange.

Where to get your Laos visa upon arrival

The following land and air crossings grant visas to visiting foreigners upon arrival.

Laos International Airports: Vientiane, Pakse, Savannakhet and Luang Prabang Airports

Thailand: Friendship Bridge connecting Vientiane and Savannakhet; the Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge that crosses from Thailand to Sayabouly province in Laos; and other border crossings between Thailand and Laos: Houayxay-Chiang Khong; Thakhek-Nakhon Phanom; and Vangtao-Chong Mek.

Visitors to the Tha Naleng train station in Vientiane can obtain visas upon arrival, who enter via the rail link from Nongkhai in Thailand.

Important Reminder: If you are entering Laos from Thailand, please decline the numerous offers from guesthouses and agents to handle your visa application in Nongkhai; most of these services are scams.

Vietnam: Dansavan-Lao Bao; Nong Haet Nam Kan; y Nam Phao-Kao Treo cruces terrestres.

Cambodia: Overland crossing Veun Kham-Dong Calor.

China: Boten-Mohan land crossing.

Get a visa in advance

If you want to stay in Laos for more than 30 days, consider applying for a visitor visa at a consulate office in Southeast Asia or the Lao embassy in your home country. Application fees differ, but you can be granted a stay of up to 60 days .

Having a visa before arrival means that you can bypass some of the queues at the border, and allows access to these additional international entry points that do not provide visa on arrival: Napao-Chalo and Taichang-Pang Hok from Vietnam. and Pakxan-Bungkan from Thailand.

Laos has consulates located throughout Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

To contact the Lao Embassy in the United States:

Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
2222 S St. NW, Washington DC 20008
Phone: 202-332-6416
laoembassy.com

Visa extensions

Visitors can apply for a visa extension at the Immigration Department office in Vientiane, behind the Joint Development Bank (JDB) on Lane Xang Avenue. Location on Google Maps.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 11:30 am and from 1:30 pm to 4 pm, except on Fridays (closed in the afternoon). Dealing with this office is not completely straightforward; Travelers are known to have been turned away for lack of staff. Keep this in mind when obtaining a visa extension, to avoid being fined for unwanted stays due to red tape.

Tourist visas can be extended up to an additional 60 days at a cost of US $ 2 per day. That’s a lot cheaper than inadvertent stays, which could be grounds for arrest and will definitely cost a $ 10 a day fine.

You will need to bring: your passport; a passport-type photo; $ 3 service fee and 3,000 kip application fee per person.

Important travel information

Required vaccinations. There are no required vaccinations for Laos. However, proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for visitors arriving from infected areas (parts of Africa and South America).

Malaria is a serious risk in Laos and routine travel vaccines for typhoid fever, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, polio and tuberculosis are highly recommended.

For up-to-date information on vaccines for Laos, see the official CDC website.

Customs regulations. You must declare a coin worth more than US $ 2,000 and any antiques you can bring to Laos.

Money in Laos The official currency of Laos is the Kip , but you will find that US dollars in small denominations are accepted (and preferred) throughout the country.

Credit cards are rarely accepted outside of resorts and a fee for using them will usually be added to your bill. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged at banks in major cities for a fee.

Lao Kip dispensing ATMs can be found in tourist areas. Lao Kip is useless outside of Laos, so be sure to change all your money before leaving the country.

Travel safety in Laos

Drugs: Although drugs are widely available in Vang Vieng and other tourist areas, they are illegal and punishable by death.

Crime – Violent crime is not a big problem in Laos, but petty theft does happen, always keep your bags in mind while traveling.

Landmines: There are still landmines in parts of Laos; always stay on marked trails and walk with a guide. Never handle a mysterious object outdoors.

Bus Travel: The mountainous terrain in central Laos makes traveling by bus at night especially dangerous. Choose buses that take advantage of daylight leaving early in the morning.

Boat trip: The famous ‘fast boat’ between Laos and Thailand is a test of nerves for both the driver and the passengers. Lower water levels during the dry season (December to April) make speedboat travel even more dangerous.

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