Visa policy of Laos
Visitors to Laos must obtain a visa from one of the Laotian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or qualify for visa on arrival. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.[1]
Visa policy map
Visa exemption
Citizens of the following 15 countries can visit Laos without a visa (allowed length of stay in days is shown in parentheses):
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Additionally, only holders of diplomatic or official passports of Japan, Pakistan, Serbia and South Korea do not require a visa to visit Laos for 90 days, only holders of diplomatic or official passports of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Myanmar, North Korea, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan do not require a visa to visit Laos for 30 days and only holders of diplomatic or official passports of Indonesia do not require a visa to visit Laos for 14 days.
Visa on arrival
Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility |
Visitors of other nationalities may obtain a visa on arrival valid for 30 days for US$30 (extendable once) if arriving at one of the following airports:[2]
- Vientiane Wattay International Airport
- Luang Prabang International Airport
- Pakse International Airport
Visa is obtainable at following bridges:
- Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
- Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
- Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge
Visa is obtainable at following border crossings:
- Boten-Mohan
- Dansavan-Lao Bảo
- Houaysay-Chiang Khong
- Thakhek-Nakhon Phanom
- Nong Haet-Nam Kan
- Nam Phao-Kao Cheo
- Veun Kham-Dong Calor
- Vangtao-Chong Mek
Visa can also be obtained on arrival at the Thanaleng Railway Station in Vientiane.
Those who have obtained the visa at a Lao embassy can also cross at Napao-Chalo, Taichang-Tây Trang, Pakxan-Bueng Kan and Xieng Kok.[3]
Nationals of the following countries are ineligible to obtain a visa on arrival, and they can only obtain a visa on arrival (for US$30) if they are traveling on an official visit and are holding an official letter of guarantee issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos:[4]
Statistics
Most visitors arriving to Laos were from the following countries of nationality:[5]
Rank | Country | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Thailand | 2,321,352 | 2,043,761 | 2,059,434 | 1,937,612 | 1,579,941 |
2 | Vietnam | 1,187,954 | 1,108,332 | 910,164 | 705,596 | 561,586 |
3 | China | 511,436 | 422,440 | 245,033 | 199,857 | 150,791 |
4 | South Korea | 165,328 | 96,085 | 81,799 | 53,829 | 34,707 |
5 | United States | 63,058 | 61,460 | 61,608 | 53,380 | 50,092 |
6 | France | 55,151 | 52,146 | 52,411 | 46,903 | 44,399 |
7 | Japan | 43,826 | 44,877 | 48,644 | 42,026 | 37,883 |
8 | United Kingdom | 41,508 | 39,061 | 41,741 | 35,964 | 35,622 |
9 | Australia | 34,655 | 44,964 | 35,441 | 33,878 | 31,874 |
10 | Germany | 31,897 | 29,800 | 29,250 | 23,417 | 21,280 |
Total | 4,684,429 | 4,158,719 | 3,779,490 | 3,330,072 | 3,330,072 |
See also
References
- ↑ "Visa Information". Timatic. IATA. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ↑
- ↑ Laos
- ↑
- ↑ "2015 Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos" (PDF).