Laos eVisa

The eVisa is open to holders of ordinary passports from the nationalities listed in the portal’s fee calculator. Diplomatic, official and stateless travel documents cannot be used. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in Laos, and your intended date of entry must be within 60 days of applying. The portal suggests applying at least five days before departure.

Citizens of visa-exempt countries can also apply if they want a 30-day stay that can be extended without leaving the country.

You upload a scan of the passport data page and a digital photo. The photo must be 4 x 6 cm to ICAO standard, taken within the last six months, on a plain white background, as a JPG or PNG file; the portal checks the face and may ask for a new photo. All information must be entered in English. Depending on the case, the form can also ask for a hotel reservation, flight reservation, bank statement or a visa for a third country.

Choose your country of passport and passport type, verify your e-mail address with the PIN that is sent to you, then fill in personal and passport details, intended date of entry, purpose of trip, address during the visit and the port of entry. Pay the fee online; an unpaid invoice is cancelled after seven days and the fee is not refunded once paid. You can add several people to one cart and check the status with your application ID and passport number.

The approval letter is the key document: print it and carry it. Without it you will be refused entry or must buy a visa on arrival at your own cost, and the eVisa fee is not refunded. The eVisa can only be used at these ports: Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport, Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane), Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet), Friendship Bridge IV (Bokeo), Boten International Checkpoint (Luang Namtha), Boten Railway Station and Khamsavath Railway Station (Vientiane). Officers compare the letter with your passport and stick the visa into it. Since 1 September 2025 you must also complete the separate digital arrival form of the Department of Immigration.

Extensions are requested at the Department of Immigration in Vientiane or a provincial immigration office during office hours, at least three days before your permitted stay ends. A stay can be extended no more than twice per arrival, except in emergencies backed by documents. The charge is 20,000 kip per day plus 40,000 kip for the service and form, you need a 3 x 4 cm photo, and a decision takes one to two business days. Multiple entries or a stay planned to be longer than 30 days require a regular visa from a Lao embassy instead of the eVisa.