Do I need a visa for Laos?
Whether you need a visa for Laos depends on the passport you hold. Of the 21 most-checked passports, 3 enter visa-free and 18 need to apply for something in advance. Visa-free stays run to 30 days depending on nationality. Find your passport in the table below for the exact rule, the stay length, the passport validity required, and any arrival registration you have to complete separately.
Now pick the passport you travel on.
Entry rules by passport
Select your nationality for the full answer: stay length, passport validity, pre-registration and how to apply.
| Passport | What you need | Max stay |
|---|---|---|
| Lithuania | 30 days | |
| Germany | 30 days | |
| United Kingdom | 30 days | |
| United States | 30 days | |
| France | 30 days | |
| Poland | 30 days | |
| Netherlands | 30 days | |
| Spain | 30 days | |
| Italy | 30 days | |
| Brazil | 30 days | |
| India | 30 days | |
| China | 30 days | |
| Türkiye | 30 days | |
| Nigeria | Visa requiredApply for a Nigeria passport | No stated limit |
| South Africa | 30 days | |
| Philippines | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Pakistan | Visa requiredApply for a Pakistan passport | No stated limit |
| Bangladesh | Visa requiredApply for a Bangladesh passport | No stated limit |
| Indonesia | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Egypt | 30 days | |
| Vietnam | Visa-free | 30 days |
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Need a visa for Laos?
Apply through our partner Evisa Express. Forms, fees and government submission are handled, with status updates until it is approved.
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What to do next
The part most visa checkers leave out: what actually needs doing before you fly.
Confirm with the official source
Rules change without notice, and only the immigration authority of Laos can tell you where you stand. Search for its official site before you travel.
Check your passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date. Renew first if you are close, because this is the most common reason travellers are turned away.
LDIF required
Separate from any visa: Laos requires this registration before or on arrival. Do it even if you need no visa.
Common questions
Entry to Laos, answered from the same rules the table shows.
It depends on the passport you hold. Of the 21 most-checked passports listed above, 3 enter Laos without a visa, 18 have to apply for something before travelling. Find your nationality in the table for the exact rule, the stay it allows and what has to be applied for.
3 of the 21 most-checked passports listed above: Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. The rest have to apply in advance.
30 days on every visa-free rule in the table. The limit is per entry, and staying beyond it needs a different permission rather than an extension at the border.
6 months. Renew before you travel if you are close to that, because it is one of the most common reasons travellers are refused boarding — by the airline, before they ever reach the border.
Not for any of the 21 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still be offered one, so check the rule for the passport you hold.
Yes, for Lithuania, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Poland, Netherlands and Spain among others. The application is completed online with no embassy appointment.
Yes. Laos requires LDIF, separately from any visa and regardless of whether you need one. Travellers who are told they need no visa miss this most often.
Travelling somewhere else?
Check any passport against any destination
