Do I need a visa for Laos?

Most visitors need a Laos visa. The usual tourist routes are an eVisa or a visa on arrival. A typical stay is 30 days from arrival. Send the VisaGov.la desk your nationality if you want us to check your case.

What are the Laos visa requirements for entry?

Start with a passport valid for at least 6 months, blank pages and a compliant photo. Complete the LDIF (digital arrival form) within 3 days of arrival at ports that require it. If you use an eVisa, enter only at a checkpoint that accepts it. A typical tourist stay is 30 days from arrival.

What types of Laos visa are there?

Common tourist options are eVisa or visa on arrival (usually 30 days) and a tourist visa extension in Vientiane ($90 all-in; Express 2-day $140 or 1-day $190). Longer stays use residence and work-permit packages from $290, including the 3-Month Package at $290, or an employer-sponsored LA-B2 route.

How long can I stay in Laos on a tourist visa?

A tourist eVisa or visa on arrival typically allows 30 days from arrival. While you are in Laos you can usually extend twice, adding up to about 60 more days. Visa-exempt entries generally cannot be extended the same way.

How do I extend a visa in Laos, and how much does it cost?

File a tourist visa extension in Vientiane. The VisaGov.la desk price is $90 all-in for 30 days, or Express 2-day $140 / 1-day $190. Bring your passport with the current entry stamp. See the extension procedure page for the filing steps.

What is the Laos LDIF form?

The LDIF is the digital arrival form. Complete it within 3 days of arrival at the ports that require it. It is not a visa and does not replace visa requirements.

Can I do a visa run from Thailand instead of extending?

Sometimes, but for most people who already hold an extendable tourist visa, extending in Vientiane for $90 is the simpler option: no travel and no border queues. Read our visa run vs extension guide, or WhatsApp the desk with your current stamp.

Does Laos have a retirement visa or a digital nomad visa?

There is no separate retirement or digital nomad visa product on our price list. People who want a longer stay usually start with a tourist extension ($90) or a residence package from $290. Ask the desk which option fits your case.

What is the Laos overstay fine?

Overstay is charged for every day past your stamp. The standard rate at the border is $10 per day, and the standard rate at the Ministry of Immigration is $5 per day. WhatsApp the desk before you travel if your stamp has already run out.

Laos Visa Requirements Checklist — Entry, Extension & LA-B2 Gates

Name: VisaGov.la
Address: Harmony Hotel, Asean Road, Vientiane, LA
Telephone: +856 20 9999 7573
Price range: USD 90-640

Laos visa requirements in 2026

Most visitors need a Laos visa. The usual tourist routes are an eVisa or a visa on arrival, and a typical stay is 30 days from arrival. Visa-exempt entries, where they apply, generally cannot be extended the same way. Bring a passport valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages and a compliant photo. Complete the LDIF (digital arrival form) within 3 days of arrival at the ports that require it, and enter only at a checkpoint that matches your eVisa if you used one.

Already in Laos and need more time? A tourist visa extension in Vientiane is $90 all-in for 30 more days (Express 2-day $140 / 1-day $190). You can usually extend twice. For a longer stay, compare residence permit packages from $290 (India and Nepal passports: +$300 on new packages only; extensions are the same for every nationality).

Laos visa types we file at the desk

Type	Typical stay / use	Desk price
Tourist entry (eVisa or visa on arrival)	Usually 30 days from arrival. Entry fee is paid at the portal or checkpoint.	WhatsApp the desk with your nationality — we do not change published government fees.
Tourist visa extension	Usually 30 more days, typically up to two extensions.	$90 all-in; Express 2-day $140 / 1-day $190
3-Month Package	A first longer stay.	$290 (India/Nepal $590 on new packages only)
Residence / work-permit packages	Longer stay; some packages include a work permit and multiple entry.	From $290. Full Mobility $640 / 12 months or $490 / 6 months; Flexible Residency and Local Banking $590 / $440
LA-B2 (often searched as a 1-year visa)	Employer-sponsored work route, with matching work documentation.	Standard 4–5 weeks; Express +$150 (about 2 weeks). Start from the packages above.

Walk in daily 9:00–20:00 at Harmony Hotel, Asean Road, Vientiane, or WhatsApp +856 20 9999 7573. Related guides: how to extend a visa in Laos, Laos visa types and prices, LA-B2 filing checklist, visa run vs extension, FAQ.

October 5, 2026

Start with the checklist for your purpose

Arriving as a tourist? Start with the entry checklist below. Already in Laos and need more time? Use the tourist visa extension procedure and check your current stamp before making plans. Extension service is $90; Express 2-day service is $140 and 1-day service is $190.

Comparing a border trip with extending your stay? Read visa run versus extension. For a longer stay, compare residence permit packages from $290. Send your nationality, passport expiry, intended travel dates and current entry stamp to the desk so requirements can be checked for your case.

Looking for current prices? Start with our residence permit packages (Full Mobility, Flexible Residency, Local Banking, 3-Month, Tourist extension). Older posts may still mention LA-B2 — ask the desk which package fits you now.

Laos Visa Requirements Checklist — Entry, Extension & LA-B2 Gates

This Laos Visa requirements checklist is the VisaGov.la master gate page for Harmony Hotel, Asean Road, Vientiane. Complete the relevant section before filing. Covers tourist entry, laos tourist visa extension / how to extend visa laos gates, and LA-B2 Laos (often called laos 1 year visa by applicants).

Channel: WhatsApp +856 20 9999 7573 · contact@66visa.com · Daily 9:00 AM–8:00 PM · walk-ins welcome · Maps

Related procedures: /laos-visas/ · Extension procedure · LA-B2 checklist

Gate 0 — Purpose lock

Write one purpose: Tourism / Extension / Employment (LA-B2) / Invitation only.

If purpose is mixed, split into sequenced files—do not merge checklists.

Gate 1 — Tourist entry requirements

Nationality eligibility for eVisa and/or VOA verified
Passport validity ≥6 months
Blank pages available
Photo compliant
LDIF plan if checkpoint requires (within 3 days of arrival at applicable ports)
Entry point matches eVisa permissions when using eVisa

Reference stay: up to 30 days from arrival for typical tourist cases under restored guidance from 1 January 2025.

Gate 2 — Laos tourist visa extension requirements

Use when purpose = extension. Detailed steps: procedure article.

Extendable tourist status confirmed
Remaining days calculated
Extension count < 2
Passport + photo ready
Government fee funds ready
Optional assist (USD 90, all-in) decided

Phrases routed here: Tourist visa extension laos, laos how to extend visa, how to extend visa laos.

Gate 3 — LA-B2 Laos / laos 1 year visa requirements

Employer identified
Quota path evidenced
Contract draft available
Applicant passport/photos/CV ready
Package price acknowledged (USD 290–640 new; India & Nepal +USD 300)
Invitation timing understood (~1 week when complete)

Full sequence: LA-B2 Laos Filing Checklist.

Gate 4 — Invitation-only requirements

Passport copy
Travel window
Sponsor details
~1 week buffer accepted

Master document index

Maintain a single index sheet listing every PDF, date received, and owner (applicant vs employer vs desk). Orphan files are the primary cause of false “we already sent everything” claims.

Requirements by failure mode

Failure	Missing requirement
Refused extension attempt	Extendable status not verified
LA-B2 delay	Quota evidence absent
Entry confusion	Wrong port vs eVisa list
Overstay risk	No calendar control on expiry

Desk verification protocol

VisaGov.la verifies gates in order 0→3. Skipping gates to “save time” creates rework. Walk-ins welcome daily 9:00–20:00; complex LA-B2 packs should still WhatsApp ahead.

NAP block

Harmony Hotel, Asean Road, Vientiane, Laos

+856 20 9999 7573 · https://wa.me/8562099997573?text=Hi%2C%20I%20want%20a%20Laos%20visa%20package%20quote

contact@66visa.com

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bvJT3SefSRfq6jzs8

Worked example A — tourist only

Purpose lock: Tourism.

Gates required: 0, 1.

Skip: 2, 3 unless dates change.

Next URL: remain on this checklist until Gate 1 passes, then execute entry.

If stay elongates later, reopen Gate 2 and the extension procedure.

Worked example B — tourist then extension

Purpose lock starts as Tourism; later updates to Extension.

Do not pre-check Gate 2 before arrival unless you already know you will stay beyond the initial period.

When extending, re-verify extendable status—how to extend visa laos fails when exemption stamps are mistaken for tourist visas.

Worked example C — employment

Purpose lock: Employment (LA-B2).

Gates: 0, 3 mandatory; Gate 1 only if a separate tourist scouting trip occurs first.

Commercial anchors recorded in file header before document chasing begins.

If applicant is already in Laos on tourist days, add a bridging note (see LA-B2 appendix on bridging)—do not improvise unlimited extensions.

Checklist governance

Version this page mentally as “2026-10 dominate pack.” When regulations shift, VisaGov.la updates intake advice first; republish checklist sections second. Applicants mid-file follow the intake message over stale browser tabs.

Action

Screenshot Gate 0–3, check your boxes, send the screenshot plus passport bio page to WhatsApp for intake.

Full requirements matrix (condensed)

Tourist entry matrix

Item	Required	Notes
Passport	Yes	6+ months typical
Photo	Yes	Spec confirmation on intake
eVisa/VOA eligibility	Yes	Nationality-specific
LDIF	Conditional	Checkpoint-dependent
Proof of funds	Sometimes requested	Be ready, not theatrical

Extension matrix

Item	Required	Notes
Extendable tourist status	Yes	Gate 2
Passport + stamp	Yes
Photo	Yes
Government fee	Yes	Included in the USD 90 tourist extension
Prior extension record	If #2

LA-B2 matrix

Item	Required	Notes
Employer + quota path	Yes	Hard gate
Contract	Yes
Passport/photos/CV	Yes
Package price ack	Yes	USD 290–640 (+300 India & Nepal)
Invitation timing	Plan	~1 week when complete

Requirements narrative for search alignment

Applicants discovering this page via the query laos visa should complete Gate 0 before consuming blog detail pages. That reduces mis-clicks into extension content when they actually need LA-B2 Laos, and vice versa.

If the query was laos tourist visa extension, jump to Gate 2, then open the procedure URL. If the query was laos 1 year visa, jump to Gate 3.

Evidence quality standard

Acceptable: clear PDF/JPG, full document edges visible, Latin filenames.

Unacceptable as primary: darkened WhatsApp forwards, cropped seals, password-locked ZIPs without password.

VisaGov.la will reject unusable evidence early—this is a feature.

Hours and physical requirements

Desk hours every day 9:00 AM–8:00 PM do not automatically equal immigration counter hours. Requirement: confirm filing-day timing on WhatsApp before traveling across Vientiane solely for a counter that is closed.

FAQ

What is the first Laos visa requirement?

Purpose lock + nationality eligibility.

How to extend visa Laos per this checklist?

Complete Gate 2; follow the extension procedure article.

What is required for LA-B2 Laos?

Employer quota path + applicant identity pack + confirmed commercial tier.

Are prices listed as requirements?

Current prices are intake facts: new packages — Full Mobility $640 (12 months) / $490 (6 months), Flexible Residency and Local Banking $590 / $440, 3-Month $290 (India & Nepal +$300 on new packages); LA-B2 renewal and the Full Mobility 12-month extension $550; invitations about 1 week when complete (no express).

Requirements change control

Immigration practice can shift by port and period. This page records stable requirement categories. VisaGov.la confirms live details on intake rather than freezing every fee kip amount in evergreen prose. Applicants must re-validate Gate 1–3 if their travel date slips by more than 30 days.

Agent submission requirements

Agents submitting for travelers must include:

Applicant bio page
Purpose lock sentence
Contact WhatsApp that reaches the human traveler
Employer contact when Gate 3 applies

Incomplete agent packs are returned with the same checklist—no private shortcuts.