Laos Visa Procedure

LAOS VISA PROCEDURE

CATEGORIES OF LAOS VISA.

CATEGORIES	DESCRIPTION	VISA STATUS
1. Diplomatic visas (A1)	Diplomatic visas are issued to diplomats, consular officers, heads of the United Nations Agencies and other International Organizations, and their dependents (spouse and children) holding diplomatic passports.	Diplomatic visas (A1)and official visas (A2) are exempted from visa fees. Multiple entry visas may be obtained for a period of one year and may be renewed each year until the assignment's completion.
2. Official visas (A2).	Official visas are issued to the Staff members of Diplomatic Missions, Consulates, United Nations Agencies and other International Agencies and their dependents (spouse and children) holding official passports.
3. Courtesy visas (B1).	Courtesy visas are issued to foreign experts and their dependents holding diplomatic, official and ordinary passports performing assignments under bilateral cooperation or grant assistance projects for the Government of Lao PDR.	Courtesy visa (B1) are exempted from visa fees. Multiple entry visas may be obtained for a period of six months and may be renewed every six months until the assignment's completion.
4. Business Visas (B2).	Business visas are issued to foreign experts performing assignments under projects provided by loan agreements and as provided by employment contracts or project wards, to experts and volunteers of Non-Governmental Agencies, experts in education and medical sciences generating income for an agency, staff members of Diplomatic Missions, General Consulates, the United Nations Agencies and other international organizations holding ordinary passports from the countries or from third countries, as well as foreign businesspersons.	Business visas (B2) are subject to the payment of mandatory visa and service fees. Multiple entry visas may be obtained for a period of one (1) year, six (6) months and three (3) months and may be renewed every one (1) year, six- (6) months and three (3) months until completion of assignments.
5. Visit visas (B3).	Visit visas are issued to foreign citizens holding ordinary passports and intending to visit relatives working in the Lao PDR.	Visit visa (B3) are subject to the payment of visa and service fees upon each travel in destination to the Lao PDR. B3 category visas does not entitle its holder to work or apply for multiple entry visas.
6. Tourist Visas: (T).	Tourist Visas are issued to foreign visitors for their excursion and enjoy sightseeing in Lao the tourist visas valid for 15 days entering and staying permit in the territory of the Lao PDR. Embassies or General Consulates of the Lao PDR gives those tourist visas. At abroad or Lao authorities at the International Check Points which have had full right obtain tourist visas upon arrival in accordance with their stem employment prohibited.
7. Transit Visas: (Tr.).	Transit visas are issued to foreign visitors who transit through the Lao PDR. to third country including their air tickets the Embassies or General Consulates of the Lao PDR. at abroad has had full right obtain transit visas with its two voyages and stem "Employment prohibited" Those visas are allowed to stay permit in the Lao PDR. for the period 7 days only.

Visas available at Attapeu checkpoint

Visas are now available on arrival at the Phoukeua international border checkpoint, which is located in Attapeu province at the border of Laos and Vietnam.

Many tourists visiting southern Vietnam wanted to visit Laos by entering the country at the Phoukeua checkpoint, but were turned away because they could not obtain visas there.

Phoukeua became an international border checkpoint in January this year and is located close to where Laos , Vietnam and Cambodia meet. The three countries were developing an economic triangle, and the visa changes could help promote trade cooperation.

Visas on arrival in Laos for the citizens of certain countries were first available in 1990 at Wattay International Airport and then in 1994 at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge between Vientiane and Nong Khai.

Making visas available on arrival was initially aimed at facilitating visits of delegations between Laos and its neighbors, but now it also aims to boost tourism, according to Mr Daophet an official from Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There are now 19 international border checkpoints in Laos, but visas on arrival are only available at 16 of them, according to the Consulate Department. You can not obtain visas on arrival at checkpoints in Oudomxay, Saravan and Xekong provinces.

Oudomxay authorities have asked the government to allow visas on arrival in their province.

But Mr Daophet said facilities in that location were below required standards, because there was not a suitable supply of water or electricity, and there were no offices for officials.

Before we arrange to provide visas on arrival, we have to ensure there is enough demand and there are between 100 and 200 people getting the visas each month, he said.

More than 100,000 visas on arrival are issued to tourists in Laos every year.

The majority of these are issued at Wattay International Airport , the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge between Vientiane and Nong Khai, and the Vangtao border checkpoint, located in Champassak province on the border of Laos and Thailand .

The government recognizes three types of border checkpoint in Laos .

An international checkpoint can be used by Lao citizens and citizens of all other countries.

A local checkpoint can be used only by the citizens of two neighboring countries.

A customary checkpoint is used by people living in the neighboring provinces of two countries.

TWO CATEGORIES OF INTERNATIONAL CHECK POINTS IN LAO PDR.

Those International Check Points are allowed to the Lao citizens, overseas, foreigners citizens who holding passport in accordance with its stem visas are given by Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Embassies or General Consulates of the Lao PDR at broad for entry and exit the country.

The first categories of the International Check Points can be able facilities for travelers who already have had stem visas only, But they have no full right to obtain the visas upon arrival the check points consists of 11 the International Check Points as below:

1. Houayxay (Lao) - Xiengkhong (Thai)
2. Thakhek (Lao) - Nakhonphanom (Thai)
3. Savannakhet (Lao) - Mukdahan (Thai)
4. Vangtao (Lao) - Xongmek (Thai)
5. Namphao (Lao) - Cautreo (Vietnam)
6. Densavanh (Lao) - Laobao (Vietnam)
7. Naphao (Lao) - Chalo (Vietnam)
8. Boten (Lao) - Bohane (China)
9. Namkane (Lao) - Namekane (Vietnam)
10. Namsoue (Lao) - Nameo (Vietnam)
11. Parksane (Lao) - Beungkane (Thai)

THE SECOND CATEGORIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHECK POINTS:

Besides, the second categories of the International Check Points have had full right to obtain the visas upon arrival (visa fee 30 US$) at the three International Check Points as below:

1. Wattay International Airport.
2. Louang Prabang International Airport.
3. Friendship Bridge

Top