Laos Travel requirements, advice , Coronavirus status and Visa Policy
2023-07-24 16:19:04
Laos is located in South-eastern Asia. It is a developing country. Current Travel Advice to visitors travelling to Laos is Exercise Increased Caution. Check Laos Travel Advisory, visa Requirements below.
Travel advice and advisories
Published 09.05.2022
Passengers must have:
- a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated; or
- a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test result issued at most 48 hours before departure from the first embarkation point.
- This does not apply to passengers younger than 12 years.
Travel Advisory By USA
Mon, 24 Jul 2023
Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.
Exercise increased caution to Laos due to civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Reconsider travel to:
- Xaisomboun Province due to civil unrest.
Exercise increased caution in:
- Remote areas along the border with Burma due to crime.
- Areas of Savannakhet, Xieng Khouang, Saravane, Khammouane, Sekong, Champassak, Houaphan, Attapeu, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane provinces, as well as along Route 7 (from Route 13 to the Vietnam border), Route 9 (Savannakhet to the Vietnam border), and Route 20 (Pakse to Saravane) due to unexploded bombs.
Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Laos.
If you decide to travel to Laos:
- Do not touch unknown metal objects and avoid traveling off well-used roads, tracks, and paths due to risk of unexploded ordnance.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
- Review the Country Security Report for Laos.
- Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.
- Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
Xaisomboun Province – Level 3: Reconsider Travel
There is a continued threat of violence in Xaisomboun Province.
The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Xiasomboun Province as U.S. government employees must obtain special authorization to travel there.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Areas on the Border with Burma – Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Bandits, drug traffickers, and other people pursuing illegal activities operate in these areas, as do armed groups opposed to the Burmese government.
Areas of Savannakhet, Xieng Khouang, Saravane, Khammouane, Sekong, Champassak, Houaphan, Attapeu, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane provinces, as well as along Route 7 – Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
There are large numbers of unexploded bombs in these areas left over from the Indochina War.
Visa Policy for Visitors travelling to Laos
Visa required
- Afghanistan
- Algeria (30 days)
- Bangladesh
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Congo [DRC]
- Congo [Republic]
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) (30 days)
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mozambique
- Nauru
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tonga
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
eVisa / Visa on arrival
- Albania (30 days)
- Andorra (30 days)
- Angola (30 days)
- Argentina (30 days)
- Armenia (30 days)
- Australia (30 days)
- Austria (30 days)
- Azerbaijan (30 days)
- Bahamas (30 days)
- Bahrain (30 days)
- Barbados (30 days)
- Belarus (30 days)
- Belgium (30 days)
- Belize (30 days)
- Benin (30 days)
- Bhutan (30 days)
- Bolivia (30 days)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (30 days)
- Botswana (30 days)
- Brazil (30 days)
- Bulgaria (30 days)
- Canada (30 days)
- Cape Verde (30 days)
- Central African Republic (30 days)
- Chad (30 days)
- Chile (30 days)
- China (30 days)
- Colombia (30 days)
- Comoros (30 days)
- Costa Rica (30 days)
- Cuba (30 days)
- Cyprus (30 days)
- Czech Republic (30 days)
- Denmark (30 days)
- Djibouti (30 days)
- Dominica (30 days)
- Dominican Republic (30 days)
- Ecuador (30 days)
- Egypt (30 days)
- El Salvador (30 days)
- Equatorial Guinea (30 days)
- Eritrea (30 days)
- Estonia (30 days)
- Ethiopia (30 days)
- Fiji (30 days)
- Finland (30 days)
- France (30 days)
- Gabon (30 days)
- Gambia (30 days)
- Georgia (30 days)
- Germany (30 days)
- Greece (30 days)
- Grenada (30 days)
- Guatemala (30 days)
- Guyana (30 days)
- Haiti (30 days)
- Honduras (30 days)
- Hong Kong (30 days)
- Hungary (30 days)
- Iceland (30 days)
- India (30 days)
- Ireland (30 days)
- Israel (30 days)
- Italy (30 days)
- Jamaica (30 days)
- Kazakhstan (30 days)
- Kenya (30 days)
- Kiribati (30 days)
- Kuwait (30 days)
- Kyrgyzstan (30 days)
- Latvia (30 days)
- Liechtenstein (30 days)
- Lithuania (30 days)
- Macau (30 days)
- Macedonia [FYROM] (30 days)
- Madagascar (30 days)
- Malawi (30 days)
- Maldives (30 days)
- Mali (30 days)
- Malta (30 days)
- Marshall Islands (30 days)
- Mauritania (30 days)
- Mauritius (30 days)
- Mexico (30 days)
- Micronesia (30 days)
- Moldova (30 days)
- Monaco (30 days)
- Montenegro (Visa on arrival is available at Luangphabang, Pakse, Savannakhet and Vientiane international airports, the 4 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges,[Note 4] 13 border crossings,[Note 5] and Tanalaeng train station in Vientiane. Visa on arrival facilities will be gradually phased out starting in January 2020. eVisa may be used to enter Laos through Wattay International Airport and the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge The Lalai, Lantui, Meuang mom, Pakxan, and Phoudou border crossings are open only to visa holders. Visa on arrival is extendable up to 60 days.)
- Morocco (30 days)
- Namibia (30 days)
- Nepal (30 days)
- Netherlands (30 days)
- New Zealand (30 days)
- Nicaragua (30 days)
- North Korea (30 days)
- Norway (30 days)
- Oman (30 days)
- Palau (30 days)
- Panama (30 days)
- Papua New Guinea (30 days)
- Paraguay (30 days)
- Peru (30 days)
- Poland (30 days)
- Portugal (30 days)
- Qatar (30 days)
- Romania (30 days)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (30 days)
- Saint Lucia (30 days)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (30 days)
- Samoa (30 days)
- San Marino (30 days)
- Saudi Arabia (30 days)
- Serbia (30 days)
- Seychelles (30 days)
- Slovakia (30 days)
- Slovenia (30 days)
- Solomon Islands (30 days)
- Somalia (30 days)
- South Africa (30 days)
- Spain (30 days)
- Sri Lanka (30 days)
- Sudan
- Sweden (30 days)
- Tajikistan (30 days)
- Tanzania (30 days)
- Timor-Leste (30 days)
- Togo (30 days)
- Trinidad and Tobago (30 days)
- Tunisia (30 days)
- Turkey (30 days)
- Turkmenistan (30 days)
- Tuvalu (30 days)
- Uganda (30 days)
- Ukraine (30 days)
- United Arab Emirates (30 days)
- United Kingdom (30 days)
- Uruguay (30 days)
- Vanuatu (30 days)
- Vatican City (30 days)
- Venezuela (30 days)
- Yemen (30 days)
Visa not required
- Brunei (14 days)
- Cambodia (30 days)
- Indonesia (30 days)
- Japan (15 days)
- Luxembourg (15 days)
- Malaysia (30 days)
- Mongolia (30 days)
- Myanmar [Burma] (14 days)
- Philippines (30 days)
- Russia (30 days)
- Singapore (30 days)
- South Korea (30 days)
- Switzerland (15 days)
- Thailand (30 days)
- Vietnam (30 days)
Visa on arrival
- Burkina Faso (30 days)
- Croatia
- São Tomé and Príncipe (30 days)
- Uzbekistan (30 days)
eVisa
- Guinea (30 days)
eVisa / Visa on arrival}
- Rwanda (30 days)
Visa Requirements for Laos Citizens
References
- U.S Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Systematic dataset of Covid-19 policy, from Oxford University
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)