In an effort to make the arrival process easier for travelers & border staff, the Lao government changed which land & air borders are issuing visas on arrival. Nine crossings have been removed from the Laos visa on arrival list. Listed below are land & air border crossings that ARE issuing VoAs.
Air Borders
There has only been one stand out change in air travel for international arrivals, visa on arrival is NOT available at Savannakhet airport .
Visa on arrival is AVAILABLE at the following airports:
- Wattay / Vientiane International Airport
- Pakse / Champassak International Airport
- Luang Prabang International Airport
Land Borders
Visa on arrival is AVAILABLE at the following land borders:
• Trapaingkriel – Veun Kham, Stung Treng Province to Champasack Province (Cambodia)
• Mohan – Boten , Yunnan to Luang Namtha Province (China)
• Chiangkhong – Houixay, Chiang Rai to Bokeo Province (Thailand)
• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I, Nong Khai-Vientiane Capital (Thailand)
• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge II, Moukdahan-Savannakhet Province (Thailand)
• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge III, Nakorn Phanom-Thakhek/Khammouane Province (Thailand)
• Chongmek – Vangtao, Ubol Ratchathani to Champasack Province (Thailand)
• Thanaleng Railway Station (Thailand)
• Lao Bao – Dansavanh, Quang tri to Savannakhet Province (Vietnam)
E-Visa
E-Visas can be issued to travelers from the list of countries found here. Be certain to allow at least 3 working days for the E-visa to be processed. The process for an E-visa is very straightforward. Simply pay online & download an approval letter that you present along with your passport. However, an E-visa can be used ONLY at:
- Wattay International Airport (Vientiane)
- Luang Prabang International Airport (Luang Prabang)
- Pakse International Airport (Champasack Province)
- Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane)
- Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet Province)
Other Information
Travelers are always welcome to apply for a visa at the Laos embassy or consulate in their home country. Alternately, long term travelers can apply at Lao embassies or consulates in major SE Asian cities such as Bangkok, Hanoi, & Phnom Penh. This is a complete listing of Lao embassies & consulates.
Please check with offical sites and Embassies for current information.