Laos eVisa: How to Apply

The Laos eVisa is Now Available, for a single entry stay of up to 30 days, which can save you time when arriving in Laos, compared to lining up for Visa on Arrival. Unfortunately, at time of writing, the Laos eVisa is only available for travelers entering Laos by air at Vientiane (VTE) or via the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge near Vientiane. I hope that the eVisa will soon be available to passengers arriving in Luang Prabang (LPQ), since that, with a stay in Amantaka, is far more visited by TravelSort Clients planning a trip to see Angkor Wat and the other Angkor temples in Siem Reap (1.5 hour flight), or trips that include Hanoi (1.5 hour flight) or Bangkok (2 hour flight), since Luang Prabang (LPQ) is a nonstop flight from all of these cities.

According to the Laos E-Visa site, citizens from all countries where a visa is required, are eligible to apply for an eVisa. Note that currently, citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand and Vietnam enjoy visa-free entry to Laos, for a period of 14-30 days depending on the country. Always double check visa requirements before arranging travel.

Keep in mind as well that, at least as of time of writing, it's only possible to apply for a Laos eVisa for entry sometime within the next 2 months. So if your trip is further in advance, you'll need to wait to apply.

Here's how to apply for a Laos E-Visa:

1. Go to the Official Laos E-Visa Site

Don't waste time with unofficial sites such as visalaos and the like. Go to the official Lao Online Visa Site operated by the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You'll first need to provide your email address and get a verification number that is emailed to you, to enter the site and access the Laos E-Visa application.

2. Make Sure Your Photo and Passport Meet the Specifications

Both your digital passport photo and your passport bio page scan must be less than 2MB. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months (180 days) from the date of your arrival in Laos, so if your passport will expire sooner than that, get a new passport before applying for the eVisa.

Additionally, your passport photo must meet all the usual requirements:

4 x 6 cm.
Color photo, with a plain white background
Taken within the last 6 months
No shadows
Must face the camera, with both eyes open and a neutral expression

You're able to position and crop both the photo and passport bio image prior to uploading.

Laos eVisa Application: Upload Photo and Passport Bio Page

3. Provide your details

After uploading your passport photo and passport bio page, you'll need to provide your details, including your name, birthdate, passport information, citizenship, entry date to Laos, purpose of trip and place of stay.

4. Pay the $46.58 Fee

The visa itself costs $30, but there's a $15 administrative fee, plus the the 3.5% credit card fee. Note that AMEX is not accepted; you'll need a Visa or MasterCard.