.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
Do Indians Need a Visa for Laos? (2026 Quick Answer)
Yes. As of November 2026, ordinary Indian passport holders need a visa for Laos. The India-Laos exemption, in force since 6 November 2002, covers only diplomatic and service passports, according to the exemption list of the Lao Department of Immigration.
Indian tourists have two routes:
- Lao e-Visa: India is on the official list of eligible nationalities. US$50 plus a bank charge, 30-day stay, single entry.
- Visa on arrival: issued at the main airports and several land crossings. No official Lao list of eligible nationalities could be found, but India is not on the list of nationalities that must get a visa in advance, as compiled by Wikipedia.
Every traveller needs their own visa, children and infants included, per the official Lao e-Visa portal.
The e-Visa covers tourism only, so other trips would mean applying for a different visa through a Lao embassy.
Laos e-Visa - Fees, Processing and Entry Points
The e-Visa is issued through the official Lao e-Visa portal, run by the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The portal says it is not affiliated with third-party visa websites.
Fee and payment
The official fee calculator showed US$50 per applicant for an Indian passport on 4 November 2026. That excludes a bank charge, and the portal does not show its amount.
The fee is non-refundable under any circumstances, including refusal or cancellation. Payment is online by VISA, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, WeChat Pay, Alipay or UnionPay.
Processing time and when to apply
- Processing: 3 working days after a complete application and full payment
- Earliest application: 60 days before the planned arrival date
- Latest application: 5 days before arrival
- Morning applications (Lao time, GMT+7) are processed from the same day, afternoon ones from the next day
The Consular Department closes on Lao public holidays, and processing may take longer then. The remaining 2026 closure is Lao National Day on 2 December, so for early December trips we suggest applying well ahead.
Validity and stay
The approval letter is valid for entry for 60 days from the day you receive it. The stay is 30 days from arrival, not linked to the letter's validity. The e-Visa allows a single entry.
The nine e-Visa entry points
Per the portal FAQ, the e-Visa works only at these ports:
- Wattay International Airport (Vientiane)
- Luang Prabang International Airport
- Pakse International Airport
- Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I (Vientiane)
- Friendship Bridge II (Savannakhet)
- Friendship Bridge IV (Bokeo)
- Boten International Checkpoint (Luang Namtha)
- Boten Railway Station (Luang Namtha)
- Khamsavath Railway Station (Vientiane)
You can enter at any of the nine, not only the one named in your application. No Vietnam border crossing is on the list. Arriving anywhere else means buying a visa on arrival, and the e-Visa fee is lost.
Visa on Arrival for Indians
The checkpoint table of the Lao Department of Immigration, checked on 4 November 2026, marks visa on arrival as available at:
- Wattay, Luang Prabang and Pakse international airports
- Friendship Bridges I, II, III and IV (Thai border)
- Khamsavath railway station
- Boten road checkpoint (China border)
- Vang Tao (Thai border)
- Dansavan (Vietnam border)
- Golden Triangle checkpoint, Nam Heuang bridge and Nong Nok Khian
Savannakhet airport offers neither a visa on arrival nor e-Visa entry. For minor crossings such as Nam Heuang, we recommend the main Friendship Bridges instead.
The stay is 30 days. Laos returned to 30-day visas on arrival on 1 January 2025.
Can Indians get one?
Very likely. No official Lao eligibility list could be found online, and Indian passports are not on the list of nationalities that must apply in advance, as compiled by Wikipedia. Only the e-Visa is confirmed for India by name.
Fee and what to carry
The fee is about USD 40 per the 2022 official notice of the Lao Consular Department, as reported on the Lao tourism ministry's website. No 2025 or 2026 fee schedule could be found, so we recommend checking before travel.
Canada's travel advice, updated on 15 October 2026, says a passport photo and the fee are needed. We suggest carrying a photo and US dollars in cash.
Documents and Arrival Checks
Passport
The official Lao rule is a passport valid for more than 180 days from arrival, with at least one blank page for the visa sticker and entry stamp. UK advice asks for two blank pages. To be safe, we recommend six months of validity beyond your planned exit date and two free pages.
Only ordinary passports qualify for the e-Visa, not temporary, emergency or special ones. You will need to arrive with the same passport used in the application.
e-Visa uploads
- Colour scan of the whole passport bio page, including the machine-readable lines
- Photo 4x6 cm, in colour, taken within 6 months, plain white background, no shadows
- Additional documents, if requested
The notice shown to Indian applicants
When India is selected as the nationality, the official e-Visa portal shows an Important Notice. Only India and Nepal get it. Applicants are asked to prepare and present on arrival:
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Travel itinerary
- Hotel booking confirmation
- Return or onward flight ticket
The notice warns that failure to provide these may result in denial of entry. No amount for sufficient funds is published, so it is worth carrying documents that show you can cover the trip.
The e-Visa itself does not guarantee entry. The portal's terms, last updated in September 2026, say immigration can refuse a traveller found inadmissible, for example for lack of funds.
Approval letter and LDIF
The approval letter is printed and shown to the immigration officer. One copy is enough, and black and white is fine if the QR code is legible. A phone screenshot is not a substitute.
The Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) is separate from the visa. Since 1 September 2025 it is used at Wattay, Luang Prabang and Pakse airports and Friendship Bridge I, and foreign passport holders register through it on the Lao immigration website before entering and before leaving.
UK advice says it is filed within 3 days before arrival and within 3 days before departure. At those four checkpoints it replaces paper arrival and departure cards. At other checkpoints, fill in whatever form that checkpoint uses.
Visarun helps to prepare and check the e-Visa application and arrival documents. The decision belongs to the Lao authorities, and no agency can guarantee entry.
Crossing From Thailand, Vietnam or by Train From China
The lists below follow the official checkpoint table as of 4 November 2026. The table does not mention closures, which is not the same as confirming that every crossing is open.
From Thailand
e-Visa and visa on arrival:
- Friendship Bridge I, Nong Khai to Vientiane
- Friendship Bridge II, Mukdahan to Savannakhet
- Friendship Bridge IV, Chiang Khong to Huay Xai
- Khamsavath railway station, train from Nong Khai
Visa on arrival only:
- Friendship Bridge III, Nakhon Phanom to Thakhek
- Vang Tao, opposite Chong Mek
The Fifth Friendship Bridge (Bueng Kan) shows neither option.
For the return into Thailand, the Lao tourism ministry's website reported in September 2026 that since 15 September 2026 Thailand's visa-free stay is 30 days and Indians are limited to two visa-exempt land entries per calendar year. This is not yet checked against Thai official text, so we suggest confirming it before planning overland loops.
From Vietnam
No Laos-Vietnam land crossing accepts the Lao e-Visa. The official table marks visa on arrival only at Dansavan, opposite Vietnam's Lao Bao. Nam Phao (Cau Treo), Nam Kan (Nam Can), Pang Hok (Tay Trang), Nam Soy (Na Meo), Na Phao (Cha Lo) and Phou Keua (Bo Y) show neither.
For Indians coming overland from Vietnam, the safer choices are Lao Bao to Dansavan or a Lao visa from an embassy before the trip.
At any land border, check that your passport is stamped on entry. Canada's travel advice notes that some immigration offices are hard to identify, and a missing stamp can lead to fines, detention and deportation.
By train from China
Boten railway station, the Laos-China railway border post opposite China's Mohan, accepts the e-Visa but does not issue visas on arrival. Indians on the international train from China therefore need an e-Visa or an embassy visa before boarding. The Boten road checkpoint accepts both.
Extensions and Overstay Fines
The Lao Department of Immigration's service page, in a record dated March 2025, sets these extension terms:
- At most twice per arrival
- Request at least 3 days before the stay expires
- Fee: 20,000 kip per day plus 40,000 kip per application
- Documents: passport and a 3x4 cm photo
- Where: Immigration Department in Vientiane or a provincial immigration office, in office hours
- Processing: 1 to 2 business days
UK advice describes the two extensions as up to 60 additional days in total.
The official overstay fine could not be confirmed. It is reported at about USD 10 a day (a 2020 law-firm note), so we recommend checking the current rate.
UK government advice warns that not extending for 90 days brings a fine in kip worth USD 2,000, deportation and a ban on returning to Laos.
Recent Changes (2025-2026)
- 1 January 2025: the Visit Laos Year 2024 measures ended and checkpoints returned to pre-2024 rules, including 30-day visas on arrival.
- 1 September 2025: the LDIF launched at four checkpoints. A nationwide rollout targeted for 2026 was reported in August 2025, but no official notice of expansion has been found as of November 2026.
- 15 September 2026: Thailand reportedly moved to a 30-day visa-free stay and two visa-exempt land entries a year for Indians (not yet checked against Thai official text).
- 4 November 2026: the official calculator showed US$50 per Indian applicant, excluding the bank charge.
The documents notice for Indian applicants is currently shown on the portal. We recommend rechecking the official portal right before applying.
FAQ
Is Laos visa-free for Indians?
No, not for ordinary passports. The 2002 exemption covers only diplomatic and service passports.
How much is the Laos e-Visa for Indians?
US$50 per applicant plus a bank charge, per the official calculator on 4 November 2026. It is non-refundable.
How long does the Laos e-Visa take?
3 working days. Applications open 60 days before arrival and close 5 days before it.
How long is the Laos e-Visa valid?
The approval letter is valid for entry for 60 days from receipt. The stay is 30 days from arrival, single entry.
Can I use the Lao e-Visa when crossing from Vietnam?
No. Visa on arrival is marked only at Dansavan, opposite Lao Bao. Otherwise, an embassy visa is the safer option.
Can I get a visa on arrival on the train from China?
No. Boten railway station accepts the e-Visa only, so the visa is needed before boarding.
Do children need their own visa?
Yes. Per the official portal, all applicants, including children and infants, need a visa.
Can I work in Laos on a tourist visa?
No, neither paid nor unpaid. A December 2023 MEA advisory, posted by the Embassy of India in Vientiane, also says a tourist visa is only for tourism, so a job offer on a tourist visa is a red flag.
How can Visarun help with a Laos visa?
We help to prepare and check your e-Visa application, arrival documents and entry route. The decision belongs to the Lao authorities, and no agency can guarantee it.
