Can foreigners live in Laos?

Is Laos a good place to live in?

Dust motes dancing. Slow. Golden light. Luang Prabang. The Mekong whispers. A timeless river. Temples bells. Echo. Fade.

Vientiane… a sleepy capital. Warm smiles. Spicy noodles. The scent of frangipani. Thick, sweet. Heavy air.

Pakse. Coffee plantations. Mist clinging to the Bolaven Plateau. Cool air. A different kind of peace.

Savannakhet. French colonial ghosts. Red dust roads. The sun bleeds across the sky.

Vang Vieng. Emerald green. Karst mountains. A kayak drifts. Time stops.

• Vientiane: Capital city. Affordable. Friendly faces.
• Luang Prabang: Temples. Spiritual heart. Mekong River.
• Pakse: Bolaven Plateau. Coffee. Cooler climate.
• Savannakhet: French colonial architecture. Mekong.
• Vang Vieng: Natural beauty. Karst landscape. River activities.

Laos. A slow breath. A whispered secret. Golden.

How to stay in Laos long term?

Ugh, Laos visas. So annoying. I got a 30-day tourist visa last year, extended it twice, then did a visa run to Thailand. Pain in the butt. Next time, agency. Definitely worth the cost.

One year? Yeah, agents can totally get you that, but it’s pricey. My friend did it in 2023. He swears it was legit. He paid a hefty sum, though.

Senior citizen retiring? No idea. Probably need a retirement visa or something. Check the Lao embassy website. Seriously. Don’t rely on Reddit.

Passport and visa? Longest stay was three months. That was pushing it.

Visa exemption? Forget it. Too short. Visa runs are a hassle but doable.

• Agency route is best for long stays. Expensive but reliable.
• Visa runs are a viable but tedious alternative.
• Retirement in Laos? Research Laotian embassy requirements, ASAP.
• Expect to pay through the nose for a long-term visa.
• My friend used “Laos Visa Services,” or something like that. Don’t remember the exact name. But he raves about them.

I need a vacation. This visa stuff is draining. Thinking about Vietnam next. Maybe Cambodia? Ugh decisions.

What is a long term visa for Laos?

Ugh, Laos visas. So complicated. I-B3, right? That’s the long-term one. For workers, mostly. Or, you know, long-term residents. Need serious dough, though. They’re picky.

What’s the minimum? I should look that up. Seriously, I need to organize my notes. My passport’s expiring soon too! That’s another thing to deal with.

Minimum financial requirements are a major hurdle. Seriously, it’s not a walk in the park. And dependents? They have to meet the requirements too? That’s crazy. Makes it even harder for families.

Laos. Beautiful place, though. I’ve seen pictures. I really want to go. Thinking about visiting Luang Prabang… or maybe Vang Vieng. Hmm… Decisions, decisions.

• Visa type: I-B3
• Target group: Foreign laborers and residents + dependents
• Key requirement: Substantial financial proof

I need to check the Laotian embassy website. I bet their application process is a nightmare. Bureaucracy. Always a nightmare.

How to get Laos long-term visa?

Passport, duh. Need that. Application form. Pics, like passport size. Sometimes need a letter, like if a company’s sponsoring you. Gotta show you got money, so you don’t, you know, end up on the streets. Self-addressed, stamped envelope… Like they’re not gonna pay for it, haha. This was such a hassle for me last year. Seriously. Took like, six weeks. Six! I was in Bangkok sweating it out. And my friend, she had to go to the embassy like three times. Three! They kept saying they needed more stuff. It was nuts. She was applying for a business visa. I was just doing a regular tourist one, but long-term. So I could chill. Learn some Lao, right? That’s the dream. A year. I think you can renew it. Like go to immigration, do the whole thing again. But, ugh. Just thinking about it is making me tired.

• Passport: Make sure it’s not gonna expire anytime soon.
• Application: Fill it out completely. Don’t leave anything blank.
• Photos: Just get a bunch printed, standard passport size. Never hurts.
• Letter: If it’s for business, or something official. My friend Sarah had one for a teaching gig.
• Money: Bank statements are best. I used my online banking printouts, worked fine.
• Envelope: Serious, you have to send yourself the passport back? Wild.

Best bet is to go straight to the Lao embassy website for your country. They’ll have the most up-to-date info. Trust me, that’s the best way to do it. Save yourself the headache. Mine was in Chiang Mai. Figured it’d be easier than BKK. Nope. Still took forever. And the traffic! Killer.

How to stay long-term in Laos?

So, you wanna chill in Laos forever, huh? Like a gecko on a warm rock? Alright, here’s the skinny.

You need bank. Big bank. Think Scrooge McDuck swimming in it, but in Lao Kip instead of gold. Well, actually USD.

• Six months? $20,000 USD sittin’ pretty in a Lao bank. Easy peasy.

• A whole year? Double it! $40,000 USD. Cha-ching! Like winning the dang lottery (but without the fun of buying a ticket!).

That’s the price of paradise, folks. Or, uh, at least the price of a visa that lets you stay in paradise. I’m not sure the money will gain interest.

Think of it this way: that cash is like a really, really, really big security deposit on your Lao dream. If you cause problems, they got collateral. Smart, right?

Me? I barely got $40 for a fancy coffee. Different strokes, I guess. Must get into banking… or find a sugar daddy. Kidding. Well, mostly. No judge.

Forget trying to sneak in with a sob story. They’ve seen more backpackers with “heartfelt” tales than they’ve had bowls of sticky rice. Seriously, bring the cash or stay home.

• Pro Tip: Don’t try to fake it. They ain’t born yesterday. Fake bank statements? Nope. Bad.

Also, did you know Laos is landlocked? No beaches. Mountains instead. Not that I don’t like that. Great trekking, dude.

Speaking of rice, I once tried to make it, and it turned into cement. So yeah, I stick to coffee and planning my imaginary millionaire lifestyle in Laos. A girl can dream! Anyway, good luck with that bank account!