Can you get a visa at the airport in Laos?
Laos offers tourist visas on arrival at select airports and border crossings, granting a 30-day stay. Extendable up to 90 days total via the Vientiane Department of Immigration. eVisas are also available at designated entry points. Check Lao visa requirements at laoevisa.gov.la before travel.
Laos Airport Visa: Can I get one on arrival?
Okay, so like, can you get a visa for Laos when you land? Yeah, totally! They offer tourist visas on arrival at certain airports.
They usually let you chill for 30 days, which is cool. Then you can get it extended, which is super convenient for digital nomads!
But like, I think its only extended in Vientiane. You need to go to Immigration, I think.
Honestly, I always forget where exactly they do the visas on arrival. I remember, though, Wattay International Airport (VTE) definitely does them, it’s in Vientiane. Paid like $40 USD, think in 2020.
They also have this e-visa thing now, laoevisa.gov.la is the site. My friend tried it last year, said it was easy, so less stress.
It’s all a bit confusing, tbh, but worth it for Laos’ chill vibes, right?
Who can enter Laos without a visa?
Hot. Sticky. Vientiane, 2023. August. Landed with my crumpled Malaysian passport. No visa needed. Boom. Straight through. Immigration officer barely glanced. Stamp. Done. Remember the humidity though. Thick. Like wading through soup. Got my bag. Outside. Chaos. Tuk-tuks everywhere. Crazy. Needed a Beerlao. Badly.
- Malaysia: No visa – easy peasy.
- Other countries I saw there: Loads of Japanese tourists. Think they were visa-free too. Same with Indonesians.
- My hotel: Don Chan Palace. Right on the Mekong. Killer view.
- Food: Sticky rice. Everything sticky rice. Loved it.
Oh, almost forgot. Met a guy from Brunei. He just walked in. No visa. Same with a woman from Cambodia, no visa. Think the Philippines is the same. Heard Myanmar too. Not sure about others. This was last year, though. Double check if anything changed. Things change fast. But Malaysia? Definitely no visa. Easy.
How much is a Laos visa on arrival?
So, yeah, Laos visa, right? It’s a bit of a rollercoaster. I paid thirty bucks, thirty-five maybe? Definitely under forty though. It depended on, like, when you arrive, too. Crazy, huh? Got hit with an extra dollar because I landed late, after 4pm that day. Such a ripoff. They made me get my photo taken there too, another dollar, ugh.
Key things:
- Cost: $30-$42 USD. Seriously, depends.
- Extra fees: Expect an extra $1-$2 if you’re late or need a picture taken. Don’t be late.
- My experience: Paid $35. The process itself wasn’t awful. Just frustrating with the extra charges. It’s 2024, and the rules haven’t changed from the previous years at all.
Seriously, plan to have at least forty dollars, just in case. It’s a total pain. You also need a passport photo for this Visa thing, which I forgot. So irritating. I almost missed my flight, because they made me take a photo. So, be prepared.
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