Do you need a visa to enter Laos from Vietnam?

Can you go to Laos without a visa?

Drifting. Laos… the Mekong slow. Sunlight thick. Golden temples. No visa… for a while. A breath held. Fourteen days… maybe thirty. Time stretches. ASEAN passport… a whisper of freedom. Borders blur. But check. Always check. The rules shift… like sand. Visa on arrival. At the airport. Dusty air. Landing… a jolt. Or the border. Crossing over… a different world. Lost in the haze. The heat. Soaked in time. A slow unraveling.

• ASEAN citizens: Often visa-free for 14-30 days.
• Other nationalities: Check specific requirements. Constantly changing.
• Visa on arrival: Available at airports, land borders.
• Purpose of visit: Matters. Business… different. Tourism… a dream.
• Passport: Your key. Hold it close. The gatekeeper.
• 2024: Rules… always new.

Lost in Vientiane. My 2017 trip… a memory now. This year… different. The world turns. Dust motes dance. Visa… or no visa. A question mark hangs. In the humid air.

How much is a visa on arrival in Laos?

Whoa, Laos visa? Think of it like a slightly overpriced airport coffee – except instead of caffeine, you get entry into a land of stunning temples and questionable wifi. Thirty to forty-two bucks, American.

Think of it as the price of a decent burrito, but with significantly more cultural impact.

That’s the standard rate. But they’re sneaky.

• Extra fees? Oh yeah: Hit ’em with a buck or two extra if you roll in before 8 AM – like a grumpy panda bear emerging from hibernation – or after 4 PM. They’re tired, I get it. We all are on a Friday afternoon. I know the feeling.
• Need a photo? Another dollar, my friend. They’re charging you for the privilege of seeing your own face officially documented. It’s like a selfie, but with far more bureaucratic weight. Plus, they gotta pay for that cheesy airport photo booth. Like the one with the weird lighting from my cousin’s wedding 2021!

My buddy Mark got hit with the full whack last month – forty-three bucks! The man was exhausted from his flight from Sydney, and his passport photo was like, ten years old. He looked like a different person. Honestly, I’d have charged him double. Probably should have, but maybe that’s just me.

Which port can I get Laos visa on arrival?

Wattay Airport, Vientiane? Land there, visa’s a breeze. Like ordering takeout. Except it’s a stamp, not Pad See Ew. Luang Prabang’s airport too. Fancy landing amongst the temples, eh? Visa awaits. Then Pakse, Champasak Province. South Laos charm. Visa? Got it.

• Wattay International Airport (Vientiane): The capital city’s main hub. Think bustling, yet somehow still laid-back. Like a tuk-tuk driver in rush hour traffic.
• Luang Prabang International Airport: A more serene arrival experience. Picture monks and waterfalls, not baggage carousels. (Okay, there is a baggage carousel.)
• Pakse International Airport (Champasak): Gateway to the 4000 Islands. Imagine slow boats and Irrawaddy dolphins. Now imagine a passport control booth. They’re surprisingly compatible.

My own passport has seen better days. Spilled coffee on it once, in Luang Prabang. No, not near a waterfall, thankfully. Just a regular cafe. Awkward.

Oh, also – Land borders. Those work too. But that’s another story. Quite the adventure, some of them. Like that time I crossed from Thailand… never mind. Another time.