What documents are needed for a visa on arrival in Laos?

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For a Laos visa on arrival, you'll typically need:

  • A passport valid for at least 6 months with a blank page.
  • A completed visa application form (available at entry points).
  • Two recent passport-sized photos.

It's always best to check the latest requirements with the Laos embassy or consulate before travel.

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Laos Visa on Arrival: What documents do I need to enter?

Okay, here’s my take on the Laos visa on arrival situation, based on my own kinda hazy memories and, uh, extensive travel experience (aka a couple of trips, lol).

Basically, when you land in Laos, you can usually get a visa right there. But! You gotta have your stuff together. Think passport first, duh. Gotta be valid, like, at least six months, and have a blank page. Remember that time in Vientiane, March 2020, cost me $40? Rough.

You’ll need a form, easy peasy. They hand em out on the plane usually, or at the visa counter at the airport.

Now, pictures. Two recent passport photos. Don’t try to use that selfie from last year. I had to pay extra in Luang Prabang Airport cause I forgot. Grr, I think 30.000 kip (around $2)?

Honestly, that’s it. Passport, form, photos, and some cash. Don’t forget the cash. Or you’ll be stuck like me with no money. Trust me, you do not want to stay in airport.

What is required for an on-arrival visa?

Okay, so you want to get a visa when you land in Vietnam, right? It’s not as simple as just showing up.

First, you absolutely HAVE TO get a visa approval letter. Seriously, do this before you even get on the plane. You can get it online, there’s loads of agencies that do it. My cousin, Jenny, used one that was like, super cheap, but I can’t remember the exact name – sorry!

Then, at the airport in Vietnam – like Noi Bai in Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) — you show them that letter. And hopefully, they stamp your passport with the actual visa, fingers crossed!

Basically, you’ll need these things:

  • Visa approval letter: Gotta have it! Pre-arranged, essential.
  • Your actual passport, of course!
  • Some passport photos – like the standard size photos (4x6cm usually works)
  • And, yeah, cash. Dollars probably the easiest.
  • Gotta have that visa application form that you fill out.

Oh, and just a thought: make sure your passport is still valid like, at least six months, or they will definitely not be happy. I saw a poor woman get turned away at the airport, so bad! Oh, I almost forgot, its also good to have a pen, just in case.

Can you travel to Laos right now?

Dark outside. Thinking about travel… Laos. Unrest there. Sad. Makes you stop and think.

Remember that trip planned? 2020. Never happened. World changed. Now… Laos is different. Dangerous, maybe.

Civil unrest. That’s what they say. Keeps me up. Worried. Should be sleeping.

  • Increased caution advised for Laos.
  • Civil unrest.
  • Some areas more risky than others.

Checking the advisory… always checking. Scrolling… So much trouble in the world. Wish things were different. Wish I was there, though. Luang Prabang… the temples. Morning mist. Remember the saffron robes? Beautiful. Not now though. Not safe. Maybe someday.

  • Check the latest travel advisory. It changes. Constantly.
  • Research specific areas within Laos. Safety varies.
  • Reconsider travel if necessary. Better safe than sorry. Always.

Sigh. Phone’s getting heavy. Going to sleep now. Maybe dream of better times. Peaceful times. Laos… peaceful again. Someday.

What do you need to enter Laos?

Passport? Six months left to party like it’s 1999 (except it’s 2024). Two blank pages? Laos needs space to stamp its appreciation for your visit. Tourist visa. Like a golden ticket to sticky rice heaven. Get it on arrival? At some ports. Think of it as a surprise bonus level. Thirty days. Enough time to find your inner peace…or just eat a lot of noodles.

  • Passport: Think ahead. Six months of validity. Don’t let your passport expire mid-noodle slurp.
  • Blank Pages: Two. Not one, not three. Two. Goldilocks approved.
  • Tourist Visa: Essential. Unless you enjoy awkward conversations with border control. Which, let’s be honest, some people do.
  • Visa on Arrival: Available. Sometimes. It’s like a box of chocolates.
  • 30-Day Stay: A month of Laotian adventures. Plenty of time to perfect your pronunciation of “Sabaidee.” (I still can’t do it).

My passport? Expiring in 2027. Bring on the sticky rice. My last trip? Spent a week kayaking the Nam Song. Highly recommend. Though my arms are still sore.

What vaccines should I get before going to Laos?

Laos. A whisper on the wind. Vaccines shimmer, a blurred necessity. Diphtheria, yes, it echoes, a childhood fear subdued. Hepatitis A, a shadowed threat I acknowledge.

Tetanus, rust whispers tales of forgotten nails, best to guard against. The air thickens, other vaccines beckon.

Hepatitis B, a deeper unease. Rabies, the frantic eyes of a cornered dog, I picture. Typhoid, a fevered dream.

Cholera lurks, a selective risk. Japanese Encephalitis too, a silent mosquito’s dance. No yellow fever certificate; the world is strange.

But what does it all truly MEAN?

  • Essential:
    • Diphtheria
    • Hepatitis A
    • Tetanus
  • Consider:
    • Hepatitis B
    • Rabies
    • Typhoid
  • Selective:
    • Cholera
    • Japanese Encephalitis
  • No Yellow Fever certificate needed. Good.
#Arrivalvisa #Laosvisa #Visadocs

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