Having a visa is important for visiting certain countries. The Laotian visa is a laissez-passer, i.e. permission granted to the applicant by a diplomatic service to stay in Laos. It is affixed to the applicant's passport. Laos is a country full of wonders to discover, and it would be a shame to be told the whole story. The rest of this article looks at Laos and the different ways of obtaining an e-visa to visit the country.
Discovering Laos
The People's Democratic Republic of Laos is a one-party communist state with a surface area of 236,800 km². Its terrain consists of mountains and high plateaux bathed in a tropical climate characterised by monsoons. These enchanting landscapes are spread across 17 provinces and 148 districts.
What is a Lao visa?
The Laotian visa, like other forms of visa, is granted to any individual who applies for it. In fact, the competent authorities grant it on the basis of the reason for the trip. There are, for example, tourist and business visas.
The different ways of obtaining a Laotian visa
There are two ways of obtaining a visa for Laos. The traditional way is to apply at an embassy or border post. The second is to apply online through an approved partner.
- At an embassy or international airport border post : This is the traditional method of obtaining a Laotian visa. This involves going to the embassy where the application will be made and presenting the relevant documents. The second option is to apply for a visa on the spot at a border post at an international airport.
The documents required for the Lao visa using this method impose more constraints given their number. Indeed, it is a question of providing a identity photo, a application form, a passport, etc. This must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel.
- Using the services of a private agency. This is a fast way for applicants to obtain a visa, as the application is assisted. Applicants save a considerable amount of time and energy, as they can apply remotely.
The visa obtained for Laos is a tourist visa lasting 30 days. The average processing time is 10 days, and several nationalities are eligible. To be eligible for a Laos e-visa, applicants must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry into Laos. The second condition is that they must not be in possession of a Lao resident visa. You must be in Laos neither with a valid visa nor with a visa extension at the time of application.
The Lao e-visa offers many advantages over the traditional visa. You can even make a grouped application, issued online, with an optimised turnaround time. It is an official document issued by the Laotian authorities. The documents (a colour scan of the passport, a passport photo and a plane ticket or other form of transport) are simple to provide. They are linked to filling in the visa application form online.
If, however, this article has not answered all your questions, you can consult our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
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