Moving to Laos

Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a Southeast Asian country, under a communist government where there is only one legal political party. About two-thirds of the citizens of Laos are ethnic Lao. The most popular religion is Theravada Buddhism, but Animism is common in mountain tribes. The official language is Lao, but there are many ethnic languages like Mon-Khmer, Hmong-Yao and Tibetan-Burma languages. French used to be used in business, but is declining and being replaced by English. It is an impoverished and landlocked country, and most of its terrain is rugged mountains. There is no modern infrastructure, which hinders its economic development.

Visas

Click here for the list of different visas in Laos.

Click here for the Laos visa application form for American citizens.

Business Visas

Business visas (B2) are issued to expert foreigners who are performing assignments under specific projects by loan agreements and as provided by employment contracts or project wards. They are also issued to experts and volunteers of Non-Governmental Agencies, experts in education, experts in medical science, as well as foreign business people.

These visas are subject to mandatory business fees. You may obtain a multiple-entry visa for 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, which can be renewed.

You are required to fill out an application, and submit two recent photographs and a passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity. You must have a job lined up.

Click here for more information.

Click here for information on teaching legally in Laos.

Student Visas

In order to study in Laos, you must be first accepted by an accredited institution.

You must then contact the Dean of that school, and request a reference letter, acceptance letter, proposal letter, details about your course of study, the duration of study and how long you are planning to be in Laos. They must have those documents approved by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos. Once they are sent to you, you can send these approved documents to your nearest Embassy of Laos, and they can issue you a student visa.

Click here for information about study abroad programs in Laos.

Moving Pets

In order to import your pet into Laos, you are required to obtain an import permit.

To get one, you must submit the following documents:

1. A copy of your pet’s Health Certificate and Vaccination Record
2. A copy of owner’s passport
3. A copy of AWB
4. Photo of pet

You must also have the following documents:

1. Original rabies vaccination certificate
2. Original health certificate from country of origin
3. Original owner’s passport
4. Original AWB
5. Photo of pet
6. Full destination address, telephone number, email address

Click here for more details.

Other Information

Click here for real estate listings in Laos.

Click here for general information about the culture in Laos.

Click here for a map of Laos.

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