Laos visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

The temples of Luang Prabang, the limestone peaks around Vang Vieng, the Plain of Jars and the slow-moving Mekong draw travellers to Laos, a landlocked country between Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Myanmar. Anyone planning a trip on an ordinary Pakistani passport should sort out the visa first, because none of the easy shortcuts is clearly open to Pakistani nationals.

Start with what is settled. The Lao Department of Immigration publishes an exemption list, dated 12 October 2022, on which Pakistan appears for 90 days, but only for diplomatic and service passports, under an arrangement dated 25 August 2016. Ordinary passports are not covered. The official eVisa portal, laoevisa.gov.la, does not list Pakistan in its nationality menu either, so the online tourist eVisa cannot be used.

The open question is the visa on arrival. The immigration department's visa page says most travellers can get one at major entry points such as international airports and border crossings, valid for a stay of up to 30 days and extendable once. That text does not name Pakistan as included or excluded, so a Pakistani traveller who lands without a visa is taking a risk. Ask a Lao embassy or consulate before booking whether the visa on arrival applies to you.

The route the department itself describes as the alternative is a tourist visa from a Lao embassy or consulate, arranged before you travel. It permits a stay of up to 60 days and can be extended inside Laos. The immigration page does not publish a fee, checklist or processing time for Pakistani applicants, so get these from the mission you choose and check that it handles Pakistani passports.

Whichever route you take, keep your passport valid for more than 180 days from arrival, the rule set out on the Lao eVisa portal for all visitors. Laos publishes no approval or refusal figures for Pakistani applicants. Holding an embassy-issued visa before departure is the clearest way to avoid problems at the border.