Laos entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive
Visa (FCDO): You need a visa to visit Laos. Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Laos travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 13 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Laos, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
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Do I need a visa for Laos with a British passport?
In short: You need a visa to visit Laos.
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You must have a visa to visit Laos.
To work, study and travel for business or other reasons, you must meet the Lao immigration department’s entry requirements.
Applying for a visa
From 1 January 2025, tourist visas reverted to the previous 30 days from the date you arrive in Laos.
You can apply online for a Laos e-visa – apply at least 5 days in advance. The e-visa is single entry only and is accepted at major entry points.
You can also get a visa on arrival (single entry) at many entry points, including:
- Vientiane Wattay airport
- Luang Prabang airport
- Pakske airport
See a full list of the entry points that accept e-visas and visas on arrival.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Visa extensions
From 1 January 2025, you’re allowed to extend your tourist visa twice while in Laos, for a total of 60 additional days.
If you do not extend your visa within 90 days, you will face a fine in Lao kip worth 2,000 US dollars, deportation to your home country and a ban on returning to Laos.
Official source: GOV.UK – Laos travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 13 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Laos, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least 2 blank pages.
Airlines will only let you board your flight if your passport has enough blank pages.
Check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Official source: GOV.UK – Laos travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 13 August 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Laos
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Also in the official text
Airlines will only let you board your flight if your passport has enough blank pages.
Blank pages: the official text says “…at least 2 blank pages…”. The checker does not count pages.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 22 April 2026: “Updated information about the Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) ('Entry requirements’ page).”
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 30 June 2025: “Clarity on visa extensions, new information on increased security levels in Bokeo Province near border of Thailand and Myanmar, and updated information on airports able to detect illegal substances ('Entry requirements', 'Regional risks' and 'Safety and security pages).”
- 7 January 2025: “Information on Laos visas reverting to 30 days ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 28 June 2024: “Information that from 1 July to 31 December visas on arrival and eVisas will be valid for 60 days and that multiple entry 60-day visas will only be available from the Lao embassy before you depart for Laos (see ‘Temporary tourist visa changes’ on the ‘Entry requirements’ page).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Laos (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after arrival)
and 79 more destinations with the same rule: see all
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