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The Lao Ministry of Public Security has officially implemented a policy of visa exemption and visa extension for citizens of many countries, starting from the beginning of July 2024 until the end of 2024. The goal of this policy is to attract international tourists to Laos, contributing to the development of the country's tourism industry during the 2024 Tourism Year.
Based on the above announcement from the Ministry of Public Security dated July 1, 2024, regulations stipulate that Chinese nationals traveling to Laos in groups through travel companies in Laos, registered through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, will be exempt from visa requirements (no visa sticker needed in passport) and the maximum stay in Laos is 15 days.
Laos - the beautiful land of a million elephants.
Citizens of visa-exempt countries can enter Laos without a visa in advance, with a maximum stay of 30 days. However, they need to have a passport valid for at least 6 months, a return air ticket, and sufficient funds to cover their accommodation costs in Laos.
This announcement was made by the Lao Ministry of Public Security at the request of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism regarding visa exemption and extended stay in Laos for targeted tourist groups during the Lao Tourism Year 2024.
Additionally, tourists from eight other countries, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Spain, and Greece, are exempt from visa requirements to enter Laos, with a maximum stay of 15 days, and do not necessarily need to go through a travel agency. If tourists wish to stay in Laos for more than 15 days, they need to apply for a tourist visa (T-B3).
The visa exemption policy was introduced to develop tourism in Laos.
Laos has also increased the visa validity period for tourists from 30 days to 60 days for visitors from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Tourists from these countries do not necessarily have to go through travel agencies; they can apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa (T-B3) at the Lao Embassy or Consulate General abroad. The issuing authority is the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Minister of Communications, Culture and Tourism of Laos has signed and issued Notice No. 29 on “Details of the implementation of the special visa policy for tourists in the Lao Tourism Year 2024”; the notice states: From July 1st to December 31st, 2024, Chinese tourists holding ordinary passports can enter Laos for 15 days and are exempt from visa requirements when traveling in groups organized by travel companies.
Following the announcement, Chinese netizens began frantically searching for travel information about Laos online. The number of searches increased rapidly, and keywords related to Laos became popular and appeared frequently on the internet. Famous tourist cities in Laos, including the capital Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng district, Pakse city, and Savannakhet province, etc., were among the most searched destinations on social media.
The visa exemption policy is considered a crucial measure to encourage tourism in Laos, representing an effort by the Lao government to attract tourists and effectively exploit the country's tourism potential. Data available online shows that since the beginning of this year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Laos has increased significantly compared to the same period last year. Tourist arrivals during this year's summer holiday saw an increase of over 140%, making Laos one of the top 10 countries attracting the fastest-growing number of Chinese tourists this summer.
With half of the Laos Tourism Year 2024 already underway, the Lao government's visa exemption policy will play a positive role in cultural exchange and tourism activities during the last six months of this year, facilitating more Chinese tourists to visit Laos and boosting the development of the Lao tourism market.
Tourism in Laos is currently a foreign exchange-generating economic sector that can bring in monetary profit, create jobs in the tourism industry, bring benefits to the Lao people, and improve their lives.
