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There are now three main types available :
Transit visa : valid only for transit
and only for one province. Mainly used by people flying to Vientiane and
crossing by land (or ferry) over to Thailand. The visa is only issued
when flying.
Tourist visa : Valid for 15 days.
Since April 1994 it is no longer necessary to have travel permits, so
with this visa it is possible to travel freely all over Laos.
Visitor's visa : Good for four weeks,
but more difficult to obtain
Note : Although the visa has 30 days
on it, you must enter the country within 30days of the visa being issued.
At the border your tourist visa will be stamped and is valid to remain
in Laos for 15 days . . Since 1 June 1997 it is possible to get a visa
directly at Vientiane's International Wattay Airport and at the Friendship
Bridge (the Mekong Bridge International Border Checkpoint). You will need
an address reference in Laos, e.g. personal, business, official. A confirmation
of your hotel reservation suffices. The visa costs USD 30 (down from USD
50). You will have to show either a valid flight ticket out of Laos or
a valid visa for your next country after Laos and a letter confirming
accommodation in Laos. It is possible to extend your visa. Officially
this costs USD 2 per day, but since the officials are not very helpful,
you'll most likely have to use a travel agency. They charge a bit more:
USD 3 - 5 per day.
Laotian
Embassies Abroad
| Australia |
Embassy
: 1 Dalman Crecent, O'Malley, Canberra, Australia
Tel (06) 2864535, (06) 2866933, Fax (06) 2901910 |
| Cambodia |
Embassy : 15-17 Thanon Keomani,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel (23) 26441, Fax (23) 85523
Both, tourist and transit visa cost
USD 20. You can get one that is valid for 30 days within two days
for USD 50. Other price reports are USD 35, so check for the latest
prices.
|
| China |
Embassy : 11 Sanlitun Dongsijie,
Beijing 100600, China
Tel 6532-1224
Consulate : N23 Halgeng Rd.,
Room 501, Kunming, China
Tel 4141678 Ext 501-503, Fax 414396
|
| Cuba |
Embassy
: Sta. Avenida No. 2808 ESQ, A30 Playa, Miramar, Havana, Cuba
Tel 331056-59 |
| France |
Embassy
: 74, Av. Raymond Poincare, Paris, France
Tel 45537047, 45547047, Fax 47275789 |
| Germany |
Embassy
: Am Lessig 6, 53639 Koenigswinter, Germany
Tel 02223 21501 |
| India |
Embassy : E53 Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi, India
Tel 6427447, 6428588
|
| Indonesia |
Embassy
: Jal. Kintmani Rajac - 15 N. 33 Keningantimur, Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel 5202673 |
| Japan |
Embassy : 3-3-22 Nishi-Azabu
Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel (03) 541-12291-2, Fax (03) 541-12293
|
| Malaysia |
Embassy : No. 3, Lorong Damai
11, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel 2483895, 2420344
|
| Mongolia |
Embassy : Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Tel 26440, 29899, 29898
|
| Myanmar |
Embassy
: NA1 Diplomatic Quarters, Fraser Road, Yangon, Myanmar
A tourist visa costs USD 25. You'll get it within one day. |
| Poland |
Embassy
: UL: Rejtana 15/26, 02-516 Warsaw, Poland
Tel 484786, 488949 |
| Russian
Federation |
Embassy
: Katchalova 18, Moscow 121069 UL, Russian Federation
Tel 2031454, 2904246, Fax 2917218 |
| Sweden |
Embassy
: Hornsgatan 82-B 1tr, 117 21 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel (0)8 618 20 10 |
| Thailand |
Embassy : 520, 502/1-3 Soi Ramkhamhaeng
39, Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand, Tel 5396667, Fax 5396678
In Bangkok, a tourist visa costs about
USD 80 to 112. A transit visa costs between THB 480 and 800. Shop
around.
There are several travel agencies in
Nong Khai (about 20) and Chiang Khong (some 5) issuing tourist visas
for Laos. They cost THB 1700 and are done in a few days (if you
are lucky, you'll even get it in one day). In Nong Khai, you'll
get the visa in one or two days, but then it costs THB 2500. The
transit visas cost less, about THB 1000 in Nhong Khai.
|
| USA |
Embassy : 2222 S St. N.W., Washington,
DC 20008, USA
Tel. (202) 332-6416 (9 am to 12 noon), Fax (202) 332-4923
You will need three copies of your
application with three passport photos, a copy of your itinerary
ands a money order for USD 35.
|
| Vietnam |
Embassy : 22 Tran Binh Trong
St., Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel 8254576, Fax 8228414
A transit visa is USD 25, and a tourist
visa USD 110. The transit visa can be obtained directly from the
embassy, but you'll have to go to a travel agency (e.g. Hanoi Youth
Tourism Company at 14A Phan Chu Trinh Str.) to get the tourist visa.
The tourist visa takes 6 working days.
Consulate : 81 Hai Ba Trung,
Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel 8297667, Fax 8299272.
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Embassies
in Laos
| Australia |
Embassy
: Nehru St., Vientiane
Tel 413610, 413805, 413602 |
| Bulgaria |
Embassy
: Sisangvonh area, Vientiane
Tel 412110 |
| Cambodia |
Embassy : Thanon Saphan Thong
Neua, Vientiane
Tel 314952, Tel 312584
A visa costs USD 20 and usually requires
three days. You can try to talk them into issuing the visa on the
spot, though.
|
| China |
Embassy
: Wat Nak St., Vientiane
Tel 315100, 315101, 315103 |
| Cuba |
Embassy
: Ban Saphanthong Nua, Vientiane
Tel 314902 |
| Czech
Republic |
Embassy
: The Deua Rd, Km 4, Vientiane
Tel 315291, 215899 |
| France |
Embassy
: Sethathirath St., Vientiane
Tel 215258, 215259, Fax 215255 |
| Germany |
Embassy
: 26 Thanon Sok Pa Luang, Vientiane
Tel 312110, 312111 |
| India |
Embassy
: That Luang Road, Vientiane
Tel 413802 |
| Indonesia |
Embassy
: Phon Kheng Road, PO Box 277, Vientiane
Tel 413907, 413909, 413910, 413914 |
| Japan |
Embassy
: Sisangvone Road, Vientiane
Tel 212623, 414400-2, 414406, Fax 414403 |
| Malaysia |
Embassy
: That Luang Road, Vientiane
Tel 414205 |
| Mongolia |
Embassy
: Tha Deua Road Km 2, Vientiane
Tel 315220 |
| Myanmar |
Embassy : Sokphaluand Road,
Vientiane
Tel 312439, 314910
Embassy : Sokphaluand Road,
P.O.Box No. (1 1), Vientiane
Tel 312439, 314910
|
| North
Korea |
Embassy
: Wat Nak Road, Sisattanak,
Vientiane
Tel 315260, 351261 |
| Palestine |
Embassy
: The Deua Road, Km 2.5, Vientiane
Tel 315252 |
| Poland |
Embassy
: The Deua Road, Km 3, Vientiane
Tel 313940, 312085 |
| Russian
Federation |
Embassy
: Thaphalanxay area, Vientiane
Tel 312219, 212222 |
| Slowak
Republic |
Embassy
: Tha Deua Rd, Km 4, Vientiane
Tel 315291, 215899 |
| Sweden |
Embassy
: Wat Nak, Vientiane
Tel 313772, 315000, 315018 |
| Thailand |
Embassy
: Thanon Phon Kheng, Vientiane
Tel 214582, 214583, 214585 |
| USA |
Embassy
: Thanon Bartholomie, Vientiane
Tel 212580-2, 312609, Fax 212584 |
| Vietnam |
Consulate : 31 Ban Pha Bat,
Pakse
Tel (31) 212058, 212827, Fax (31) 212827
Consulate : 418 Sisavanvong
Road, Khanthebouli District, Savannakhet
Tel (41) 212239, 212182, 212418, Fax (41) 212182
Embassy : 1 Thanon That Luang
Rd, Vientiane
Tel (21) 413400/1/2/3, 413409
There are in fact two buidings belonging
to the embassy. The first on 1 Thanon That Luang does not issue
visas. Walk in the direction of That Luang. The visa is a two or
three buildings further on.
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