Lao PDR - Visas, Residency Info.

[lovelaos]

I am not sure about condos

Well I am sure, and at the present moment foreigners cannot own condos. I hope this changes once they build that monstrosity in Vientiane for the ASEAN meeting.

ASEAN or ASEM?

Whatever, no need to be pedantic. Instead you could apologise for posting nonsense regarding the cost of a B2 visa.

Or don't you want to admit that you are being taken for a fool?

Edited October 1, 2012 by lovelaos

[anotheruser]

I have seen people on the cheaper visas and they get fined to the tune of about $300. This is outside of Vientiane. Work visas are province specific and it isn't one size fits all. If for example you live in Champasak province there are more hands to grease, as all visas are reviewed in the Capitol. Every expat on don det without exception pays $650 the first time and slightly less after that. Believe it or not it is a business.

If you think you can get some ex pats on don det a visa for $300 each than you could go into business the $285 or $339 or whatever you claim in your next post visas don't fly around here. Mark them up to $500 it is pretty much painfully obvious that is what the officials are doing here.

Again on a light hearted note, I would say to anybody coming to Laos to spend around 6 months here to see if they like it. Aside from that all other information given in this post should have sources and links. Otherwise it is just a pissing competition.

[lovelaos]

I have seen people on the cheaper visas and they get fined to the tune of about $300. This is outside of Vientiane. Work visas are province specific and it isn't one size fits all. If for example you live in Champasak province there are more hands to grease, as all visas are reviewed in the Capitol. Every expat on don det without exception pays $650 the first time and slightly less after that. Believe it or not it is a business.

If you think you can get some ex pats on don det a visa for $300 each than you could go into business the $285 or $339 or whatever you claim in your next post visas don't fly around here. Mark them up to $500 it is pretty much painfully obvious that is what the officials are doing here.

Again on a light hearted note, I would say to anybody coming to Laos to spend around 6 months here to see if they like it. Aside from that all other information given in this post should have sources and links. Otherwise it is just a pissing competition.

Says he without posting a link

Could you explain to me why I only pay $339 and I live and work in Khammounne province, some 6 hours from Vientiane?

Oh and if you or anyone reading this cares to leave me your email in a PM. I will forward the receipt to you which clearly states I paid $339.

I don't seem to be able to post it on here as an attachment.

To other readers looking to get a business visa here be careful not to fall into the trap of paying more for a visa than you actually need to, just because your girlfriend's uncle's cousin told you this is the price.

Edited October 1, 2012 by lovelaos

[anotheruser]

All I meant about having sources or links earlier, is that it seems that two people with nothing more than opinions and conjecture arguing over the Internet seem inappropriate for a thread that is stickied. So if somebody other than myself can come up with info that is more concrete than I would like to see it. Otherwise I am done bickering back and forth.

Edited October 2, 2012 by anotheruser

[lovelaos]

All I meant about having sources or links earlier, is that it seems that two people with nothing more than opinions and conjecture arguing over the Internet seem inappropriate for a thread that is stickied. So if somebody other than myself can come up with info that is more concrete than I would like to see it. Otherwise I am done bickering back and forth.

Fair enough, but most of the posts on this pinned thread are pretty accurate IMO, if not a little dated.

As you know, information is pretty hard to come by in Laos and this is a good source for a lot of people to find accurate information. I would be interested in your business ideas you mentioned earlier in the thread.

Edited October 2, 2012 by lovelaos

[northernjohn]

You talk like this is all a big hassle, but compared to the hoop jumping you go through for Thai residency it looks amazingly simple.

What are officials like to deal with there?

I was wondering if they had asn ionbetween Visa such as Thailands retirement visa.

[LuukKoeyKorat]

Little bit more updated info on Lao visas:

Tourist visas cannot be extended anymore, whether they are VOA or from an embassy. You get your 30 days and then its a border run. This has been in effect atleast since October 2012.

Business visas (B2) cost me $500 for a one year on my Foreign Investors Licence (FIL) company. The following year this drops to $400. This is already expensive because I am using an Immigration person I know who does all the paperwork for meand adds her cut. Otherwise B2 visas never cost $650., more like the figure Lovelaos indicated.

Just my personal experience :-)

[lovelaos]

Little bit more updated info on Lao visas:

Tourist visas cannot be extended anymore, whether they are VOA or from an embassy. You get your 30 days and then its a border run. This has been in effect atleast since October 2012.

Business visas (B2) cost me $500 for a one year on my Foreign Investors Licence (FIL) company. The following year this drops to $400. This is already expensive because I am using an Immigration person I know who does all the paperwork for meand adds her cut. Otherwise B2 visas never cost $650., more like the figure Lovelaos indicated.

Just my personal experience :-)

Just renewed my B2 again this week. US$ 318.

[northernjohn]

Just to see if any one is still here.

I was wondering about a permanent residency with a Thai wife?

Has there been any changes in the visa requirements.

[stickylies]

Apologies if this has been asked/answered before:

1/ How easy is it to buy a motorcycle and proper insurance.

2/ Is a drivers licence required for motorbike ?

THX

[ThavonsoukResortLaos]

Some of the advice in this thread is simply wrong. Whether that is because it is simply outdated or through uninformative posts is unclear to me. The posts from this thread that predate 2010 should be cut out as they are no longer relevant. $280 for a B2, visa people must be joking. The visa will cost you around $650 per year.

I am not sure about condos but I know that foreigners can own anything they build, and lease the land it is on. Making papers in Laos for business deals is pretty easy as they are lacking the sophistication of solicitors in the west. Be sure when you build anything for any reason you make it clear who paid, I have had problems for some of my tenants in the past with their Thai girlfriends. Move in with a Thai girl and you think you are golden but keep bank statements and get receipts for everything. You need to make your money trail very clear. they will side with the woman if you are not ruthless. Nothing is too small or petty to think about.

Permanent residency for foreigners, although as presented in this thread seems feasible, nobody here can think of one farang that has achieved this.

I would be very careful of any advice in this thread as it comes from only two foreigners that do not seem very well connected and most of the info is way out of date.

I live in the backwaters of Lao and if I had to make this move again, I would try it here for 6 months and not make any decision about anything including what I write now. Lol

I have had several guest houses and sort of bought more than a few pieces of land (obviously not in my name but good contracts that stipulate only i can buy, sell, lease or lend money from a bank) and have successfully leased some pieces out to foreigners with no trouble at all.

Stay away from the girls if you are not married, mind your manners and Laos is a good place.if you are gay than you are in luck as nothing here prohibits that.

In fairness I live in the 4,000 islands area which may be miles behind what they offer through special economic zones in the capital.

As far as Internet goes you can get a dongle and use it almost anywhere with speeds that go around 1mbps. I can download a 900 mb movie in about one and a half hours using 3G in the middle of nowhere.

The key to being successful here is to make your papers so that you can legislate for any eventuality that may come up. Want to buy land in your wife's name? That is great but make clauses in your contracts that you can change the executor any time you want. You can not actually own it but with a bit of clever paperwork you can protect your interests. Usually Lao people will say yes to just about anything so don't be shy in your demands in contracts. If they don't say yes than I would say no.

If anybody would like more info you can private message me and I will respond there.

Updated Info

I have a business visa (work Permit) obtained in February 2014. The cost was $420 for the first year, $390 thereafter. Even if you do not have a job it is fairly easy to get such a visa as a number of retired expats live near me have the same visa as myself. No reporting required & I am told renewal is very simple.

Also it is possible to set up a business 100% foreign owned if you invest $125000 ( pretty sure this is a current figure) for more details have a look at JCLao website.Otherwise its the 51% lao ownership to run a business same as Thailand.

I understand it is possible on the 100% foreign owned company to buy land but only a small amount for the business premises... perhaps someone can let others know how many square meters it is.

Internet is ok in most places, actually have 4G here. Landline internet is not very fast unless you are paying a lot of money. Lao telecom is promising fibre optic cable here in Vang Vieng, was supposed to be here in May but we are still waiting !

[lovelaos]

Some of the advice in this thread is simply wrong. Whether that is because it is simply outdated or through uninformative posts is unclear to me. The posts from this thread that predate 2010 should be cut out as they are no longer relevant. $280 for a B2, visa people must be joking. The visa will cost you around $650 per year.

I am not sure about condos but I know that foreigners can own anything they build, and lease the land it is on. Making papers in Laos for business deals is pretty easy as they are lacking the sophistication of solicitors in the west. Be sure when you build anything for any reason you make it clear who paid, I have had problems for some of my tenants in the past with their Thai girlfriends. Move in with a Thai girl and you think you are golden but keep bank statements and get receipts for everything. You need to make your money trail very clear. they will side with the woman if you are not ruthless. Nothing is too small or petty to think about.

Permanent residency for foreigners, although as presented in this thread seems feasible, nobody here can think of one farang that has achieved this.

I would be very careful of any advice in this thread as it comes from only two foreigners that do not seem very well connected and most of the info is way out of date.

I live in the backwaters of Lao and if I had to make this move again, I would try it here for 6 months and not make any decision about anything including what I write now. Lol

I have had several guest houses and sort of bought more than a few pieces of land (obviously not in my name but good contracts that stipulate only i can buy, sell, lease or lend money from a bank) and have successfully leased some pieces out to foreigners with no trouble at all.

Stay away from the girls if you are not married, mind your manners and Laos is a good place.if you are gay than you are in luck as nothing here prohibits that.

In fairness I live in the 4,000 islands area which may be miles behind what they offer through special economic zones in the capital.

As far as Internet goes you can get a dongle and use it almost anywhere with speeds that go around 1mbps. I can download a 900 mb movie in about one and a half hours using 3G in the middle of nowhere.

The key to being successful here is to make your papers so that you can legislate for any eventuality that may come up. Want to buy land in your wife's name? That is great but make clauses in your contracts that you can change the executor any time you want. You can not actually own it but with a bit of clever paperwork you can protect your interests. Usually Lao people will say yes to just about anything so don't be shy in your demands in contracts. If they don't say yes than I would say no.

If anybody would like more info you can private message me and I will respond there.

Updated Info

I have a business visa (work Permit) obtained in February 2014. The cost was $420 for the first year, $390 thereafter. Even if you do not have a job it is fairly easy to get such a visa as a number of retired expats live near me have the same visa as myself. No reporting required & I am told renewal is very simple.

Also it is possible to set up a business 100% foreign owned if you invest $125000 ( pretty sure this is a current figure) for more details have a look at JCLao website.Otherwise its the 51% lao ownership to run a business same as Thailand.

I understand it is possible on the 100% foreign owned company to buy land but only a small amount for the business premises... perhaps someone can let others know how many square meters it is.

Internet is ok in most places, actually have 4G here. Landline internet is not very fast unless you are paying a lot of money. Lao telecom is promising fibre optic cable here in Vang Vieng, was supposed to be here in May but we are still waiting !

"Even if you do not have a job it is fairly easy to get such a visa as a number of retired expats live near me have the same visa as myself"

Just a warning about the above quote...

If you are going to get an illegal visa, be prepared to be chucked out of the country at any given time without any notice!!

It happens.

Edited July 31, 2014 by lovelaos

[lovelaos]

Little bit more updated info on Lao visas:

Tourist visas cannot be extended anymore, whether they are VOA or from an embassy. You get your 30 days and then its a border run. This has been in effect atleast since October 2012.

Business visas (B2) cost me $500 for a one year on my Foreign Investors Licence (FIL) company. The following year this drops to $400. This is already expensive because I am using an Immigration person I know who does all the paperwork for meand adds her cut. Otherwise B2 visas never cost $650., more like the figure Lovelaos indicated.

Just my personal experience :-)

Just renewed my B2 again this week. US$ 318.

Just renewed B2 visa again for this year $340. I paid an extra $30 to get it fast tracked.

[anotheruser]

Did that include the work permit?

[LuukKoeyKorat]

Updated info for foreigner owners of a Lao company

No longer is it necessary to employ an additional 10 Lao staff to gain an additional B2 visa and work permit for 1 foreigner. Immigration allows you to pay $70 per each additional 'foreigner employee' you employ, regardless of how many Lao staff you employ.

[lovelaos]

Did that include the work permit?

yes, but things are changing now. Hearing stories of anything from 300 to 600

[purushanti]

Post 97 says the 30 day tourist visa cannot be extended,

which means leaving the country and starting over again.

Any problem on the Thai side of the border run, for a farang poppng in 12 x a year?

Do the Thais allow that?

Simple to do, or is there more to know?

[anotheruser]

Did that include the work permit?

yes, but things are changing now. Hearing stories of anything from 300 to 600

In Champasak province it has been $600 for quite some time and that is what I have been saying. It isn't just me or my friends.

[lovelaos]

The price is still the same as last year, $360 a year fast-tracked. Took 2 days to complete

[anotheruser]

You are full of crap. There is no other way to say it. You are obviously trolling. Just for everybody's info here it is an article written for JCLao by the law firm I use.

http://jclao.com/land-in-laos-can-i-have-some-please/

Edited October 13, 2015 by anotheruser

[lovelaos]

You are full of crap. There is no other way to say it. You are obviously trolling. Just for everybody's info here it is an article written for JCLao by the law firm I use.

http://jclao.com/land-in-laos-can-i-have-some-please/

were you referring to me? where in this link does it mention anything about a visa?? Are you drunk?

[4evermaat]

Is not easy, I have tried, what is the point when you cannot even share the same room with your girlfriend, even if you have the official engagement papers. You will be fined and deported ! only if you are married you can, after 2 years almost.
lao is very stright with the marriage procidings and it will not change. In thailand is much easy and so in vietnam. i lost a large ammont of money in Lao .
what an experiance !

be carfull. be smart !

Official engagements papers?Can you explain,please?
Many people,some of them friends of mine,lost a lot of money in Thailand.They all had Thai girlfriends!

Sounds like someone wasn't very discreet!

Abdulrahman .. .official engagement papers are essentially your intention to marry which must be witness and agreed/signed by the village head and the local friendly neighbourhood policeman. These are you first step to getting married after you have these you then have to go through several police interviews and many other forms will be completed along the way.

The point why you can't share a room with your girlfriend is a vain attempt to stop Laos from becoming a clone of Thailand!

........ Stay away from the girls if you are not married, mind your manners and Laos is a good place.if you are gay than you are in luck as nothing here prohibits that ......

I'm particularly interested in this as a friend of mine has a kid with a Lao national (while in thailand) and they are afraid of attempting to obtain a Lao citizenship...something about possibly getting into trouble with the local Laos police.

What are the general rules (de jure / de facto) about cohabitation or mating with opposite sex while in Laos? Is there a different standard if one is a foreign national? What happens if a baby is conceived out of wedlock, especially if one of the parents is foreign national?

Edited April 11, 2016 by 4evermaat

[anotheruser]

Is not easy, I have tried, what is the point when you cannot even share the same room with your girlfriend, even if you have the official engagement papers. You will be fined and deported ! only if you are married you can, after 2 years almost.

lao is very stright with the marriage procidings and it will not change. In thailand is much easy and so in vietnam. i lost a large ammont of money in Lao .

what an experiance !

be carfull. be smart !

Official engagements papers?Can you explain,please?

Many people,some of them friends of mine,lost a lot of money in Thailand.They all had Thai girlfriends!

Sounds like someone wasn't very discreet!

Abdulrahman .. .official engagement papers are essentially your intention to marry which must be witness and agreed/signed by the village head and the local friendly neighbourhood policeman. These are you first step to getting married after you have these you then have to go through several police interviews and many other forms will be completed along the way.

The point why you can't share a room with your girlfriend is a vain attempt to stop Laos from becoming a clone of Thailand!

........ Stay away from the girls if you are not married, mind your manners and Laos is a good place.if you are gay than you are in luck as nothing here prohibits that ......

I'm particularly interested in this as a friend of mine has a kid with a Lao national (while in thailand) and they are afraid of attempting to obtain a Lao citizenship...something about possibly getting into trouble with the local Laos police.

What are the general rules (de jure / de facto) about cohabitation or mating with opposite sex while in Laos? Is there a different standard if one is a foreign national? What happens if a baby is conceived out of wedlock, especially if one of the parents is foreign national?

If they do not register the marriage there is no chance of anything going any further. Do the kid a favor and get the better passport. $5,000 is the difference give or take a few grand depending on your status.

[ExpatLife]

Can anybody shed some light on the tourist visa extensions, i.e. if it is still unlimited and a month tours visa can be extended by a further 2 months? It was mentioned in this thread but that was a long time ago, thanks

[raro]

Since this topic is rather old, long and the information scattered over five pages might be outdated, I unpin this thread and close it.

 

For the time being, please just ask by opening new threads and once there is enough information available we may compile it into another pinned thread.