Laos
All foreign visitors need a visa to enter Laos except for nationals from 13 countries that are eligible for visa extensions:
• 14 days – Brunei
• 15 days – Japan, Luxembourg, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland
• 30 Days – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
For almost all other nationalities, 30-day tourist visas can be obtained as a visa on arrival at all airports and most border crossings. All other nationalities must obtain a visa from a Lao consulate or embassy.
To work in Laos, a foreigner must have a business visa (B2 Visa) and a work permit and residence card. Under the Lao PDR Labor Law amended in 2006, a business can hire foreign workers, but must give priority to Lao citizens. Also, foreign employees can only make up a maximum of 10% of a company’s unskilled labor force and 20% of its skilled labor force. According to the Immigration Department, a B-2 Visa will only be issued to foreign business persons, foreign experts who are under loan-funded projects, experts and volunteers of non-governmental organizations, staff members of diplomatic missions, general consulates, United Nations agencies and other international organizations that hold ordinary passports
Before arriving in Laos, a foreign worker must obtain a B2 Visa from a Lao consular post in their home country or country of residence, and overall, obtaining a B2 visa is a lengthy process. If a foreigner is currently residing in Laos, they must leave the country to apply for the visa. The prospective foreign worker needs to be sponsored by a company or individual in Laos that must obtain approval from the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Vientiane and present a financial guarantee for the prospective foreign employee. After approval, the MFA then contacts the Lao consular post specified in the application which will then issue the B2 Visa. After arriving in Laos with the valid B2 Visa, the employer then applies for the work permit from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and the residence card from the Immigration Department.