Moving to Laos
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Laos, in one place.
South-eastern AsiaThinking about moving to Laos?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The best places to live
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Laos at a glance
How long can you stay in Laos?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 30 days
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Laos
Naturalization takes about 10 years of residence.
Dual citizenship isn't allowed, so you'd give up your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Laos
Laos taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Corporate tax – 35%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Laos
Everyday prices in Laos are about 23% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2024: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
That makes it one of the cheaper places to live on a foreign income.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Laos safe?
The US State Department rates Laos Level 2 ("Exercise increased caution", updated 2026-07-28), the same level it gives France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. Levels 1 and 2 are both everyday travel; the US only asks you to reconsider a trip at Level 3. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Laos
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Laos over the last 12 months, half came in above 14 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 34 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (27,216 tests).
By place:
- Luang Prabang – 14 Mbps typical
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
The best places to live in Laos
Compare them with places everywhere in digital nomad locations.
Laos: the basics
| What | Laos |
|---|---|
| Capital | Vientiane |
| Currency | Laotian kip (LAK) |
| Languages | Lao, French, English |
| Population | about 7.1 million |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Laos
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Laos FAQs
Visa on arrival, for 30 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 10 years of residence.
No.
You'd give up your other passport to naturalize.
Laos taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 23% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2024.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 2.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 14 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 34 Mbps.
The places I cover there are Luang Prabang.
Each has its own guide with the weather by month, internet and costs.
The Laotian kip (LAK).
The main languages are Lao, French and English.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Places to live in Laos
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