Laos Work Visa for Foreign Employees (LA-B2): Requirements, Process, and What Your Employer Needs to Do

The LA-B2 is the standard work visa for foreigners employed by a Lao company. It requires employer sponsorship, a foreign labour quota, and three separate permits before you have full legal status to live and work in Laos.

LA-B2 Work visa process at a glance

1. Employer secures a foreign labour quota from the Ministry of Labour
2. Employer obtains an Entry Letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
3. Employee collects the LA-B2 visa at a Lao consulate or pre-approved entry checkpoint
4. Employee enters Laos on the LA-B2
5. Employer applies for the Work Permit within one month of labour authorisation and completes the Stay Permit process with Immigration or the Provincial Police office
6. Employee receives Work Permit, Stay Permit Card, and conversion to multiple-entry visa

For where the LA-B2 sits alongside other long-stay options, see the Laos long stay visa options guide. This article covers the formal LA-B2 process for employees of a Lao company. It does not cover self-employment or agency-sponsored arrangements, which are separate from a normal employer-employee work visa. For that route, see Agency sponsored LA-B2.

This guide reflects Laos employment visa procedures as understood in June 2026. Requirements can change without advance notice. Confirm current requirements with the Consulate Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ກະຊວງການຕ່າງປະເທດ) and the Department of Immigration before proceeding.

Who the LA-B2 Is For

The MOIC business licensing portal defines the LA-B2 as a visa for foreign workers employed by a legally established Lao entity with an approved labour quota. The Labour Law of 2013 (No. 43/NA) sets these eligibility conditions:

• Must be over 20 years of age
• Must have professional skills or qualifications that match the position
• Must have a clean criminal record
• Must be in good health
• Must hold an employment contract with the sponsoring Lao entity

The sponsoring employer must be registered under Lao law and hold a foreign labour quota from the Ministry of Labour. The Lao Trade Portal quota formality says the quota must stay below 15% of the total workforce for unskilled labour and 25% for specific skilled labour. Large government priority projects may have a separate quota agreed with the government. Confirm the current quota with the Ministry of Labour before filing.

The normal employee LA-B2 route requires a Lao registered employer. No self-sponsored employee LA-B2 route was identified in the official sources checked for this guide.

Overview

Two Starting Scenarios

This guide covers two common starting situations. The government process is broadly the same in both. The difference is where you are when the employer starts the file.

Scenario A: You Are Outside Laos With a Job Offer

You have accepted a position with a Lao-registered company and need to enter on the correct visa. Your employer starts the process from Vientiane before you arrive. You collect the LA-B2 at a Lao embassy or consulate, then enter Laos and complete the Work Permit and Stay Permit process.

Scenario B: You Are in Laos on a Tourist Visa and Have Secured an Employer

You arrived on a tourist visa and have since been offered employment by a Lao entity. Your employer starts the same MFA process from Vientiane. No official in-country tourist-to-LA-B2 conversion route was identified in the sources checked. The available sources describe LA-B2 collection through a Lao consulate abroad or a pre-approved international checkpoint, so plan for a border crossing unless the Consulate Department confirms another option.

Your tourist visa gives you time to start the process, but how much time depends on your visa type and entry method. The standard tourist visa-on-arrival and eVisa both allow 30 days.

The UK FCDO states that from 1 January 2025, tourist visas can be extended twice while in Laos for a total of 60 additional days. The Lao Department of Immigration's visa page still describes the tourist visa as extendable "once." This is a source conflict. Confirm the current rule with the Immigration Department office handling your extension before relying on extra time.

Step-by-Step: How the LA-B2 Process Works

You provide the documents. Your employer submits them to the Ministry of Labour, the MFA, and the Department of Immigration.

Step 1: Employer Secures the Foreign Labour Quota

Before anything else, the Lao employer must hold a valid foreign labour quota approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (see quota details in the Who This Is For section). The quota is tied to the company's registration, tax standing, and workforce size.

Without this quota, no LA-B2 application can proceed. Companies that regularly employ foreigners will already hold one.

Step 2: Employer Obtains the MFA Entry Letter

The employer submits a sponsorship proposal to the Consulate Department of the MFA in Vientiane. The MOIC portal lists the required documents:

• Request to Import Foreign Labours
• Quota to Import Foreign Labours (proof of the approved quota)
• Work Permit and Foreign Labour Registration documents
• Request Letter (on company letterhead)
• Copy of the employee's passport

The employer also presents a financial guarantee for the employee. Once approved, the MFA issues an Entry Letter, which authorises a Lao consulate or entry checkpoint to issue the physical LA-B2 visa.

Step 3: Employee Collects the LA-B2 Visa

The Entry Letter is sent to the chosen collection point. The ASEAN Briefing guide states the LA-B2 can be collected either at a Lao consular post or at a visa-on-arrival unit at an international checkpoint, depending on how the application was submitted.

Consulate route. Present the Entry Letter, passport, photos, and visa fee at the assigned Lao embassy or consulate. Processing usually takes 1–3 working days. Scenario B applicants most often use consulates in neighbouring Thailand or Vietnam.

Pre-approved checkpoint route. Where the MFA authorisation specifies a visa-on-arrival unit, the employee collects the visa at that checkpoint after the prior approval is already in place. Confirm the collection timing with your employer before travel.

Confirm with your employer which collection route has been arranged.

LDIF requirement. The Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) must be submitted online within 72 hours before entry, and again within 72 hours before departure. The UK FCDO confirms the LDIF replaces paper arrival and departure cards at four checkpoints: Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport, and Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I. A wider rollout to all international checkpoints from 1 January 2026 has been reported, but the FCDO list does not yet show it. Confirm LDIF applies at your entry point before you travel. Travellers present a QR code at the immigration counter. The LDIF does not replace the visa and is free to submit.

Step 4: Employee Enters Laos on the LA-B2

The process usually has two visa issuances. The first is a single-entry LA-B2 used to enter Laos and complete the Work Permit and Stay Permit steps. The second is the multiple-entry visa issued after those permits are in place.

Your initial entry stamp reflects the single-entry phase. Do not assume it grants multiple-entry rights.

Step 5: Employer Registers Work Permit and Stay Permit

The Labour Law says employers that receive authorisation to import foreign labour must register and apply for the Work Permit within one month of receiving that authorisation. The Stay Permit is a separate immigration document. Confirm the Stay Permit filing deadline with the Immigration Department or the Provincial Police office handling the case.

Work Permit. Issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Required documents are listed in the Documents section below.

Stay Permit Card. Issued by the Ministry of Public Security for centrally approved cases, or by the Provincial Police Headquarters for provincial cases. This document grants the legal right to reside in Laos.

The employer submits the applications. The employee may need to appear in person if the office asks for identity or document checks.

Step 6: Employee Receives Documents and Multiple-Entry Visa

Once the Work Permit and Stay Permit are approved, the visa is converted to multiple-entry status matching the employment contract duration (3, 6, or 12 months). See the overview table for published fee figures.

The employee now holds three documents: the multiple-entry visa, the Work Permit, and the Stay Permit Card.

Documents used in the LA-B2, Work Permit, and Stay Permit file

The official English checklists are spread across separate formalities for the LA-B2 visa, Work Permit, and Stay Permit. They are old, so treat them as a starting point, not a final checklist.

Officially listed documents

• Passport copy. Listed across the LA-B2, Work Permit, and Stay Permit formalities.
• Request letter. The company submits this as part of the LA-B2 or Stay Permit file.
• Foreign labour quota documents. The employer must show the approved quota and related import permission.
• Work Permit document. Required for the Stay Permit stage.
• Business Visa for Work (LA-B2). Required for the Stay Permit stage.
• List of foreign employees. Listed in the Work Permit formality.
• Passport photos. The Work Permit formality lists four 3×4 cm photos. The Stay Permit formality lists one 3×4 cm photo.
• Health certificate. Listed in the Work Permit formality.
• Company documents. The Stay Permit formality lists annual tax payment proof, enterprise registration, and company request documents.

Documents employers or agents may still ask for

Employers and practitioner sources may ask for documents not shown clearly in the official English checklists, including a CV, education certificates, police clearance, local address proof, and legalised copies. Ask the employer for the office-specific checklist before you order documents from abroad.

Time-sensitive documents

Health certificates, police clearances, and legalised education documents can expire or take time to replace. If your employer asks for them, check the accepted age of each document before you pay for notarisation or courier delivery.

Processing Time and Costs

Fee Information

The official English-language fee sources are old and split across separate formalities. The Lao Trade Portal LA-B2 PDF was last modified in 2017. Separate official PDFs list Work Permit and Stay Permit fees, but they are also old and do not create a current total cost for a general employee case.

The InvestLaos page is scoped to investment and One-Stop Service workflows, so its visa figures should be read as route-specific, not as a general employee fee schedule.

Confirm the current total with the Consular Department and your employer before budgeting. Consular visa collection fees, notarisation costs, and border-crossing travel are not included in any official schedule. This only covers immigration-related costs. For the full living budget, including rent, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare, check our guide 6-month cost of living in Vientiane.

Processing Timeline

Timeline sources carry the same caveats as the fee sources. The InvestLaos 8-working-day figure comes from its investment / OSS workflow and should not be read as a universal employee-processing timeline. The U.S. State Department does not publish an LA-B2 processing time. It says business visas must be arranged in advance and applicants should contact the Lao embassy for specific information.

Confirm current fees and timelines with the Consulate Department of the MFA and your employer before proceeding.

Practical Tips and What Applicants Commonly Experience

The employer's role is Central

You provide documents; your employer submits them to the MFA, the Ministry of Labour, and the Department of Immigration. If your employer is hiring a foreigner for the first time, expect longer timelines at the quota and MFA stages.

Be careful with unsolicited visa-agent offers

Treat unsolicited visa-agent offers carefully. Do not send your passport scan, payment, or personal documents to someone who has not shown which Lao company will sponsor the application and which office will issue each document.

If you use an agent, meet them in Laos where possible, confirm which company or employer will sponsor the application, and ask exactly which documents you will receive: LA-B2 visa, Work Permit, and Stay Permit Card.

Timing your tourist visa against the process

Watch your visa calendar carefully if you are in Laos on a tourist visa when the LA-B2 process starts. The MFA process can take weeks.

If your tourist visa expires before the Entry Letter is ready, your options are to extend (if extensions are still available to you) or do a border run to reset. Practitioner and embassy sources report an overstay fine of USD 10 per day, paid in US dollars at the airport or land border on exit. The UK FCDO adds that if you do not extend within 90 days, the penalty is a fine in Lao kip worth USD 2,000, plus deportation and a ban on returning to Laos. Start the process as early as possible after securing your employer.

Office and regional variation

The MFA process, Work Permit, and Stay Permit are administered from Vientiane. If you are working outside the capital, your employer may need to coordinate with the Provincial Police Headquarters for the Stay Permit. Confirm which authority applies to your situation.

Renewal

The LA-B2 visa and Stay Permit are usually issued for 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on the employment contract. DFDL’s analysis of the 2013 Labour Law says foreign employment can be renewed annually up to 5 years, with further extensions possible for specialists and management. An older Work Permit formality PDF contains a different 4-year limit and 2-year return rule, so confirm renewal planning directly with the Ministry of Labour before relying on a long stay beyond the first year.

Begin renewal well before your current documents expire. An expired visa places you in overstay status immediately, with no grace period.

Key Sources

• Lao Trade Portal, Permit for Foreign Labour to Work in Lao PDF: laotradeportal.gov.la/upload/files/90._Permit_for_Foreign_Labour_to_Work_in_Lao.pdf
• Lao Trade Portal, Permit to Stay for Foreign Labor PDF: laotradeportal.gov.la/upload/files/199.Permit_to_Stay_for_Foreign_Labor.pdf
• Investment Promotion and Management Committee (Visa & Stay Permit Card): investlaos.gov.la/starting-a-business/one-stop-service/visa-stay-permit-card/
• Law on Entry-Exit and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR, No. 59/NA (26 December 2014)
• Department of Immigration, Lao PDR (LDIF and entry/exit): immigration.gov.la
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements
• U.S. State Department: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Laos.html
• Desco (Douangphachanh Documentation): desco.la