Lao Bao is the one Vietnam-Laos land crossing where a Laos visa on arrival is reliably confirmed, and whether you must buy one depends on your passport. Russian, Thai, Malaysian and South Korean passports get a free 30-day stamp, while most other passports pay about $40 in US cash. A Lao e‑visa does not work at this gate.
I live in Vietnam and run visa-run trips from Da Nang to Lao Bao through BestBus Vietnam. The rules on this page were checked against Lao immigration and the Lao e‑visa portal in October 2026, and I say where sources disagree.
Who Gets a Free Laos Stamp at Lao Bao, and Who Pays?
Twelve nationalities get a free 30-day stamp in Laos: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Japan joined the 30-day group on 1 June 2025. Switzerland and Luxembourg get 15 days and Myanmar gets 14. Every other passport, including US, UK, most EU, Indian, Australian and Canadian, needs a visa.
Russian citizens get 30 days per entry and are reportedly capped at 90 days in any 180-day period. On a Russian passport I watch that 180-day count more than the 30-day stamp, since back-to-back border runs use up the allowance fast.
| Passport group | What happens at Lao Bao | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and the other exempt passports | Free entry stamp | 30 days |
| Switzerland, Luxembourg | Free entry stamp | 15 days |
| Myanmar | Free entry stamp | 14 days |
| US, UK, most EU, India, Australia, Canada and most others | Visa on arrival, paid in cash | 30 days |
| Passports outside the visa-on-arrival list | Visa from a Lao embassy or consulate before you travel | Set by the visa |
How Much Is the Laos Visa on Arrival at Lao Bao in 2026?
Plan for $40 in US dollars, cash, per person, and know that some desks ask up to $50 depending on the passport. I found no per-nationality price list published for this gate, so I carry spare notes and take change. Bring a passport photo, because without it the desk scans your page for about $2 extra. I carry two, since some guides ask for two.
The desk expects clean, undamaged notes. Thai baht and Vietnamese dong are sometimes taken at a rate the officer sets, which is usually worse than the dollar price, so I never plan around paying in them. A $1 surcharge is commonly reported at weekends, on Lao public holidays and outside normal hours. It is not a published tariff, and you should not expect a receipt.
This is where days get wasted: the gate has no card reader and no ATM, so a short wallet means about 5.5 hours back to Da Nang and a missed run. You can avoid it alone by counting the cash at home and carrying a spare note. I also take clients through the gate myself, from pickup in Da Nang to the Lao desk and back with the new Vietnam visa the same day. Message me on WhatsApp with your passport country and I will tell you how much cash to bring.
Does the Lao E‑Visa Work at the Vietnam Border?
No. The official Lao e‑visa portal lists nine e‑visa ports, and Dansavan, the Lao side of Lao Bao, is not among them. The nine include Wattay airport in Vientiane, the Friendship Bridges and Luang Prabang. Processing takes about three working days and the fee is non-refundable, so an e‑visa bought for Lao Bao is money lost.
Do Bo Y, Cau Treo and Other Crossings Sell a Visa on the Spot?
Not reliably: Lao Bao is the only crossing with a visa-on-arrival desk that every source I checked confirms. For other Vietnam-Laos land gates, traveler guides disagree: one says there is no desk at all, an older one lists several. Until Lao immigration says otherwise, I treat a visa from a Lao embassy or consulate as the safe plan at any gate except Lao Bao.
Bo Y is a different gate, and I cover how to cross it on a Vietnam e‑visa in Bo Y Border Gate 2026.
What Does Your Passport Need Before You Leave Da Nang?
Laos wants a passport valid for at least six months from your entry date and at least one blank page for the visa sticker. I carry two blank pages, because the Lao e‑visa guidance asks for two. A passport with four months left fails this check at the gate, and the bus back to Da Nang is the only way out.
Your Vietnam visa has to survive the return as well. Most runners apply for a fresh Vietnam e‑visa at evisa.gov.vn that names Lao Bao as the entry gate. The full cost range for a Da Nang run, from $95 to $205 depending on the Vietnam visa, is broken down in Da Nang Laos visa run cost.
Is a Lao Visa From the Da Nang Consulate Worth It?
Only for passports excluded from visa on arrival or for gates other than Lao Bao. Lao diplomatic missions in Vietnam issue tourist visas in advance: the embassy in Hanoi and consulates in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. One traveler guide reports about $40 to $50, the same range as the Lao Bao desk, so the consulate saves no money and costs a visit during office hours.
The same guide lists the Da Nang consulate at 16 Tran Quy Cap, open weekdays 08:30 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 16:00. The listing is undated, so call before you go.
Step-by-Step: Crossing at Lao Bao With a Visa on Arrival
Da Nang to Lao Bao is 244 km on Route 9, about 5.5 hours, so the bus leaves early. Lao immigration lists the Dansavan checkpoint as open 07:00 to 22:00, while one traveler guide gives 19:00. I aim to be at the border before 15:00, and the Lao Bao hours and overtime guide explains why.
- Check the passport at home for six months of validity and one or two blank pages.
- Pack clean US dollar notes for the fee plus a spare note, and two passport photos.
- Clear Vietnamese exit control at Lao Bao and continue to the Lao desk at Dansavan.
- Hand over the passport, photo and cash, then collect the visa sticker and entry stamp. Free-stamp passports skip the payment.
- Get the Lao exit stamp, walk back the same way and hand the Vietnamese officer your new e‑visa.
Some travelers report informal requests of about 10,000 to 20,000 dong at the Vietnamese exit stamp. No official fee exists, so I treat it as optional.
Short Answer: What to Carry
Carry a passport with six months of validity and two blank pages, $50 in clean US dollar notes per person, two passport photos and a Vietnam e‑visa that names Lao Bao as the entry gate. Free-stamp passports skip the cash. Everyone else pays at the desk, and any crossing other than Lao Bao needs a visa arranged before the trip.
A wrong entry gate on the Vietnam e‑visa, a short count of cash or a passport one month short of six months each turns a one-day trip into a refusal, at the Lao desk or at the Vietnamese post on the way back. You can check all three yourself. If you would rather hand the risk over, send me your travel dates on WhatsApp and I will tell you what is realistic this week.
Frequently asked questions
What if my passport is not eligible for a visa on arrival?
A 2009 Lao notice excluded 29 nationalities, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria and Turkey, and I could not confirm the list is current. Those passports must get the visa before the trip. We run this one start to finish — details on our Da Nang visa run page.
Do I need the Lao Digital Immigration Form at Lao Bao?
The free online arrival form launched in September 2025 and returns a QR code. Late-2025 reports limited it to Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse airports and Friendship Bridge I, with a wider rollout through 2026. I could not confirm Dansavan, so check the immigration portal before you leave.
Can I extend the 30 days once I am inside Laos?
Yes, at a provincial immigration office. The reported rate is 20,000 kip per day plus a 40,000 kip service fee, with about 90 days in total. Older guides quote $2 per day, so confirm the price at the office.
What happens if I overstay in Laos?
The fine is $10 for each day past your permitted stay, a figure every guide I checked agrees on. Reports of detention or an entry ban after several weeks come from a single agency blog, so I treat them as unconfirmed.
