Investment licence in Laos: statutory documents, competent authority and legal basis

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Who can apply

Both Lao citizens and foreigners may apply; the documents differ.

Competent authority: The one-stop investment service office: centrally the Investment Promotion Department is the hub and in a province the provincial Planning and Investment Division (Arts. 77 and 78); a feasibility memorandum goes to the investment service office (Art. 45); special and specific economic zones apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63); and a controlled-list investment also registers the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 35)

At a glance

Statutory document list

General investment in a business on the controlled list

• The investment application on the prescribed form (Art. 44.1). Art. 44 is not limited to concessions, so a controlled-list investment prepares the same, subject to what the office says (required)
• The investor profile and experience, with the enterprise registration certificate (Art. 44.2) (required)
• The project feasibility study (Art. 44.3) (required)
• The enterprise registration certificate: an investment on the controlled list must be registered with the Industry and Commerce sector under the law (Art. 35) (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Not on the controlled list: no licence needed, go to enterprise registration

• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Concession investment

• The investment application on the prescribed form (Art. 44.1). Art. 44 is not limited to concessions, so a controlled-list investment prepares the same, subject to what the office says (required)
• The investor profile and experience, with the enterprise registration certificate (Art. 44.2) (required)
• The project feasibility study (Art. 44.3) (required)
• Proof of legal personality: a concession investor must be a legal person (Art. 43.1) (required)
• Evidence of experience and business achievement, certified by the competent authority (Art. 43.2) (required)
• Evidence of financial capacity (Art. 43.3) (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Memorandum of understanding or contract for a feasibility study

• Application for the memorandum of understanding or contract. Art. 45 says only that the investor files with the investment service office and does not itemise attachments, so follow what that office asks for (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Investment in a special or specific economic zone

• Application to invest in a special or specific economic zone. Art. 63 says only that you apply to the zone management committee and does not itemise attachments, nor does the economic zone chapter, Arts. 57 to 64, so follow what the committee asks for (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Change to an investment on the controlled list

• Application for the change, stating what changes: purpose, registered capital, added activities or shareholders, all subject to approval (Arts. 37 and 47) (required)
• The enterprise registration certificate: an investment on the controlled list must be registered with the Industry and Commerce sector under the law (Art. 35) (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Change to a concession investment

• Application for the change, stating what changes: purpose, registered capital, added activities or shareholders, all subject to approval (Arts. 37 and 47) (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Assignment or transfer of the business under the concession contract

• Application to assign or transfer part or all of the business to another investor, subject to approval by the competent authority (Art. 48) (required)
• If someone acts for you: a power of attorney (optional)

Statutory requirements

Common issues

• A business off the controlled list needs no such licence: register the enterprise with Industry and Commerce and add an operating licence if required (Arts. 34, 38 and 39). Check the list before making the trip
• A controlled-list investment is not the licence alone: Art. 35 also requires enterprise registration with Industry and Commerce, done alongside

The full list has 8 items; work through them in the guided form — Open the guided form

Legal basis (Lao Official Gazette texts)

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for a Investment licence in Laos?

Both Lao citizens and foreigners may apply; the documents differ. Competent authority: The one-stop investment service office: centrally the Investment Promotion Department is the hub and in a province the provincial Planning and Investment Division (Arts. 77 and 78); a feasibility memorandum goes to the investment service office (Art. 45); special and specific economic zones apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63); and a controlled-list investment also registers the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 35).

What documents are required for a Investment licence in Laos?

11 statutory items: The investment application on the prescribed form (Art. 44.1). Art. 44 is not limited to concessions, so a controlled-list investment prepares the same, subject to what the office says; The investor profile and experience, with the enterprise registration certificate (Art. 44.2); The project feasibility study (Art. 44.3); The enterprise registration certificate: an investment on the controlled list must be registered with the Industry and Commerce sector under the law (Art. 35); Proof of legal personality: a concession investor must be a legal person (Art. 43.1); Evidence of experience and business achievement, certified by the competent authority (Art. 43.2); Evidence of financial capacity (Art. 43.3); Application for the memorandum of understanding or contract. Art. 45 says only that the investor files with the investment service office and does not itemise attachments, so follow what that office asks for; Application to invest in a special or specific economic zone. Art. 63 says only that you apply to the zone management committee and does not itemise attachments, nor does the economic zone chapter, Arts. 57 to 64, so follow what the committee asks for; Application for the change, stating what changes: purpose, registered capital, added activities or shareholders, all subject to approval (Arts. 37 and 47); Application to assign or transfer part or all of the business to another investor, subject to approval by the competent authority (Art. 48). Competent authority: The one-stop investment service office: centrally the Investment Promotion Department is the hub and in a province the provincial Planning and Investment Division (Arts. 77 and 78); a feasibility memorandum goes to the investment service office (Art. 45); special and specific economic zones apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63); and a controlled-list investment also registers the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 35).

What is the legal basis for a Investment licence in Laos?

Based on the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 8; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 16; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 18; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 31; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 32; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 33; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 34; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 35; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 36; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 37; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 38; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 39; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 42; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 43; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 44; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 45; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 46; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 47; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 48; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 52; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 54; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 63; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 77; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 78; the Investment Promotion Law Article ມາດຕາ 80; Decree of the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on Fees and Service Charges (No. 002/PP) Article 15. The full texts are available in the LaoPaniti law library, sourced from the Lao Official Gazette.

Are there time limits or hard requirements for a Investment licence in Laos?

Sort out two levels before deciding whether you need this licence. First (Art. 31), investment splits into general investment and concession investment. Second (Art. 32), general investment splits again into businesses on the controlled list and businesses off it. The controlled list covers activities that bear on national security, public order and the social and natural environment and so need to be managed (Art. 33); everything off the list is open general investment, registered as an enterprise with an operating licence under the ordinary law (Art. 34). Investment promotion covers general and concession investment and both special and specific economic zones: tax and customs policy, promotion on the lease or concession of state land, and sector and zone based support (Art. 8). An investor running a concession project in Laos may lease or hold a concession over state land for the investment (Arts. 16 and 18). An investment on the controlled list takes both steps: register the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector under the law (Art. 35), and obtain the investment licence, which Art. 36 says the investor receives within the prescribed time counted from the day the complete application is filed. You chose a business off the controlled list: this needs no investment licence. File with the Industry and Commerce sector to register the enterprise (Art. 38); the procedure and time limits follow the Enterprise Law (Art. 39). Go to the enterprise registration certificate instead, and add the operating licence if your activity needs one. A concession investor must be a legal person, with experience and business achievement certified by the competent authority, and with financial capacity (Art. 43). The term of a concession investment is set by the class, scale, value, conditions and techno-economic study under the relevant law (Art. 42). Two hard lines about money: a concession project worth under fifty million US dollars needs registered capital of at least fifteen per cent of the project value (Art. 52), and the investor must bring that capital in within ninety days of the concession contract taking effect, in the prescribed proportion (Art. 54). To study feasibility before committing, Art. 45 applies: an investor wishing to sign a memorandum of understanding or a contract for a feasibility study files with the investment service office. Special and specific economic zones use a different door: domestic and foreign individuals and legal persons apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63), not through the one-stop investment service office.

How much does a Investment licence cost in Laos and how long does it take?

Cost: The law itself sets no fee for the investment licence. The 2021 fee ordinance Art. 15, under Planning and Investment service charges, carries a line reading issue of the enterprise registration certificate, the tax number certificate and the company seal, 50,000 kip, plus the residence card and business qualification. That line concerns the enterprise registration certificate, which is not the same document as the investment licence, and is collected by the finance authority; it is also unclear in our scan and lumps several items together, so it cannot say what the investment licence itself costs, and the posted rate at the counter prevails.. How long: The Investment Promotion Law fixes no number of days. For the controlled list, Art. 36 says only that the investor receives the licence within the prescribed time from the day the complete application is filed; for a concession, Art. 46 says the procedure and time follow the regulations; off the list, Art. 39 defers to the Enterprise Law. So the office has the final word on how long it takes. The one period the law does fix is the ninety days for bringing in capital (Art. 54). The law is also explicit that receiving and considering applications sits with the one-stop office (Art. 80), while suspension and revocation refer only to the authority that approved the investment without naming a level (Arts. 81 and 83), so which level actually issues the licence is for the counter to say..

Can LaoPaniti obtain the Investment licence for me?

LaoPaniti organises the document list, offers online form filling, document upload and pre-check hand-off by staff. It is not a government filing, does not represent acceptance or approval by any authority, and promises neither results nor expedited handling. Formal processing follows the current requirements of the The one-stop investment service office: centrally the Investment Promotion Department is the hub and in a province the provincial Planning and Investment Division (Arts. 77 and 78); a feasibility memorandum goes to the investment service office (Art. 45); special and specific economic zones apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63); and a controlled-list investment also registers the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 35).

Organise documents online and submit for pre-check →

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