Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors 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 government administers printing and publishing centrally through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (Art. 61) at three levels: the ministry, the provincial and capital departments (Art. 63) and the district offices (Art. 64). Printing permits go to the ministry for nationwide works and to the provincial department for provincial publications, decided within fifteen working days (Art. 11); the three business licences are filed with the same sector under Arts. 29, 44 and 51, while copyright is registered separately with industry and commerce (Art. 12)

At a glance

Statutory document list

Printing a book, which gets a printing registration certificate

• The content guarantee issued by a publishing house or the relevant organisation (Art. 11), a precondition for filing at all (required)
• The printing application, filed with the ministry for nationwide works or with the provincial department for provincial ones (Art. 11) (required)
• The complete manuscript, since Art. 19 lets the authority compare the printed work against it within thirty working days (required)
• The written printing service contract signed after the certificate is issued (Art. 17), one of the three conditions for undertaking printing (Art. 46) (optional)

Printing other publications, which gets a printing permit

• The content guarantee issued by a publishing house or the relevant organisation (Art. 11), a precondition for filing at all (required)
• The printing application, filed with the ministry for nationwide works or with the provincial department for provincial ones (Art. 11) (required)
• The complete manuscript, since Art. 19 lets the authority compare the printed work against it within thirty working days (required)
• The written printing service contract signed after the certificate is issued (Art. 17), one of the three conditions for undertaking printing (Art. 46) (optional)

Setting up a publishing house

• Both the enterprise registration certificate and the investment licence (Art. 29.1); of the three business types only a publishing house needs the investment licence (required)
• The economic and technical analysis report (Art. 29.2) (required)
• An organisation and staff meeting the standard with the relevant expertise (Art. 29.3), with the statutory roles of director, editorial board chair and editors set out in Arts. 36 to 38 (required)
• Premises, vehicles, technical equipment and capital sufficient to run the house (Art. 29.4) (required)

Setting up a printing plant, print shop or print design shop

• The enterprise registration certificate (Art. 44.1) (required)
• The economic and technical analysis report (Art. 44.2) (required)
• Measures to prevent and handle environmental impact (Art. 44.3), required of print shops alone among the three (required)
• Premises, vehicles, technical equipment and capital (Art. 44.4) (required)
• Staff with the character, knowledge and ability in printing (Art. 44.5) (required)

Setting up a distribution enterprise

• The enterprise registration certificate (Art. 51.1) (required)
• Premises and capital (Art. 51.2); the shortest list of the three, though the licence is still applied for (required)

Permission to exhibit printed products

• The exhibition application to the printing and publishing authority, for the place and period it designates (Art. 23); dedicated exhibitions need no permission (required)

Statutory requirements

Common issues

• The two documents have different names and the counter goes by the name: books get a printing registration certificate, other publications get a printing permit (Art. 11)
• Getting the certificate is not the end: the administering body has thirty working days to re-check the finished copies, and content that does not match the approved manuscript can bring correction, a halt to distribution, a remedy, or a recall (Art. 19)

The full list has 6 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 Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors in Laos?

Both Lao citizens and foreigners may apply; the documents differ. Competent authority: The government administers printing and publishing centrally through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (Art. 61) at three levels: the ministry, the provincial and capital departments (Art. 63) and the district offices (Art. 64). Printing permits go to the ministry for nationwide works and to the provincial department for provincial publications, decided within fifteen working days (Art. 11); the three business licences are filed with the same sector under Arts. 29, 44 and 51, while copyright is registered separately with industry and commerce (Art. 12).

What documents are required for a Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors in Laos?

15 statutory items: The content guarantee issued by a publishing house or the relevant organisation (Art. 11), a precondition for filing at all; The printing application, filed with the ministry for nationwide works or with the provincial department for provincial ones (Art. 11); The complete manuscript, since Art. 19 lets the authority compare the printed work against it within thirty working days; Both the enterprise registration certificate and the investment licence (Art. 29.1); of the three business types only a publishing house needs the investment licence; The economic and technical analysis report (Art. 29.2); An organisation and staff meeting the standard with the relevant expertise (Art. 29.3), with the statutory roles of director, editorial board chair and editors set out in Arts. 36 to 38; Premises, vehicles, technical equipment and capital sufficient to run the house (Art. 29.4); The enterprise registration certificate (Art. 44.1); The economic and technical analysis report (Art. 44.2); Measures to prevent and handle environmental impact (Art. 44.3), required of print shops alone among the three; Premises, vehicles, technical equipment and capital (Art. 44.4); Staff with the character, knowledge and ability in printing (Art. 44.5); The enterprise registration certificate (Art. 51.1); Premises and capital (Art. 51.2); the shortest list of the three, though the licence is still applied for; The exhibition application to the printing and publishing authority, for the place and period it designates (Art. 23); dedicated exhibitions need no permission. Competent authority: The government administers printing and publishing centrally through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (Art. 61) at three levels: the ministry, the provincial and capital departments (Art. 63) and the district offices (Art. 64). Printing permits go to the ministry for nationwide works and to the provincial department for provincial publications, decided within fifteen working days (Art. 11); the three business licences are filed with the same sector under Arts. 29, 44 and 51, while copyright is registered separately with industry and commerce (Art. 12).

What is the legal basis for a Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors in Laos?

Based on Law On Publishing Article 11; Law On Publishing Article 12; Law On Publishing Article 13; Law On Publishing Article 17; Law On Publishing Article 19; Law On Publishing Article 23; Law On Publishing Article 27; Law On Publishing Article 29; Law On Publishing Article 36; Law On Publishing Article 37; Law On Publishing Article 38; Law On Publishing Article 42; Law On Publishing Article 44; Law On Publishing Article 46; Law On Publishing Article 49; Law On Publishing Article 51; Law On Publishing Article 54; Law On Publishing Article 59; Law On Publishing Article 61; Law On Publishing Article 74; Decree of the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on Fees and Service Charges (No. 002/PP) Article 38. 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 Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors in Laos?

Two different paths: the printing permit for a work (Art. 11) and the licences for the three kinds of business — publisher, print shop and distributor (Art. 27). Two different documents: a printing registration certificate for books and a printing permit for other publications, both issued within fifteen working days (Art. 11). Where you file depends on circulation (Art. 11): nationwide works go to the ministry and provincial ones to the provincial department, within a three-level structure (Art. 61). The authority re-checks the printed work within thirty working days (Art. 19) and, if it differs from the complete manuscript, orders correction within thirty working days or halts distribution; the owner pays the re-check fee. A book layout is prescribed by Art. 13 — cover, imprint page, print run, registration number of the printing premises, translator and original-work details, page numbers and references — and omissions fail the re-check. Copyright is separate and sits elsewhere: works with a printing certificate may be registered for copyright with the industry and commerce sector under the Intellectual Property Law (Art. 12). The 2021 fees ordinance sets 100,000 kip per import permit for mass media products, printed matter and magazines (Art. 38.1); the publisher and bookshop entry exists at item 21 but its amount is unreadable in our copy, so confirm at the counter. This is the 2023 revision, No. 44/NA, in force from 19 October 2023 and replacing the 2008 law (Art. 74), so older checklists may no longer hold. The three business types have different condition lists: a publishing house also needs the investment licence (Art. 29), a print shop also needs environmental measures (Art. 44), and a distributor needs only registration plus premises and capital (Art. 51). Suspension and revocation work identically for all three (Arts. 42, 49 and 54), and after revocation the ministry notifies industry and commerce within five working days. Exhibiting needs permission for the designated place and period, except dedicated exhibitions which need none (Art. 23).

How much does a Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors cost in Laos and how long does it take?

Cost: The current fees decree (No. 002/PPT, 17 June 2021), Art. 38(1): a permit to import mass-media products, printed matter and magazines is 100,000 kip each time — that line is clear. For the printing registration certificate, the printing permit and the three kinds of business licence we found no line item in this decree, so no figure is given here; go by what the counter posts. Art. 19 does say the owner of the book or publication, or the publishing house, bears the service charge for the re-check — but the article gives no amount.. How long: Printing permission: fifteen working days from receipt of the application — a registration certificate for books, a permit for other publications (Art. 11). Re-check: thirty working days after the administering body receives the finished copies; where the content does not match the approved manuscript it gives written notice to correct within thirty working days, or halts distribution, seeks a remedy, or recalls (Art. 19). The two thirty-day periods are different things — one is their deadline to check, the other is yours to fix. For the business licence the law sets no decision period; go by what the counter posts..

Can LaoPaniti obtain the Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors 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 government administers printing and publishing centrally through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (Art. 61) at three levels: the ministry, the provincial and capital departments (Art. 63) and the district offices (Art. 64). Printing permits go to the ministry for nationwide works and to the provincial department for provincial publications, decided within fifteen working days (Art. 11); the three business licences are filed with the same sector under Arts. 29, 44 and 51, while copyright is registered separately with industry and commerce (Art. 12).

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