Stay permit / residence permit card in Laos: statutory documents, competent authority and legal basis
Who can apply
For foreigners.
Competent authority: Foreigner-management police
At a glance
Where to apply: The foreigner management police division of the provincial or capital public security command studies and proposes residence registration, its renewal and the issue of the residence card (Entry and Foreigner Management Law Art. 47); an application to extend residence is examined by the provincial or capital immigration division and passed upward (Art. 42).
Steps:
- First check that your visa is one of those the law admits: the spouse visa SP-B3, or the official S-A2, courtesy C-B1, long-stay I-B3, student ST-B2, journalist M-B2, expert E-B2, investment NI-B2 and labour LA-B2 visas (Art. 35)
- Prepare a passport valid for more than six months and a letter from the competent authority or a licensed domestic or foreign investment company, or the government concession permit (Art. 35, items 1 and 4)
- Register your residence with the foreigner management police: for those here on official duty this is a residence stamp in the travel document, setting ninety days at a time (Art. 33)
How long: Residence registration runs ninety days at a time (Art. 33); the residence card for investors and developers on a government project or concession runs one to five years, renewable (Art. 34). An extension must be filed before expiry, and how long each visa class may be extended each time is set by separate regulation (Art. 27). The law itself sets no processing times, so follow what the counter says.
Cost: The law itself sets no fee for residence registration or the residence card. The 2021 fee ordinance Art. 49 does carry a line for the temporary residence certificate of a foreigner under the public security heading, but that table is damaged in our scan and cannot be read as a whole, so no figure is quoted here. The item splits into a fee under Art. 49, whose table is damaged, and a service charge under Art. 50, and the posted rate at the counter prevails.
Statutory document list
- Company's proposal for stay permit card (SP Card) and visa (required)
- Visa page used for entry (required)
- Copy of foreign investment license or concession license (required)
- Copy of business operation license or factory establishment (required)
- Copy of enterprise registration certificate (yearly) (required)
- Copy of tax registration certificate (yearly) (required)
- Original passport (present at the counter; upload a scan of the data page here) (required)
- Four 3×4 photos (required)
- Letter of introduction from the relevant authority or licensed investment company (skip if identical to the company letter) (optional)
Statutory requirements
- The passport must be valid for more than six months (Art. 35(1)).
- Spouse-visa (SP-B3) holders qualify under Art. 35(2) without the company-sponsored checklist; documents as required by the foreigner-management police.
- Processed via the investment one-stop service (OSS) in about 8 working days; validity 3 / 6 / 12 months, 3–5 years for concessions of 10+ years.
Common issues
- Residing improperly or beyond the permitted term is expressly prohibited by Art. 52, and a breach may bring education, a warning, disciplinary action, a fine or prosecution depending on gravity (Art. 69)
- The extension must be filed before the term ends (Art. 27); going after it has lapsed is not an extension but an overstay
Legal basis (Lao Official Gazette texts)
Excerpt: Article 19 Types of Visas The types of visas for entry into and exit from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are as follows: 1. Diplomatic Visa (D-A1) 2. Official Visa (S-A2) 3. Spouse Visa (SP-B3) 4. …
Excerpt: Article 27 Extension of the Period of Stay Foreigners and stateless persons who have been permitted to stay in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and have the purpose of continuing their stay shall submit an applicatio …
Excerpt: Article 29. Place of Residence Place of residence refers to hotels, guesthouses, rental houses, and accommodation premises.
Excerpt: Article 31. Obligations of Foreigners and Stateless Persons Authorized to Reside in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Foreigners and stateless persons authorized to reside in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic have …
Excerpt: Article 32. Responsibilities of Operators Operators have the following responsibilities: 1. To record and make copies of the travel documents of foreigners and stateless persons who come to reside at their responsible pr …
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for a Stay permit / residence permit card in Laos?
For foreigners. Competent authority: Foreigner-management police.
What documents are required for a Stay permit / residence permit card in Laos?
8 statutory items: Company's proposal for stay permit card (SP Card) and visa; Visa page used for entry; Copy of foreign investment license or concession license; Copy of business operation license or factory establishment; Copy of enterprise registration certificate (yearly); Copy of tax registration certificate (yearly); Original passport (present at the counter; upload a scan of the data page here); Four 3×4 photos. Competent authority: Foreigner-management police.
What is the legal basis for a Stay permit / residence permit card in Laos?
Based on Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 19; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 27; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 29; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 31; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 32; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 33; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 34; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 35; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 36; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 37; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 42; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 47; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 52; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Article 69; Decree of the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on Fees and Service Charges (No. 002/PP) Article 49; Decree of the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on Fees and Service Charges (No. 002/PP) Article 50. 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 Stay permit / residence permit card in Laos?
The passport must be valid for more than six months (Art. 35(1)). Spouse-visa (SP-B3) holders qualify under Art. 35(2) without the company-sponsored checklist; documents as required by the foreigner-management police. Processed via the investment one-stop service (OSS) in about 8 working days; validity 3 / 6 / 12 months, 3–5 years for concessions of 10+ years.
How much does a Stay permit / residence permit card cost in Laos and how long does it take?
Cost: The law itself sets no fee for residence registration or the residence card. The 2021 fee ordinance Art. 49 does carry a line for the temporary residence certificate of a foreigner under the public security heading, but that table is damaged in our scan and cannot be read as a whole, so no figure is quoted here. The item splits into a fee under Art. 49, whose table is damaged, and a service charge under Art. 50, and the posted rate at the counter prevails.. How long: Residence registration runs ninety days at a time (Art. 33); the residence card for investors and developers on a government project or concession runs one to five years, renewable (Art. 34). An extension must be filed before expiry, and how long each visa class may be extended each time is set by separate regulation (Art. 27). The law itself sets no processing times, so follow what the counter says..
Can LaoPaniti obtain the Stay permit / residence permit card 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 Foreigner-management police.
Organise documents online and submit for pre-check →
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