Work visa / work permit pre-check in Laos: statutory documents, competent authority and legal basis
Who can apply
For foreigners.
Competent authority: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
At a glance
Where to apply: The five stages sit with different bodies (Art. 8): the Skills Development and Employment Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare issues the quota and the import permit; the name list goes to the immigration department of the Ministry of Public Security for checking; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranges the labour visa LA-B2 at a Lao embassy or consulate general abroad, or exceptionally at an international checkpoint; after entry the worker first obtains the multiple entry and exit visa from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then registers and collects the work permit from the ministry or the provincial labour department, and the temporary residence permit comes from the immigration department.
Steps:
- The employer first applies for the annual quota, filing the quota application and the plan for using foreign labour with the Skills Development and Employment Department, adding the provincial labour department opinion where the workers will be used in a province (Art. 6)
- With the quota in hand, apply for the import permit with nine items: the quota permit, the import application, the list of workers, the employer guarantee, the labour contract, the worker CV, the health certificate, a passport copy and four 3x4 photographs (Art. 9)
- The list goes to the immigration department for checking, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues the LA-B2 labour visa at a Lao embassy or consulate general, or exceptionally at an international checkpoint (Art. 8; visa classes in Entry and Foreigner Management Law Art. 19)
How long: The annual quota is studied within three weeks and the import permit within one (Art. 10). As to duration, each authorisation under the labour contract runs no more than 12 months and may be renewed 6 to 12 months at a time; the overall permission is 2 years, renewable once for 2 more, and never beyond 4 years (Art. 18). Registration and issue of the work permit take at most two weeks and a renewal at most four working days (Art. 10). The agreement dates from 2007, so these limits may have moved as well.
Cost: Art. 17 sets the fees: 10,000 kip a set for the quota, import, registration and issue forms; USD 10 per person per month to register and issue the work permit; USD 2 per person per month to renew it. Vietnamese workers in Vietnamese-invested sectors or Lao-Vietnamese government projects pay USD 48 a year, and Vietnamese and Cambodian workers in the development triangle USD 40 a year. The agreement dates from 2007, so the rates may have moved and the posted rate at the counter prevails.
Statutory document list
- Passport data page (required)
- Entry stamp page (required)
Statutory requirements
- This form is a pre-check only, not the full work-permit checklist; the formal application follows the MoLSW procedure.
Common issues
- Four years is the ceiling: two years renewable once, and after four you must go home, with renewal firmly refused until two years have passed (Art. 18)
- No quota, no import: manual workers may not exceed 10 per cent of the workforce and skilled or professional workers 20 per cent (Art. 7)
Legal basis (Lao Official Gazette texts)
Excerpt: Conditions for foreign workers coming to work in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are as follows: — Must be skilled workers whose professional level matches the required positions; …
Excerpt: The application by the employing entity for a quota permit for the introduction of foreign workers is as follows: — An application letter for the quota permit from the employing entity; …
Excerpt: For employing units and various projects that need to recruit and use foreign workers in positions that Lao workers are unable to fill, this shall be carried out in accordance with the quota permits issued by the Ministr …
Excerpt: Procedures for Applying to Introduce and Register Foreign Labor. The procedures shall be carried out as follows: — Submit an application to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare for introducing foreign labor; …
Excerpt: The permit for introducing foreign workers must be accompanied by the following documents: — Quota permit issued by the Department of Skills Development and Employment; …
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for a Work visa / work permit pre-check in Laos?
For foreigners. Competent authority: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
What documents are required for a Work visa / work permit pre-check in Laos?
2 statutory items: Passport data page; Entry stamp page. Competent authority: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
What is the legal basis for a Work visa / work permit pre-check in Laos?
Based on Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 5; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 6; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 7; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 8; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 9; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 10; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 14; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 15; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 16; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 17; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 18; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Article 19; 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 52. 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 Work visa / work permit pre-check in Laos?
This form is a pre-check only, not the full work-permit checklist; the formal application follows the MoLSW procedure.
How much does a Work visa / work permit pre-check cost in Laos and how long does it take?
Cost: Art. 17 sets the fees: 10,000 kip a set for the quota, import, registration and issue forms; USD 10 per person per month to register and issue the work permit; USD 2 per person per month to renew it. Vietnamese workers in Vietnamese-invested sectors or Lao-Vietnamese government projects pay USD 48 a year, and Vietnamese and Cambodian workers in the development triangle USD 40 a year. The agreement dates from 2007, so the rates may have moved and the posted rate at the counter prevails.. How long: The annual quota is studied within three weeks and the import permit within one (Art. 10). As to duration, each authorisation under the labour contract runs no more than 12 months and may be renewed 6 to 12 months at a time; the overall permission is 2 years, renewable once for 2 more, and never beyond 4 years (Art. 18). Registration and issue of the work permit take at most two weeks and a renewal at most four working days (Art. 10). The agreement dates from 2007, so these limits may have moved as well..
Can LaoPaniti obtain the Work visa / work permit pre-check 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 Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
Organise documents online and submit for pre-check →
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