# Laos civil certificates and foreigner documents — LaoPaniti AI-readable digest

Canonical guides (12 matters, each in Chinese / Lao / English):
- Taxpayer identification number (TIN) · tax registration (ເລກປະຈຳຕົວຜູ້ເສຍອາກອນ (TIN)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tax-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/tax-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/tax-registration/
- Land title (land use certificate): registration / transfer / inheritance / mortgage / reissue (ໃບຕາດິນ (ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນ/ໂອນ/ສືບທອດ/ຄ້ຳປະກັນ/ອອກໃໝ່)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/land-title/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/land-title/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/land-title/
- Business licence (enterprise registration certificate): new / change / reissue / dissolution (ໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ (ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນໃໝ່/ປ່ຽນແປງ/ຂໍໃບໃໝ່/ຍຸບເລີກ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/business-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/business-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/business-licence/
- Business operating licence (sector licence) (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/industry-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/industry-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/industry-licence/
- Driving licence (civil vehicle) (ໃບຂັບຂີ່ຍານພາຫະນະພົນລະເຮືອນ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/driving-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/driving-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/driving-licence/
- Investment licence (ໃບອະນຸຍາດລົງທຶນ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/investment-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/investment-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/investment-licence/
- Construction (building) permit: new build / extension / change of use / repair / rebuild / demolition (ໃບອະນຸຍາດປຸກສ້າງ · ປຸກສ້າງ-ຕິດຕັ້ງ / ຕໍ່ເຕີມ-ປ່ຽນການນຳໃຊ້ / ສ້ອມແປງ-ສ້າງໃໝ່ / ທຳລາຍ-ບົວລະບັດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/construction-permit/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/construction-permit/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/construction-permit/
- Environmental certificate · Environmental impact assessment of an investment project (IEE / detailed ESIA) (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ · ການປະເມີນຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂອງໂຄງການລົງທຶນ (ການສຶກສາເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ / ແບບລະອຽດ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/environmental-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/environmental-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/environmental-certificate/
- Social security registration (employer registering the unit and its workers / individual voluntary enrolment) (ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນປະກັນສັງຄົມ (ຫົວໜ່ວຍແຮງງານຂຶ້ນທະບຽນໃຫ້ໜ່ວຍງານ ແລະ ຜູ້ອອກແຮງງານ / ຜູ້ສະໝັກໃຈຂຶ້ນທະບຽນດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/social-security-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/social-security-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/social-security-registration/
- Certificate of Origin for exports (preferential origin: Confirmation of Product Originality + preferential Certificate of Origin / exporter self-certification) (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດສິນຄ້າສົ່ງອອກ (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດເພື່ອສິດທິປະໂຫຍດ: ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການກຳນົດແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດ + ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດເພື່ອສິດທິປະໂຫຍດ / ການຮັບຮອງແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/certificate-of-origin/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/certificate-of-origin/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/certificate-of-origin/
- Employment registration and foreign-worker permit (quota · entry approval · work permit · renewal) (ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນການນຳໃຊ້ແຮງງານ ແລະ ໃບອະນຸຍາດເຮັດວຽກຂອງແຮງງານຕ່າງປະເທດ (ໂກຕາ · ອະນຸຍາດນຳເຂົ້າ · ບັດອະນຸຍາດເຮັດວຽກ · ຕໍ່ອາຍຸ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/labour-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/labour-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/labour-registration/
- Import-export licence and trader registration certificate (ໃບອະນຸຍາດນຳເຂົ້າ-ສົ່ງອອກ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການລົງທະບຽນຜູ້ນຳເຂົ້າ-ສົ່ງອອກ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/import-export-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/import-export-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/import-export-licence/
- Mineral licences: field data collection, prospecting, exploration, feasibility study and mining (ໃບອະນຸຍາດກ່ຽວກັບແຮ່ທາດ (ເກັບກຳຂໍ້ມູນພາກສະໜາມ / ຊອກຄົ້ນ / ສຳຫຼວດ / ວິພາກເສດຖະກິດ-ເຕັກນິກ / ຂຸດຄົ້ນ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/mining-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/mining-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/mining-licence/
- Tourism business licence: accommodation, restaurants, entertainment, guiding, travel agency and other categories (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດການທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ທີ່ພັກ, ຮ້ານອາຫານ, ບັນເທີງ, ນຳທ່ຽວ, ຕົວແທນທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ແລະ ອື່ນໆ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tourism-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/tourism-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/tourism-licence/
- Electricity business licence: general electricity services, specific power generation, and transmission line concessions (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດໄຟຟ້າ (ບໍລິການໄຟຟ້າທົ່ວໄປ / ຜະລິດໄຟຟ້າສະເພາະ / ສຳປະທານສາຍສົ່ງໄຟຟ້າ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/electricity-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/electricity-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/electricity-licence/
- Food registration certificate for industrial plants, family-scale workshops and imported food (ໃບທະບຽນອາຫານ (ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳ / ໂຮງງານຂະໜາດນ້ອຍແບບຄອບຄົວ / ອາຫານນຳເຂົ້າ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/food-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/food-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/food-registration/
- Road transport business licence: passenger transport, freight, terminals, vehicle hire and logistics (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດຂົນສົ່ງທາງບົກ (ຂົນສົ່ງຜູ້ໂດຍສານ, ຂົນສົ່ງສິນຄ້າ, ສະຖານີ, ໃຫ້ເຊົ່າລົດ, ໂລຈິສຕິກ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/road-transport-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/road-transport-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/road-transport-licence/
- Licence for a pharmaceutical or medical product business, and product registration (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ກ່ຽວກັບ ຢາ ແລະ ຜະລິດຕະພັນການແພດ ແລະ ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນຜະລິດຕະພັນ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/pharmaceutical-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/pharmaceutical-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/pharmaceutical-licence/
- Sign permits: use, installation and the sign business licence (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ນຳໃຊ້ປ້າຍ, ຕິດຕັ້ງປ້າຍ ແລະ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ປ້າຍ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/sign-permit/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/sign-permit/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/sign-permit/
- Insurance business licences: insurer, reinsurer, broker and agent (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດປະກັນໄພ (ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພ, ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພຕໍ່, ນາຍໜ້າປະກັນໄພ, ຕົວແທນປະກັນໄພ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/insurance-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/insurance-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/insurance-licence/
- Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors (ໃບອະນຸຍາດພິມ ແລະ ການດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ການພິມຈຳໜ່າຍ (ສຳນັກພິມ, ໂຮງພິມ, ວິສາຫະກິດ ຈຳໜ່າຍ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/printing-publishing-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/printing-publishing-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/printing-publishing-licence/
- Internet service business licence: domestic, international and satellite (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ບໍລິການອິນເຕີເນັດ (ພາຍໃນປະເທດ, ລະຫວ່າງປະເທດ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/internet-service-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/internet-service-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/internet-service-licence/
- Postal service business licence: international, nationwide, provincial and postal financial or product services (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ການບໍລິການໄປສະນີ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/postal-service-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/postal-service-licence/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/postal-service-licence/
- Setting up and operating a wood-processing factory: sawmills, processing plants and furniture factories (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ສ້າງຕັ້ງ ແລະ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳປຸງແຕ່ງໄມ້): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/wood-processing-factory/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/wood-processing-factory/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/wood-processing-factory/
- Divorce registration and the divorce certificate, by agreement or by court judgment (ການຈົດທະບຽນການຢ່າຮ້າງ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການຢ່າຮ້າງ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/divorce-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/divorce-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/divorce-registration/
- Inheritance: opening a will, certifying estate documents and registering the transfer of property (ການສືບທອດມູນມໍລະດົກ (ການເປີດພິນັຍກຳ, ການຢັ້ງຢືນເອກະສານກ່ຽວກັບມູນມໍລະດົກ ແລະ ການຈົດທະບຽນ ປ່ຽນແປງ ຊັບສິນ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/inheritance-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/inheritance-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/inheritance-registration/
- Tourist visa T-B3: where to apply, how it may be extended, and when it is the wrong visa (ວີຊາທ່ອງທ່ຽວ T-B3): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tourist-visa/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/tourist-visa/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/tourist-visa/
- Health checks and health certificates: who must be examined, and how often (ການກວດສຸຂະພາບ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສຸຂະພາບ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/health-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/health-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/health-certificate/
- Household book reissue / update (ປຶ້ມສຳມະໂນຄົວ (ອອກໃໝ່/ປ່ຽນແປງ)): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/household-book/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/household-book/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/household-book/
- Birth certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການເກີດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/birth-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/birth-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/birth-certificate/
- Single / marital status certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນຄວາມເປັນໂສດ / ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສະຖານະພາບຂອງບຸກຄົນ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/single-status-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/single-status-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/single-status-certificate/
- Marriage registration (ການຈົດທະບຽນການແຕ່ງດອງ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/marriage-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/marriage-registration/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/marriage-registration/
- No-criminal-record certificate (ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/police-clearance/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/police-clearance/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/police-clearance/
- Residence / address certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນທີ່ຢູ່): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/residence-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/residence-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/residence-certificate/
- Kinship certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສາຍຍາດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/kinship-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/kinship-certificate/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/kinship-certificate/
- Land / house basic documents (ເອກະສານທີ່ດິນ/ເຮືອນ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/land-house-documents/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/land-house-documents/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/land-house-documents/
- Vehicle sale / transfer documents (ຊື້ຂາຍ/ໂອນລົດ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/vehicle-transfer/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/vehicle-transfer/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/vehicle-transfer/
- Stay permit / residence permit card (ບັດອະນຸຍາດພັກເຊົາ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/stay-permit-card/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/stay-permit-card/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/stay-permit-card/
- Work visa / work permit pre-check (ກວດເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ ວີຊາເຮັດວຽກ): https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/work-visa-precheck/ | https://www.123laoai.com/laos-civil-cert/work-visa-precheck/ | https://www.123laoai.com/lo/laos-civil-cert/work-visa-precheck/

Sources checked: 2026-09-10. All document lists are transcribed from statutes published in the Lao Official Gazette (full trilingual texts in the LaoPaniti law library, https://www.123laoai.com/law/{id}).

## Direct answers

### Taxpayer identification number (TIN) · tax registration (ເລກປະຈຳຕົວຜູ້ເສຍອາກອນ (TIN))
- Who: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners.
- Competent authority: Tax authority (enterprises receive the number together with the enterprise registration certificate through the registration system, with no separate trip to the tax office; foreign enterprises earning income in Laos: the Tax Department or the provincial or capital tax office where they operate; organisations: their supervising tax office; individuals: the tax office where they reside, or where they operate if they have no residence) (ຂະແໜງສ່ວຍສາອາກອນ (ວິສາຫະກິດ: ໄດ້ຮັບພ້ອມກັບໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ຜ່ານລະບົບອອກທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ, ບໍ່ຕ້ອງໄປຫາຂະແໜງສ່ວຍສາອາກອນຕ່າງຫາກ; ວິສາຫະກິດທີ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ສ້າງຕັ້ງ ຫຼື ບໍ່ມີພູມລຳເນົາຢູ່ ສປປ ລາວ ແຕ່ມາເຄື່ອນໄຫວມີລາຍຮັບ: ກົມສ່ວຍສາອາກອນ ຫຼື ຂະແໜງສ່ວຍສາອາກອນ ຂັ້ນແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ບ່ອນເຄື່ອນໄຫວ; ການຈັດຕັ້ງ: ຂະແໜງສ່ວຍສາອາກອນທີ່ຕົນຂຶ້ນກັບ; ບຸກຄົນ: ຂະແໜງສ່ວຍສາອາກອນບ່ອນມີພູມລຳເນົາ, ຜູ້ບໍ່ມີພູມລຳເນົາ ແມ່ນບ່ອນເຄື່ອນໄຫວ))
- Required documents: Enterprise registration certificate (the taxpayer number is printed on it and is issued together with the registration; no separate application); Application for a taxpayer identification number; Certification from the project owner or the relevant authority (Art. 7.2); … 2 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tax_registration
- Legal basis: Tax Administration Law (Revised Edition) Art. 21; Tax Administration Law (Revised Edition) Art. 22; Tax Administration Law (Revised Edition) Art. 23; … 13 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tax-registration/
- Notes: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons, foreigners, legal entities and organisations that do business or earn income inside or outside Laos and have a tax obligation must hold a taxpayer identification number (TIN Decree Art. 3; the Tax Administration Law Art. 62 lists applying for and using the number as the taxpayer's first duty).; The number is issued by the tax revenue information system (TaxRIS) or a system the tax authority approves; each level of the tax authority then confirms and issues the TIN certificate showing the number, the taxpayer's name, address or contact address and phone, and the date of issue (Arts. 8, 9 and 10).; … 2 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tax-registration/
- Where: Enterprises do not go to the tax office at all: the number is issued with the enterprise registration certificate and printed on it. Everyone else goes to the tax authority: foreign enterprises to the Tax Department or the provincial or capital office where they operate; organisations to their supervising office; individuals to the office where they live, or where they operate if they have no residence (TIN Decree Art. 7)
- Steps: First decide which case you are in: an enterprise registered in Laos, a foreign enterprise, an organisation, or an individual with or without residence; Enterprise: you receive it when you register the enterprise; the number is printed on the certificate and that is all; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tax_registration
- Time: Enterprises receive it with the registration certificate, which is issued within 3 working days by law (Enterprise Law Art. 17). For the other cases the decree sets no time limit, so follow what the counter tells you.
- Cost: The TIN decree sets no separate application fee. Art. 15 of the 2021 fee ordinance lists, under the Planning and Investment sector, "issue of the enterprise registration certificate, tax number certificate and company seal, 50,000 kip"; that line is unclear in our scan and belongs to that sector, so the rate posted at the counter prevails.
- Watch out: Enterprises should not queue at the tax office: the number comes with the registration certificate and is printed on it (Tax Administration Law Art. 22; Decree Arts. 7.1 and 9); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tax_registration

### Land title (land use certificate): registration / transfer / inheritance / mortgage / reissue (ໃບຕາດິນ (ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນ/ໂອນ/ສືບທອດ/ຄ້ຳປະກັນ/ອອກໃໝ່))
- Who: Lao citizens and companies or legal entities; a foreign individual cannot hold a land title and takes use rights through a company by lease or concession.
- Competent authority: One-stop service unit of the district Agriculture and Environment Office where the land lies (the 2019 Land Law and the 2022/2024 guidance still call it the Natural Resources and Environment Office; regulations from 2026 use the new name); state-land lease/concession and time-limited state land purchases → provincial Agriculture and Environment Department (ໜ່ວຍງານບໍລິການປະຕູດຽວ ຂອງຫ້ອງການກະສິກຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມຂັ້ນເມືອງ ບ່ອນທີ່ດິນຕັ້ງຢູ່ (ກົດໝາຍທີ່ດິນ 2019 ແລະ ຄຳແນະນຳ 2022/2024 ຍັງເອີ້ນ ຫ້ອງການຊັບພະຍາກອນທຳມະຊາດ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມຂັ້ນເມືອງ); ການເຊົ່າ/ສຳປະທານທີ່ດິນຂອງລັດ ແລະ ການຊື້ສິດນຳໃຊ້ທີ່ດິນຈັດສັນຂອງລັດແບບມີກຳນົດ → ພະແນກກະສິກຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມຂັ້ນແຂວງ)
- Required documents: Registration application (form B1 land declaration, from the office); Proof of how the land use right was acquired: state allocation, transfer contract, gift, sale, inheritance, state land use permit, land use confirmation, land development confirmation; customary possession under Art. 130; ID card or residence certificate, and household book copy; … 20 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/land_title
- Legal basis: Land Law (Revised Edition) Art. ມາດຕາ 3; Land Law (Revised Edition) Art. ມາດຕາ 88; Land Law (Revised Edition) Art. ມາດຕາ 99; … 25 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/land-title/
- Notes: Land in Laos is owned by the national community; the land title certifies a land use right, not ownership. The holder may protect, use, transfer, inherit and mortgage that right (Land Law Arts. 3, 99 and 133).; A foreign individual cannot buy land and put the title in their own name: resident aliens, stateless persons, foreigners and foreign nationals of Lao origin obtain land use rights only by lease or concession and cannot be registered as title holders through purchase (Land Law Arts. 88 and 131). A lease from a Lao citizen runs up to 30 years, renewable, with provincial administration approval (2024 guidance). A 2026 decree adds one route: the state may sell time-limited use rights over state-allocated construction land to foreigners (up to 50 years, for new-town and condominium development, by government decision).; … 1 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/land-title/
- Where: One-stop unit of the district Agriculture and Environment Office (formerly Natural Resources and Environment) where the land lies; state land lease/concession and time-limited state land purchases → provincial department; contracts are first certified by the village administration and the court registry
- Steps: Prepare the documents for your case: first issue — acquisition proof, ID/household book, land use fee receipt; changes — original title, certified contract, latest land tax receipt, both parties' ID/household books; File at the district one-stop counter; for changes the office first verifies the title within 1 working day; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/land_title
- Time: First issue: inquiry 5 + survey 5 + file 5 working days + 30-day notice + printing and signature 5 working days (2022 guidance item 3); activity registrations such as lease, mortgage and sale: the title is checked and a certificate of authenticity issued within 5 working days of filing; change registrations such as transfer and inheritance: 1 working day check, the new title within 4 working days of the joint memorandum with the land officer; split or merge of parcels 15 working days; servitude and sale-with-repurchase registration 3 working days; cancellation or termination of a contract 2 working days (2024 guidance, Chapter 2; every figure here was checked against the original)
- Cost: First registration: Lao citizens pay no regulatory fee, only survey and form fees (survey fee waived in poor villages; lessees, concession holders and buyers of time-limited state land use rights are likewise exempt, 2022 guidance item 7); transaction and change fees per the 2021 ordinance Art. 25, tiered by kinship and land value (non-relative transfer and mortgage from 100,000 kip per title; easement 50,000; state land title 100,000), plus land income tax on sales; posted rates prevail
- Watch out: A land title is not an ownership deed: land belongs to the national community; the title records a use right (Arts. 3 and 99); … 10 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/land_title

### Business licence (enterprise registration certificate): new / change / reissue / dissolution (ໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ (ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນໃໝ່/ປ່ຽນແປງ/ຂໍໃບໃໝ່/ຍຸບເລີກ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Enterprise registration authority of the Industry and Commerce sector (capital: Enterprise Registration Department; province: provincial Industry and Commerce Department; district: district Industry and Commerce Office, sole proprietorships only; special economic zone: zone management committee) (ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ຂອງຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ນະຄອນຫຼວງ: ກົມທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ; ແຂວງ: ພະແນກອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າແຂວງ; ເມືອງ: ຫ້ອງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າເມືອງ ສະເພາະວິສາຫະກິດສ່ວນບຸກຄົນ; ເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດ: ຄະນະຄຸ້ມຄອງເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດ))
- Required documents: Enterprise registration application (registry form K1–K6); Declaration of intended business activities; ID card or household book copy of the owner / partners / shareholders / manager; … 4 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/business_license
- Legal basis: ENTERPRISE LAW (Amended) Art. Article 15; ENTERPRISE LAW (Amended) Art. Article 17; ENTERPRISE LAW (Amended) Art. Article 18; … 18 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/business-licence/
- Notes: Enterprise registration is done once for the life of the business; the registrar reviews and issues the certificate within 3 working days of a complete application (Enterprise Law Arts. 15 and 17; 2024 Ministry guidance item 3: documents checked within 1 hour, then a fee notice and a tracking slip).; The registration certificate is not an operating licence: after registration and before trading, activities on the controlled list need an investment or operating licence from the sector authority first; activities outside the list may start directly (Art. 19; 2024 guidance).; … 1 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/business-licence/
- Where: Enterprise registration counter of the Industry and Commerce sector: Vientiane Capital → Enterprise Registration Department; provinces → provincial Industry and Commerce Department; sole proprietorships → district Industry and Commerce Office; inside a special economic zone → zone management committee. Online filing through the electronic enterprise registration system is also possible (2024 guidance items 1 and 4)
- Steps: Choose the enterprise form and name (Lao and English, check for duplicates); for controlled-list activities get the investment licence from Planning and Investment first; Complete form K1–K6 for the chosen form with attachments; file at the counter or online; … 4 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/business_license
- Time: Certificate: 3 working days after a complete application (Art. 17; 2024 guidance, same for counter and online); reissue 3 working days; dissolution removal 3 working days; seal 2 working days
- Cost: Fees and service charges follow the Presidential fee ordinance, are paid before the certificate is issued and are posted at the service point (2024 guidance item 11); 2021 ordinance Art. 19: issue, amendment or reissue of an operating licence 50,000 kip; no registration-fee scale by capital was found, so the posted rate prevails
- Watch out: Registration certificate ≠ operating licence: the certificate alone does not allow trading; controlled-list activities still need the sector licence (Art. 19); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/business_license

### Business operating licence (sector licence) (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ)
- Who: Lao citizens and companies or legal entities; a foreign individual cannot hold a land title and takes use rights through a company by lease or concession.
- Competent authority: The Industry and Commerce sector issues it at three levels (Art. 3): central, the Industry and Handicraft, Domestic Trade or Import-Export Department; provincial, the provincial or Vientiane Capital Industry and Commerce Department; district, the district or municipal Industry and Commerce Office. Other sectors license their own activities, and controlled-list activities go to the Planning and Investment one-stop window (ຂະແໜງອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ອອກຕາມການແບ່ງຂັ້ນ 3 ລະດັບ: ຂັ້ນສູນກາງ → ກົມອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ຫັດຖະກຳ / ກົມການຄ້າພາຍໃນ / ກົມນຳເຂົ້າ-ສົ່ງອອກ; ຂັ້ນແຂວງ → ພະແນກອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ; ຂັ້ນເມືອງ → ຫ້ອງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ເມືອງ, ນະຄອນ (ຄຳແນະນຳ 0045 ຂໍ້ 3). ຂະແໜງການອື່ນ ອອກໂດຍຂະແໜງການນັ້ນ; ກິດຈະການໃນບັນຊີຄວບຄຸມ ໄປ ຫ້ອງການບໍລິການດ່ຽວດ້ານການລົງທຶນ ຂອງກະຊວງແຜນການ ແລະ ການລົງທຶນ)
- Required documents: Application for an operating licence, on the form set by the Industry and Handicraft, Domestic Trade or Import-Export Department for the activities in its own remit; there is no single common form (Art. 6.1); The enterprise registration certificate: the red-sealed original or one copy (Art. 6.2); The guidance letter for the licence application, issued by the office that issued the enterprise registration certificate: red-sealed original or one copy (Art. 6.3). This is the item most often forgotten, and without it the file is not accepted; … 4 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/industry_license
- Legal basis: Guiding Opinion on the Issuance of Business Licenses in the Industrial and Commercial Sectors Art. 1; Guiding Opinion on the Issuance of Business Licenses in the Industrial and Commercial Sectors Art. 2; Guiding Opinion on the Issuance of Business Licenses in the Industrial and Commercial Sectors Art. 3; … 12 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/industry-licence/
- Notes: The regulations use two Lao names for one and the same document. It is not the enterprise registration certificate: registration says the enterprise exists, the operating licence says this particular activity may be carried on.; The registration certificate is not the finish line: within 90 days of registration the enterprise must apply to the relevant authority for an operating or investment licence for the activities listed in its statement of purpose. After 90 days without an application it must explain itself within 10 working days, and if it does not appear or the reason is insufficient the registrar revokes the registration certificate (2018 linkage guidance Art. 4).; … 2 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/industry-licence/
- Where: File at the level set for your activity (Art. 3): central means the Industry and Handicraft, Domestic Trade or Import-Export Department; provincial means the provincial or Vientiane Capital Industry and Commerce Department; district means the district or municipal Industry and Commerce Office. Other sectors are licensed by their own authority.
- Steps: First check whether your activity appears in the three catalogues; if it does not, you do not need this licence; Work out whether you need an operating licence or an investment licence: controlled-list activities go to the Planning and Investment one-stop window; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/industry_license
- Time: The collection date is at most 10 working days from the receipt; a refusal must be in writing within 10 working days of filing (Art. 5). After issue the licence copy goes to the registration office within 5 working days.
- Cost: The 2021 fee ordinance Art. 19, Industry and Commerce section: issuing, amending or replacing an operating licence costs 50,000 kip each time. Factory operating certificates use the same rate plus a size-based element: 83,000 and 15,000 go by size, while 100,000 is the replacement copy for a damaged, soiled or destroyed certificate. That table is damaged in our scan and its size wording is inconsistent, so the posted rate at the counter prevails.
- Watch out: If you do not apply within 90 days of getting the registration certificate, that certificate is revoked (2018 linkage guidance Art. 4); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/industry_license

### Driving licence (civil vehicle) (ໃບຂັບຂີ່ຍານພາຫະນະພົນລະເຮືອນ)
- Who: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners.
- Competent authority: Testing and issue at your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence is signed by the Transport Department. Foreign licence exchanges and certificates of use go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing (ສອບເສັງ ແລະ ອອກໃບ: ກອງຄຸ້ມຄອງຍານພາຫະນະ ແລະ ການຂັບຂີ່ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ຂອງຕົນ (ປະເພດ 4 ຍື່ນຢູ່ ຫ້ອງການໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ ເມືອງ, ເທດສະບານ, ນະຄອນ ກໍ່ໄດ້); ຜູ້ເຊັນອອກໃບ ແມ່ນ ກົມຂົນສົ່ງ ກະຊວງໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ. ການປ່ຽນໃບຂັບຂີ່ຕ່າງປະເທດ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການນຳໃຊ້: ຍື່ນຕໍ່ກົມຂົນສົ່ງກ່ອນ ແລ້ວກັບມາທົດສອບຢູ່ກອງຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ທີ່ຕົນອາໄສຢູ່)
- Required documents: Test application filed with the provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office; class 4 may also be filed with the district or municipal transport office; Certificate of theory and practical training from a driving school under the syllabus, or training by the Public Works and Transport sector; Copy of the identity card or household book; a foreigner must hold a Lao residence or work permit for at least three months; … 23 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/driving_license
- Legal basis: Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Art. ມາດຕາ 4; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Art. ມາດຕາ 5; Regulations on the Administration of Road Transport Vehicle Driving Licenses Art. ມາດຕາ 11; … 22 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/driving-licence/
- Notes: Foreigners can obtain a driving licence: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners living or serving in Laos may all sit the civil driving test (Driving Licence Agreement Art. 11). This is the opposite of the land title, which a foreign individual cannot hold.; Validity: a civil licence runs five years; a Lao international licence one year; and the certificate to use a foreign or international licence in Laos one year. The last two must be applied for afresh on expiry (Driving Licence Agreement Art. 14).; … 1 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/driving-licence/
- Where: Testing and issue: your provincial or capital vehicle and driving management office, with class 4 applications also accepted at the district or municipal transport office; the licence itself is signed by the Transport Department (Arts. 13, 26 and 29). Foreign licence exchanges and certificates go first to the Transport Department and then back to the office where you live for testing (Arts. 16, 17 and 18).
- Steps: First settle which matter you have: first test, renewal, replacement, foreign licence exchange, certificate of use, international licence, military conversion or file transfer; First test: complete the theory and practical course at a driving school and take the certificate, and have the medical done; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/driving_license
- Time: The agreement sets no processing times, only fixed points: renewal at least 30 days before expiry; five years for a civil licence and one year each for the international licence and the certificate of use; and, for an international licence, one year of holding the civil licence with more than 30 days left. How many days the office takes is for the counter to say.
- Cost: The agreement sets no national fee: Art. 29 merely authorises the provincial and capital offices to charge for testing and printing. As a regional reference, the 2017 Sekong province decision lists 2,000 kip for the form, 5,000 for the document check record, 4,000 for the security stamp, 4,000 for a temporary licence and, for the long-term licence, a figure the Chinese translation gives as 1,006,000 although the Lao table is damaged at that cell and 1,006,000 is the figure on the vehicle registration line above it. The same article gives a total of 121,000, which only adds up if the long-term licence is 106,000, so both figures are given here and the posted rate at the counter prevails.
- Watch out: Exchanging a foreign licence does not skip the test: after the Transport Department approves, you are tested again where you live (Arts. 16 and 17); … 8 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/driving_license

### Investment licence (ໃບອະນຸຍາດລົງທຶນ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; 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) (ຫ້ອງການບໍລິການ ການລົງທຶນປະຕູດຽວ: ຂັ້ນສູນກາງ ແມ່ນ ກົມສົ່ງເສີມການລົງທຶນ ເປັນໃຈກາງ, ຂັ້ນແຂວງ ແມ່ນ ພະແນກແຜນການ ແລະ ການລົງທຶນ ເປັນໃຈກາງ (ມາດຕາ 77, 78); ບົດບັນທຶກຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈ ເພື່ອສຶກສາຄວາມເປັນໄປໄດ້ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ຫ້ອງການບໍລິການການລົງທຶນ (ມາດຕາ 45); ເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດ ແລະ ເຂດເສດຖະກິດສະເພາະ ສະເໜີຕໍ່ ຄະນະຄຸ້ມຄອງເຂດ (ມາດຕາ 63); ການລົງທຶນໃນບັນຊີຄວບຄຸມ ຍັງຕ້ອງແຈ້ງຂຶ້ນທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ນຳຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ມາດຕາ 35))
- Required documents: 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); … 8 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/investment_licence
- Legal basis: the Investment Promotion Law Art. ມາດຕາ 8; the Investment Promotion Law Art. ມາດຕາ 16; the Investment Promotion Law Art. ມາດຕາ 18; … 23 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/investment-licence/
- Notes: 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).
- Where: The one-stop investment service office: centrally the Investment Promotion Department is the hub, working with the investment coordination committee (Art. 77); in a province the provincial Planning and Investment Division is the hub (Art. 78). It explains the law to investors and receives and considers applications (Art. 80). A feasibility memorandum goes to the investment service office (Art. 45). Special and specific economic zones instead apply to the zone management committee (Art. 63). An investment on the controlled list must also register the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 35).
- Steps: The first step is always to check whether your activity is on the controlled list; if it is not, you do not need this licence (Arts. 32 and 34); Then tell a controlled-list general investment apart from a concession investment: the two run under different articles and conditions (Art. 31); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/investment_licence
- Time: 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.
- 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.
- Watch out: 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; … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/investment_licence

### Construction (building) permit: new build / extension / change of use / repair / rebuild / demolition (ໃບອະນຸຍາດປຸກສ້າງ · ປຸກສ້າງ-ຕິດຕັ້ງ / ຕໍ່ເຕີມ-ປ່ຽນການນຳໃຊ້ / ສ້ອມແປງ-ສ້າງໃໝ່ / ທຳລາຍ-ບົວລະບັດ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: File at the district/municipal urban-planning authority (Housing & Urban Planning office) or a one-stop service window where the site is (three sets of documents); approval and issuance by level: Level 3 → district/municipal administration; Level 2 → provincial/capital Public Works & Transport Department; Level 1 (including controlled buildings) → provincial/capital administration via a construction meeting. In Vientiane Capital this runs through the capital Public Works & Transport (Housing & Urban Planning) system. Design-correctness certification for controlled buildings is done by the building-control authority (2019 Decision Arts. 6, 10, 11; Building Control Regulation Art. 73) (ຮັບຄຳຮ້ອງ: ຢື່ນທີ່ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງຜັງເມືອງ ຂັ້ນເມືອງ/ນະຄອນ (ຫ້ອງການເຄຫາ ແລະ ຜັງເມືອງ) ຫຼື ໜ່ວຍງານບໍລິການປະຕູດຽວ ຂອງທ້ອງທີ່ປຸກສ້າງ (ເອກະສານ 3 ຊຸດ); ອະນຸມັດ-ອອກອະນຸຍາດຕາມລະດັບ: ລະດັບ 3 → ອົງການປົກຄອງເມືອງ/ນະຄອນ; ລະດັບ 2 → ພະແນກໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ ແຂວງ/ນະຄອນຫຼວງ; ລະດັບ 1 (ລວມອາຄານຄວບຄຸມ) → ອົງການປົກຄອງແຂວງ/ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ຜ່ານກອງປະຊຸມປຸກສ້າງ. ການຢັ້ງຢືນຄວາມຖືກຕ້ອງຂອງການອອກແບບອາຄານຄວບຄຸມ ຮັບຜິດຊອບໂດຍອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແລະ ກວດກາວຽກງານຄວບຄຸມອາຄານ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງ 2019 ຂໍ້ 6, 10, 11; ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງຄວບຄຸມອາຄານ ມາດຕາ 73))
- Required documents: Construction permit application form; Copy of the applicant's ID card or passport (a company files through its legal representative, adding the agent's ID); Applicant's proof of address (issued within 3 months) or a copy of the household book; … 3 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/construction_permit
- Legal basis: Construction Law Art. 24; Construction Law Art. 25; Construction Law Art. 26; … 27 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/construction-permit/
- Notes: All urban construction (new build, installation, extension, change of use, repair, rebuild, demolition) needs a permit first; you may start only after it is granted, and building without a permit is prohibited (2019 Ministerial Decision Art. 2; Construction Law Art. 24; Building Control Regulation Art. 66).; Permits come in four types (new build/installation, extension/change of use, repair/rebuild, demolition/maintenance) and three levels by scale and impact: Level 1 (high-impact large buildings, controlled buildings, repair/rebuild) approved by the provincial/capital administration through a construction meeting; Level 2 (medium buildings, extension/change of use, demolition of large buildings) by the Provincial/Capital Public Works & Transport Department; Level 3 (small buildings) by the district/municipal administration (2019 Decision Arts. 5, 6, 11).; … 6 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/construction-permit/
- Where: File at the district/municipal urban-planning authority (Housing & Urban Planning office) or a one-stop service window where the site is (three sets of documents); approval and issuance by level: Level 3 → district/municipal administration; Level 2 → provincial/capital Public Works & Transport Department; Level 1 (including controlled buildings) → provincial/capital administration via a construction meeting. In Vientiane Capital this runs through the capital Public Works & Transport (Housing & Urban Planning) system. Design-correctness certification for controlled buildings is done by the building-control authority (2019 Decision Arts. 6, 10, 11; Building Control Regulation Art. 73)
- Steps: First determine the building type and level (area, height, whether controlled/dangerous) and prepare the land-use right certificate; Engage a legally established design firm and registered architects/engineers for the survey, design and drawings; for a controlled building, first obtain design-correctness certification from the building-control authority; … 5 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/construction_permit
- Time: Permits at every level are issued within 30 working days of acceptance (2019 Decision Art. 11); the permit is valid 6 months, extendable once by up to 6 months if work has not started (Art. 13); other timeframes follow the counter notice
- Cost: Our database does not have a specific fee for the construction permit: the Fee Ordinance (002/2021) Art. 26 "Construction and Transport" section defers the detail to the official gazette, so the fee follows the counter notice. Note: architect/engineer professional registration carries a separate 300,000 kip service fee (Professional Decision Art. 7), which is the designer's licensing, not this permit's fee
- Watch out: All four classes share one document list, so do not guess by class: Art. 5 of the 2019 ministerial decision splits construction permits into building and installation, extension and change of use, repair and reconstruction, and demolition and maintenance, but Art. 10 gives a single list of seven documents for all of them and sets out nothing separate by class. We checked every law this page relies on and none prescribes separate documents for demolition or any other class. What does change with class and scale is the approving level (Art. 6), not the paperwork. The non-mandatory items — the neighbour agreement, the excavation permit, the environmental and social certificate and the controlled-building certification — depend on your circumstances, not on the class.; … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/construction_permit

### Environmental certificate · Environmental impact assessment of an investment project (IEE / detailed ESIA) (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ · ການປະເມີນຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂອງໂຄງການລົງທຶນ (ການສຶກສາເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ / ແບບລະອຽດ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: IEE → the provincial / capital Natural Resources and Environment Department where the project is located; detailed ESIA → the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Environment Department, central); the district NRE Office handles local management and monitoring (EIA Decree Arts. 71, 73, 74). Note: authority names changed with the 2025 reorganisation; confirm the current counter name locally. (ການສຶກສາເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ (IEE) → ພະແນກຊັບພະຍາກອນທຳມະຊາດ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂັ້ນແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ບ່ອນໂຄງການຕັ້ງຢູ່; ການປະເມີນແບບລະອຽດ (ESIA) → ກະຊວງຊັບພະຍາກອນທຳມະຊາດ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ (ກົມສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ, ຂັ້ນສູນກາງ); ຫ້ອງການຊັບພະຍາກອນທຳມະຊາດ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂັ້ນເມືອງ ຮັບຜິດຊອບການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແລະ ຕິດຕາມກວດກາຢູ່ທ້ອງຖິ່ນ (ດຳລັດວ່າດ້ວຍການປະເມີນຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ມາດຕາ 71, 73, 74). ໝາຍເຫດ: ຊື່ອົງການ ໄດ້ປ່ຽນຕາມການປັບປຸງກົງຈັກປີ 2025, ໃຫ້ຖືເອົາຊື່ທີ່ຕິດປະກາດຢູ່ຫ້ອງການເປັນຫຼັກ.)
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Environmental Protection (Amended) Art. 6; Law on Environmental Protection (Amended) Art. 17; Law on Environmental Protection (Amended) Art. 18; … 30 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/environmental-certificate/
- Notes: Any individual, legal entity or organisation, domestic or foreign, carrying out an investment project or business activity in the Lao PDR must complete an environmental impact assessment and obtain an environmental certificate before starting; the certificate is issued before the investment licence (EIA Decree Arts. 8 and 9; Environmental Protection Law Arts. 6 and 36).; Assessment has two groups and two types: smaller/non-severe impact (group 1) → Initial Environmental Examination (IEE); major/severe impact (group 2) → detailed Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Which group a project falls in is set by the Grouping Catalogue Decision Art. 2 (IEE list, e.g. hydropower 1–5 MW) and Art. 3 (detailed-EIA list, e.g. hydropower above 5 MW); projects not listed are screened with the Environment Department (Art. 4) (EIA Decree Arts. 9, 10; Grouping Catalogue Arts. 2, 3, 4).; … 6 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/environmental-certificate/
- Where: IEE → the provincial / capital Natural Resources and Environment Department where the project is located; detailed ESIA → the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Environment Department, central); the district NRE Office handles local management and monitoring (EIA Decree Arts. 71, 73, 74). Note: authority names changed with the 2025 reorganisation; confirm the current counter name locally.
- Steps: Use the Grouping Catalogue (Arts. 2/3) to decide whether the project is group 1 (IEE) or group 2 (detailed ESIA); if unsure, screen it with the Environment Department (Art. 4); IEE: prepare the IEE report (with the management and monitoring plan) yourself or through a service provider, and hold the village consultation; … 4 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/environmental_permit
- Time: All limits are working days and exclude the applicant's revision time. IEE (provincial department): 5 (attachments) + 25 (content review) + 20 (consultation) + 5 (final review) (Arts. 15–18). Detailed ESIA (Ministry): 10 for the scope/ToR review (Art. 21) + 10 (attachments) + 50 (report review) + 40 (consultation) + 10 (final review) (Arts. 26–29).
- Cost: In kip (Instruction on NRE-sector fees Arts. 3 and 4, implementing fee Decree 002). Certification fees: IEE report certificate 500,000; detailed ESIA report certificate 1,000,000. Review service charges: IEE report review 3,000,000; ESIA report and management-monitoring plan review 10,000,000. Totals: about 3,500,000 (IEE), about 11,000,000 (detailed ESIA). Renewals: certificate renewal 1,000,000 (service charge); IEE cert renewal 100,000, ESIA cert renewal 500,000 (fees). Excludes the service provider's private fee and self-borne costs; the posted rate prevails.
- Watch out: Assessment before licence: the environmental certificate is issued before the investment licence — without it you cannot get the investment licence or start work (Arts. 8, 9); … 6 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/environmental_permit

### Social security registration (employer registering the unit and its workers / individual voluntary enrolment) (ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນປະກັນສັງຄົມ (ຫົວໜ່ວຍແຮງງານຂຶ້ນທະບຽນໃຫ້ໜ່ວຍງານ ແລະ ຜູ້ອອກແຮງງານ / ຜູ້ສະໝັກໃຈຂຶ້ນທະບຽນດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The National Social Security Organisation (under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare), by administrative tier: Vientiane Capital and provinces → social security service centre or provincial Labour and Social Welfare Division; districts → Labour and Social Welfare Office (Arts. 90, 105, 107, 108; guidance item 37) (ອົງການປະກັນສັງຄົມແຫ່ງຊາດ (ຂຶ້ນກັບກະຊວງແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມ) ຮັບຕາມການແບ່ງຂັ້ນຄຸ້ມຄອງ: ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ, ແຂວງ → ສູນບໍລິການປະກັນສັງຄົມ ຫຼື ພະແນກແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມ; ຂັ້ນເມືອງ → ຫ້ອງການແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມ (ມາດຕາ 90, 105, 107, 108; ຄຳແນະນຳ ຂໍ້ 37))
- Required documents: Personal information declaration form (prescribed form: insured person / civil servant / worker / voluntary member)
- Legal basis: Law on social security (Amended) Art. 3; Law on social security (Amended) Art. 7; Law on social security (Amended) Art. 74; … 12 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/social-security-registration/
- Notes: Two routes: ① an employer (labour unit) with one or more workers must register the unit and all its workers at the National Social Security Organisation; ② a voluntary member (self-employed person or general citizen aged 18 to 60) enrols voluntarily (Social Security Law Arts. 7 and 90; implementing guidance item 36).; Where: the National Social Security Organisation (under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare), by administrative tier; in Vientiane Capital and the provinces go to the social security service centre or the provincial Labour and Social Welfare Division, at district level the Labour and Social Welfare Office (Arts. 90, 105, 107, 108; guidance item 37).; … 6 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/social-security-registration/
- Where: The National Social Security Organisation (under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare), by administrative tier: Vientiane Capital and provinces → social security service centre or provincial Labour and Social Welfare Division; districts → Labour and Social Welfare Office (Arts. 90, 105, 107, 108; guidance item 37)
- Steps: Decide the enrolment type: employer (mandatory, for the unit and all workers) or individual voluntary member (aged 18–60); Prepare the documents: personal information form; employers also prepare the worker roster + copies of enterprise/tax registration and business licence; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/social_security_registration
- Time: Registration review: certificate and social security card issued within 30 days of a complete file (Art. 92); benefit rights for family members apply 3 days after their details are declared (guidance item 37)
- Cost: Contribution rates (set by law): enterprise sector employer 6% + worker 5.5%; voluntary 9%; state sector government 8.5% + civil servant/military/police 8%. The base is from the minimum wage to the maximum insured-wage ceiling, announced by the state in stages — no figure stated here. No separate registration fee was found in the law; follow the notice posted at the social security office (Arts. 74, 75, 77; guidance items 35 and 36)
- Watch out: An employer with one or more workers must register the unit and all workers, within 30 days of recruitment or contract signing (Arts. 90 and 92); … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/social_security_registration

### Certificate of Origin for exports (preferential origin: Confirmation of Product Originality + preferential Certificate of Origin / exporter self-certification) (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດສິນຄ້າສົ່ງອອກ (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດເພື່ອສິດທິປະໂຫຍດ: ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການກຳນົດແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດ + ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດເພື່ອສິດທິປະໂຫຍດ / ການຮັບຮອງແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Authorities for preferential origin (Guideline Art. 15): (1) Import-Export Department, MOIC (nationwide); (2) provincial/capital Industry and Commerce offices; (3) one-stop investment service units in special economic zones; (4) the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and provincial/capital chambers; (5) other bodies authorised by the Minister. Self-certification eligibility is registered with the Import-Export Department (the 2020 self-certification decision). (ອົງການຜູ້ມີອຳນາດອອກໃບຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດເພື່ອສິດທິປະໂຫຍດ (ຄຳແນະນຳ ກ່ຽວກັບ ການຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດສິນຄ້າທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບສິດທິພິເສດ (2021) ຂໍ້ 15): ① ກົມສົ່ງອອກ-ນຳເຂົ້າ ກະຊວງອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ທົ່ວປະເທດ) ② ຫ້ອງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ③ ໜ່ວຍບໍລິການອຳນວຍຄວາມສະດວກການລົງທຶນແບບຈຸດດຽວ ໃນເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດ ④ ສະພາການຄ້າ ແລະ ອຸດສາຫະກຳແຫ່ງຊາດລາວ, ສະພາການຄ້າ ແລະ ອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແຂວງ/ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ⑤ ພາກສ່ວນອື່ນທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບອຳນາດຈາກລັດຖະມົນຕີ. ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນສິດຮັບຮອງດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ກົມສົ່ງອອກ-ນຳເຂົ້າ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງ ວ່າດ້ວຍການຢັ້ງຢືນແຫຼ່ງກຳເນີດສິນຄ້າດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ ຜ່ານລະບົບການລົງທະບຽນເປັນຜູ້ສົ່ງອອກ ພາຍໃຕ້ສິດທິພິເສດທາງການຄ້າ (2020)).)
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Guidelines on Certificates of Origin for Preferential Treatment Art. 1; Guidelines on Certificates of Origin for Preferential Treatment Art. 2; Guidelines on Certificates of Origin for Preferential Treatment Art. 3; … 22 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/certificate-of-origin/
- Notes: A preferential Certificate of Origin proves goods originate in or were processed in Laos so they can obtain trade preferences (tariff cuts) in the destination country under that country's origin rules — it is a customs-preference document, not a geographical indication. If the importing country granting the preference does not require an origin certificate, no application is needed (Guideline Art. 1).; The traditional route has two steps: first apply for the Confirmation of Product Originality (COS), then use it to apply for the preferential Certificate of Origin (CO) for each export consignment. The CO is issued in three forms: (1) manual issuance by the authority; (2) the e-CO electronic system (Agreement on e-CO, the 2016 electronic certificate of origin agreement); (3) self-certification by a registered exporter (see next). (Guideline Arts. 1, 2, 6); … 7 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/certificate-of-origin/
- Where: Authorities for preferential origin (Guideline Art. 15): (1) Import-Export Department, MOIC (nationwide); (2) provincial/capital Industry and Commerce offices; (3) one-stop investment service units in special economic zones; (4) the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and provincial/capital chambers; (5) other bodies authorised by the Minister. Self-certification eligibility is registered with the Import-Export Department (the 2020 self-certification decision).
- Steps: First check whether the destination requires an origin certificate and which preference scheme applies (e.g. ASEAN Form D, EU GSP/REX); if not required, no application is needed (Art. 1); Step 1: apply for the COS with the Art. 3 documents; the authority inspects the site within 3 working days, then issues the COS within 3 working days; valid one year (Arts. 2–5); … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/certificate_of_origin
- Time: COS: site inspection within 3 working days, issued within 3 working days after inspection, valid one year (Arts. 4, 5); CO (manual): 2 working days (Art. 9); loss certification 1 working day, reissue 2 working days (Art. 11); e-CO: reply and issuance each within 1 working day (the 2016 electronic certificate of origin agreement Art. 8); self-cert exporter certificate: 2 working days (the 2020 self-certification decision Art. 8).
- Cost: The issuing fee and form cost (no more than 50 sets per form each purchase) follow the Fees and Service Charges Ordinance in force; the specific amount was not found, so the rate posted at the office or the current Ordinance prevails (Guideline Arts. 13, 14).
- Watch out: This is an export Certificate of Origin (CO) for tariff preferences, not a geographical indication (GI) — do not confuse the two (Art. 1); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/certificate_of_origin

### Employment registration and foreign-worker permit (quota · entry approval · work permit · renewal) (ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນການນຳໃຊ້ແຮງງານ ແລະ ໃບອະນຸຍາດເຮັດວຽກຂອງແຮງງານຕ່າງປະເທດ (ໂກຕາ · ອະນຸຍາດນຳເຂົ້າ · ບັດອະນຸຍາດເຮັດວຽກ · ຕໍ່ອາຍຸ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Quota: the MoLSW Skills Development & Employment Department (Arts. 18, 19). Entry approval and work permit: the provincial/Vientiane Labour and Social Welfare Department and employment service centres (Arts. 22, 25, 38, 39). The labour authority runs: ministry → provincial department → district office → village unit (Labour Law (revised), Art. 155). (ໂກຕາ: ກົມພັດທະນາສີມືແຮງງານ ແລະ ຈັດຫາງານ, ກະຊວງແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມ. ອະນຸຍາດນຳເຂົ້າ ແລະ ບັດອະນຸຍາດເຮັດວຽກ: ພະແນກແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ ແລະ ສູນບໍລິການຈັດຫາງານ. ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງວຽກງານແຮງງານ ປະກອບດ້ວຍ ກະຊວງ, ພະແນກແຂວງ, ຫ້ອງການເມືອງ ແລະ ໜ່ວຍງານບ້ານ (ມາດຕາ 155).)
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Labour Law (Amended Version) Art. ມາດຕາ 37; Labour Law (Amended Version) Art. ມາດຕາ 43; Labour Law (Amended Version) Art. ມາດຕາ 45; … 15 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/labour-registration/
- Notes: The basis for employment registration: every form of investment, including all employers, must draw up a phased labour-need plan and report it to the relevant labour authority to plan the labour supply (Labour Law (revised), Art. 37).; Lao workers come first: the employer must plan its labour needs, use Lao workers as a priority, and take on foreign workers only where genuinely necessary (Art. 68).; … 9 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/labour-registration/
- Where: Quota: the MoLSW Skills Development & Employment Department (Arts. 18, 19). Entry approval and work permit: the provincial/Vientiane Labour and Social Welfare Department and employment service centres (Arts. 22, 25, 38, 39). The labour authority runs: ministry → provincial department → district office → village unit (Labour Law (revised), Art. 155).
- Steps: Draw up the unit's Lao and foreign labour-use plan and report it to the labour authority (Labour Law Art. 37); Apply to the Skills Development & Employment Dept for the annual foreign-labour quota and get the quota permit (Art. 19; allocation within 15 working days); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/labor_registration
- Time: Quota allocation within 15 working days; entry approval within 3 working days; work permit issued/renewed within 5 working days (2021 Decision, Art. 38). Apply for the work permit within 30 days of entry (Art. 25); the quota permit lasts up to 1 year and ends on 31 December (Art. 21); contract terms of 1/3/6/12 months, up to 5 years total (Art. 10).
- Cost: Work-permit issue/renewal fee: 85,000 kip per person per month = 1,020,000 kip per person per year (2021 Decision, Art. 31); service charges: quota/entry/work-permit forms 10,000 kip per set each, issue/renew/replace service 50,000 kip per person each time, quota-entry permit 50,000 kip per set for 1–10 workers or 5,000 kip per person for 11+ (Art. 32). The posted rate prevails.
- Watch out: Foreign labour is capped (current): 15% manual and 25% mental/skilled of the unit's total Lao workers; large investment/government-priority projects follow the project contract or a special government instruction — over-quota hiring is not registered (2021 Decision, Art. 17); … 6 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/labor_registration

### Import-export licence and trader registration certificate (ໃບອະນຸຍາດນຳເຂົ້າ-ສົ່ງອອກ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການລົງທະບຽນຜູ້ນຳເຂົ້າ-ສົ່ງອອກ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: It depends which sector governs the goods. The management authorities are the sectors concerned, among them industry and commerce, agriculture and forestry, public health, science and technology, information and culture, defence, and public works and transport, with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce leading and publishing six lists, the sixth being the roster of which authority manages which goods (Decree, Art. 11). The trader registration certificate is issued by the ministry Import-Export Department (Registration Decision, Arts. 3.3, 14 and 15). The temporary track runs at two levels, centrally the ministries concerned and in a province the authorised department, led by the Import-Export Department and the provincial and capital Industry and Commerce Departments (Temporary Decision, Arts. 16 and 19) (ຕາມສິນຄ້າຂຶ້ນກັບໃຜ: ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງການນຳເຂົ້າ ແລະ ການສົ່ງອອກ ແມ່ນບັນດາຂະແໜງການ ເຊັ່ນ ອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ, ກະສິກຳ ແລະ ປ່າໄມ້, ສາທາລະນະສຸກ, ວິທະຍາສາດ ແລະ ເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ, ຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ ແລະ ວັດທະນະທຳ, ປ້ອງກັນປະເທດ, ໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ ແລະ ຂະແໜງການອື່ນໆ, ໂດຍ ກະຊວງອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ເປັນໃຈກາງ ກຳນົດ ແລະ ອອກ ຫົກລາຍການ ຊຶ່ງລາຍການທີ 6 ແມ່ນ ລາຍຊື່ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ສຳລັບແຕ່ລະລາຍການສິນຄ້າ (ດຳລັດ ມາດຕາ 11). ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການລົງທະບຽນ ອອກໂດຍ ກົມການນຳເຂົ້າ ແລະ ສົ່ງອອກ ກະຊວງອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງວ່າດ້ວຍການລົງທະບຽນຜູ້ນຳເຂົ້າ ແລະ ສົ່ງອອກສິນຄ້າ ມາດຕາ 3 ຂໍ້ 3, ມາດຕາ 14, 15). ແບບຊົ່ວຄາວ ປະກອບມີ ສອງ ຂັ້ນ: ຂັ້ນສູນກາງ ແມ່ນ ບັນດາກະຊວງທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງ ທີ່ຄຸ້ມຄອງບັນດາສິນຄ້າຄຸ້ມຄອງ ຕາມສິດ ແລະ ພາລະບົດບາດຂອງຕົນ; ຂັ້ນແຂວງ ແມ່ນ ບັນດາພະແນກການ ປະຈຳ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບມອບໝາຍໃຫ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແລະ ອອກໃບອະນຸຍາດ; ການຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດ ມອບໃຫ້ ກົມການນຳເຂົ້າ ແລະ ສົ່ງອອກ ແລະ ພະແນກອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ເປັນເຈົ້າການ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງວ່າດ້ວຍການນຳເຂົ້າຊົ່ວຄາວ, ສົ່ງອອກຊົ່ວຄາວ ແລະ ນຳເຂົ້າເພື່ອສົ່ງອອກຕໍ່ ສິນຄ້າຄຸ້ມຄອງ ມາດຕາ 16, 19))
- Required documents: Application on the form prescribed by the Import-Export Department (Art. 5.1; the same first item applies to renewal, amendment and replacement); Copy of the enterprise registration certificate, or for a foreign trader a copy of the trading-right certificate (Art. 5.2); The original registration certificate (Art. 7.4); … 12 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/import_export_permit
- Legal basis: Decree on Import and Export of Goods Art. 3; Decree on Import and Export of Goods Art. 6; Decree on Import and Export of Goods Art. 7; … 51 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/import-export-licence/
- Notes: This matter covers three different documents, so decide which one you need. The trader registration certificate shows you may run this business (Registration Decision, Art. 2); the import-export licence decides whether a particular consignment may cross (Decree, Art. 8); and the temporary licence covers goods that only pass through (Art. 2: temporary import and import-for-re-export are not sold in Laos; temporary export is not sold and ownership is not transferred abroad before the goods return).; Art. 13 of the decree puts goods into three cases: on the licensing list, you need the licence first; on the sanitary, phytosanitary or technical-regulation list, you need inspection or certification first; on neither list, you simply clear customs. Check the lists before making the trip.; … 6 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/import-export-licence/
- Where: It depends which sector governs your goods. The import-export management authorities are the sectors concerned, among them industry and commerce, agriculture and forestry, public health, science and technology, information and culture, defence, and public works and transport; the Ministry of Industry and Commerce leads and, with those sectors, sets and publishes six lists, the sixth being the roster of which authority manages which goods (Decree, Art. 11). The trader registration certificate is decided and issued by the Import-Export Department of the ministry (Registration Decision, Arts. 3.3, 14 and 15). The temporary track is managed at two levels: centrally the ministries responsible for each kind of controlled goods, and in a province the authorised provincial or capital department, led by the Import-Export Department and the provincial and capital Industry and Commerce Departments (Temporary Decision, Arts. 16 and 19).
- Steps: The first step is checking the lists, not gathering papers. Art. 13 sorts goods into three cases by list, and in the third, on neither list, you simply clear customs and need none of these documents. Get this wrong and everything after it is wasted; Work out which document you need: the trader registration certificate (Registration Decision, Art. 2), the import-export licence (Decree, Art. 8), or a temporary licence (Art. 2). The three differ in which office takes them, what they need and how long they take; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/import_export_permit
- Time: The law fixes four periods. Registration certificate: three working days from receipt of complete and correct papers (Registration Decision, Art. 6). Automatic import licence: a correct and complete application is handled at once and no later than ten working days from receipt (Licensing Decree, Arts. 2.5 and 6.3). Non-automatic import licence: within thirty days of receipt, or sixty days from the announced closing date where all files are considered together (Art. 7.3). Temporary track: three working days, with written reasons within two working days if it cannot be issued (Temporary Decision, Art. 10). Export licensing follows the import procedure (Decree, Art. 8) and no separate export period is written.
- Cost: Art. 19 of the 2021 Ordinance on fees and service charges (No. 002/ປປທ), in the Industry and Commerce fee section, shows no entry for an import-export licence or a trader registration certificate (several rows of that table are too damaged to read, so this is "not found" rather than "certainly absent"). The two priced entries that touch this matter are 100,000 kip per issue for a foreign trader trading-right certificate, itself one of the registration documents, and 300,000 kip per issue for a self-certifying exporter origin certificate. Art. 20 covers the same sector service charges and our Chinese text of it carries no detail, but one row of the Lao original is legible: amending an import or export licence and issuing the certificate, 50,000 kip per set (row 5). Other rows of the same table, including the one for issuing the licence, are too damaged to read, so this 50,000 is for amendment and not for issue. All the law states is that the management authority may collect fees and technical service charges under the relevant law (Decree, Art. 12.7). Figures still circulating such as 10,000 kip per set for a vehicle import licence come from Ordinance No. 003 of 26 December 2012, expressly replaced by Art. 60 of the 2021 ordinance, so do not budget from them. The rate posted at the counter prevails.
- Watch out: Goods on no list need no licence: Art. 13.3 says goods on neither list simply clear customs. Check the lists before setting out; this is the easiest wasted trip in the whole matter; … 9 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/import_export_permit

### Mineral licences: field data collection, prospecting, exploration, feasibility study and mining (ໃບອະນຸຍາດກ່ຽວກັບແຮ່ທາດ (ເກັບກຳຂໍ້ມູນພາກສະໜາມ / ຊອກຄົ້ນ / ສຳຫຼວດ / ວິພາກເສດຖະກິດ-ເຕັກນິກ / ຂຸດຄົ້ນ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Mining administration runs at three levels (Art. 117): the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the provincial and capital departments and the district offices. The ministry decides all five stages, field data collection, prospecting, exploration, the feasibility study and mining (Arts. 43, 46, 50, 58 and 71); provincial departments issue and renew licences under Arts. 86 and 92 and may propose suspension or withdrawal (Art. 119). The investment licence before concession negotiation and the intake for industrial non-metallic minerals sit with the one-stop investment service office (Arts. 67 and 92) (ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງວຽກງານແຮ່ທາດ ມີສາມຂັ້ນ (ມາດຕາ 117): ກະຊວງພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່, ພະແນກພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ, ຫ້ອງການພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ ເມືອງ. ຫ້າຂັ້ນ ຄື ເກັບກຳຂໍ້ມູນພາກສະໜາມ, ຊອກຄົ້ນ, ສຳຫຼວດ, ວິພາກເສດຖະກິດ-ເຕັກນິກ ແລະ ຂຸດຄົ້ນ ແມ່ນ ກະຊວງພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ ພິຈາລະນາອອກໃບ (ມາດຕາ 43, 46, 50, 58, 71); ພະແນກຂັ້ນແຂວງ ອອກ ແລະ ຕໍ່ອາຍຸໃບອະນຸຍາດ ຕາມ ມາດຕາ 86 ແລະ 92 (ມາດຕາ 119). ໃບອະນຸຍາດລົງທຶນ ກ່ອນເຈລະຈາສັນຍາສຳປະທານ ແລະ ການຮັບຄຳຮ້ອງແຮ່ທາດອະໂລຫະສຳລັບອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແມ່ນຢູ່ ຫ້ອງການບໍລິການ ການລົງທຶນປະຕູດຽວ (ມາດຕາ 67, 92))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Minerals (Amended) Art. 42; Law on Minerals (Amended) Art. 43; Law on Minerals (Amended) Art. 44; … 34 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/mining-licence/
- Notes: Mining is not one licence but a chain of five stages, each applied for and issued separately: field data collection (Art. 43), prospecting (Art. 46), exploration (Art. 50), the economic and technical feasibility study (Art. 58), negotiating and signing the mine development concession contract (Art. 67), and mining itself (Art. 71). Stages cannot be skipped.; The investment licence gates the whole chain: Art. 46 says the prospecting application comes after it is obtained. The investment licence is handled by the one-stop investment service office, not by the ministry.; … 3 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/mining-licence/
- Where: Mining administration runs at three levels (Art. 117): the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the provincial and capital departments, and the district offices. The ministry decides all five stages, field data collection, prospecting, exploration, the feasibility study and mining (Arts. 43, 46, 50, 58 and 71). Provincial departments issue and renew licences under Arts. 86 and 92 and may propose suspension or withdrawal (Art. 119.5 and 119.6). The investment licence before concession negotiation and the intake for industrial non-metallic minerals both sit with the one-stop investment service office (Arts. 67 and 92).
- Steps: First decide which route applies: metals and general minerals follow the five-stage chain; industrial non-metallic minerals follow the shorter route in Arts. 91 and 92; and traditional panning needs none of this (Arts. 85 and 86); Get the investment licence first: Art. 46 requires it before the prospecting application, and it comes from the one-stop investment service office rather than the ministry; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/mining_license
- Time: The periods the law fixes: ten working days for field data collection (Art. 44); thirty working days for prospecting (Art. 46); thirty working days for exploration (Art. 50); fifteen working days for the feasibility permit (Art. 58) with the results report approved within one hundred and twenty days (Art. 63); at most one hundred and eighty days for concession negotiation and one hundred and twenty for a second round (Art. 68); and thirty days for the mining licence (Art. 71). Terms: prospecting two years plus one, exploration three plus one, feasibility two plus one, mining up to twenty years renewable ten at a time including post-closure monitoring, and industrial non-metallic minerals up to five years renewable five at a time.
- Cost: The Mining Law sets no schedule of charges; Arts. 101, 103 and 105 require licence holders to pay concession land rent, mineral royalties, duties, taxes, fees and service charges, and Art. 59 adds concession land rent during the feasibility study. The 2021 fees ordinance has no energy and mines section at all. Schedules circulating from the 2012 ordinance No. 003 were expressly replaced, so do not budget from them. The rate posted at the counter prevails.
- Watch out: Traditional panning needs no licence and companies cannot obtain it: Art. 86 allows it only to Lao citizens resident in that village; … 9 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/mining_license

### Tourism business licence: accommodation, restaurants, entertainment, guiding, travel agency and other categories (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດການທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ທີ່ພັກ, ຮ້ານອາຫານ, ບັນເທີງ, ນຳທ່ຽວ, ຕົວແທນທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ແລະ ອື່ນໆ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Tourism administration runs at four levels (Art. 117): the ministry, provincial and capital divisions, district and municipal offices, and village administrations. Arts. 119.4 and 120.4 both provide that provincial divisions and district offices consider, issue, suspend and revoke tourism business licences, so the ministry is not the only door. Controlled-list businesses must first register the enterprise and obtain an investment licence (Art. 100) (ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງວຽກງານການທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ມີສີ່ຂັ້ນ (ມາດຕາ 117): ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ; ພະແນກ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ; ຫ້ອງການ ເມືອງ, ເທດສະບານ, ນະຄອນ; ອົງການປົກຄອງບ້ານ. ມາດຕາ 119 ຂໍ້ 4 ແລະ ມາດຕາ 120 ຂໍ້ 4 ຂຽນວ່າ ພະແນກຂັ້ນແຂວງ ແລະ ຫ້ອງການຂັ້ນເມືອງ ຄົ້ນຄວ້າພິຈາລະນາອອກ, ໂຈະ ຫຼື ຖອນ ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດການທ່ອງທ່ຽວ. ກິດຈະການໃນບັນຊີຄວບຄຸມ ຍັງຕ້ອງແຈ້ງຂຶ້ນທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ແລະ ຂໍໃບອະນຸຍາດລົງທຶນ ກ່ອນ (ມາດຕາ 100))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Tourism (Amended) Art. 3; Law on Tourism (Amended) Art. 35; Law on Tourism (Amended) Art. 47; … 18 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tourism-licence/
- Notes: First decide whether your business is on the controlled list, because the two routes have different prerequisites (Art. 100). On the list, you first register the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector under the Enterprise Law and obtain an investment licence from the Planning and Investment sector under the Investment Promotion Law, and only then apply to the Information, Culture and Tourism sector. Off the list, you register the enterprise and then apply for the business licence.; Four conditions (Art. 102): lawful enterprise registration or investment licence; registered capital matching the category and scale; premises; and the other conditions for each category. The fourth is not itemised in the law, so ask at the counter.; … 5 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tourism-licence/
- Where: Tourism administration runs at four levels (Art. 117): the ministry, the provincial and capital divisions, the district and municipal offices, and village administrations. The licence need not be sought at the ministry: Arts. 119.4 and 120.4 both provide that provincial divisions and district offices consider, issue, suspend and revoke tourism business licences in coordination with other bodies. Controlled-list businesses must also register the enterprise and obtain an investment licence first (Art. 100).
- Steps: Check whether your business is on the controlled list: if it is you need enterprise registration and an investment licence first, if not just the registration (Art. 100); Match your business to the nine categories in Art. 101; accommodation also matches the eleven types in Art. 35 and entertainment the eight in Art. 47; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tourism_license
- Time: The only fixed periods are the decision times in Art. 104: seven working days for a general activity and fifteen for a concession, from a correct and complete application, with written reasons within the same period if the licence is refused. Art. 105 says only that the term follows the business category and is renewable, without fixing a number of years.
- Cost: The Tourism Law sets no charges. In the 2021 fees ordinance the information, culture and tourism section (Arts. 38 to 40) prices imported media products and broadcasting or website approvals, with no entry for a tourism business licence, and the service-charge detail in Art. 39 is untranslated in our copy. Rely on the rate posted at the counter.
- Watch out: The step most often missed on the controlled list: Art. 100 requires both the enterprise registration and the investment licence before the tourism licence, so bringing only the registration means being turned away; … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tourism_license

### Electricity business licence: general electricity services, specific power generation, and transmission line concessions (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດໄຟຟ້າ (ບໍລິການໄຟຟ້າທົ່ວໄປ / ຜະລິດໄຟຟ້າສະເພາະ / ສຳປະທານສາຍສົ່ງໄຟຟ້າ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The general service licence is applied for with the energy and mines sector (Art. 38) and issued under that sector rules (Art. 40); administration sits with the ministry (Art. 104), the provincial and capital departments (Art. 105) and district offices (Art. 43.1). Generation and transmission concessions are filed and extended at the one-stop investment service office (Arts. 54 and 56), while approval runs at five levels by installed capacity, from district head up to the National Assembly Standing Committee (Art. 43) (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດບໍລິການໄຟຟ້າທົ່ວໄປ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ຂະແໜງພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ (ມາດຕາ 38), ການພິຈາລະນາອອກໃບ ຕາມການກຳນົດຂອງຂະແໜງດັ່ງກ່າວ (ມາດຕາ 40); ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແມ່ນ ກະຊວງພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ (ມາດຕາ 104), ພະແນກພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ (ມາດຕາ 105) ແລະ ຫ້ອງການພະລັງງານ ແລະ ບໍ່ແຮ່ ຂັ້ນເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 43 ຂໍ້ 1). ຜະລິດໄຟຟ້າສະເພາະ ແລະ ສຳປະທານສາຍສົ່ງ ຍື່ນ ແລະ ຕໍ່ອາຍຸ ຢູ່ ຫ້ອງການບໍລິການ ການລົງທຶນປະຕູດຽວ (ມາດຕາ 54, 56), ແຕ່ອຳນາດອະນຸມັດ ແບ່ງເປັນ ຫ້າ ຂັ້ນ ຕາມກຳລັງຕິດຕັ້ງ (ມາດຕາ 43))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Electricity (Amended) Art. 36; Law on Electricity (Amended) Art. 37; Law on Electricity (Amended) Art. 38; … 21 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/electricity-licence/
- Notes: Electricity business falls into three types (Art. 36): general electricity services, specific power generation and transmission line concessions. Their routes differ entirely: general services take a business licence (Arts. 38 to 41), while generation and transmission take a chain of agreements, the memorandum, the project development agreement and the concession agreement (Art. 53).; What counts as general electricity services (Art. 37): planning, survey and data collection, design, construction, installation, operation, service and the maintenance of equipment and structures for electricity projects.; … 3 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/electricity-licence/
- Where: The general service licence is applied for with the energy and mines sector (Art. 38) and issued under that sector rules (Art. 40); the administration is the ministry (Art. 104), the provincial and capital departments (Art. 105) and district offices (Art. 43.1). For generation and transmission concessions, applications and extensions go to the one-stop investment service office (Arts. 54 and 56), while approval sits at five levels by installed capacity (Art. 43).
- Steps: First separate the three types (Art. 36): general services take one licence, the other two take a chain of agreements; For generation or transmission, match your installed capacity to Art. 43 to see whether approval sits at district, provincial, government or National Assembly level, which drives the whole timeline; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/electricity_license
- Time: This law gives no number of working days for issuing a licence: Art. 40 leaves that to the energy and mines sector rules, so none is invented here. What the law does fix are document terms: the memorandum and development agreement each run up to twenty-four months with extension filed sixty days ahead (Art. 56), and concession operation runs up to twenty-five years for BOT generation, forty for small BOO hydropower and twenty-five for thermal, solar and wind, with extension filed five years ahead (Art. 64).
- Cost: The Electricity Law sets no charges and the 2021 fees ordinance has no energy and mines section, the same finding as for mining. The 2012 schedule was expressly replaced, so do not budget from it. Art. 56 also requires a deposit after signing the memorandum or development agreement, set by the government rather than by this law. Rely on the counter.
- Watch out: Check Art. 43 first: over 100 MW, or a reservoir over 10,000 hectares or resettlement of over 500 households, goes to the National Assembly Standing Committee, a different order of magnitude from a district-level project; … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/electricity_license

### Food registration certificate for industrial plants, family-scale workshops and imported food (ໃບທະບຽນອາຫານ (ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳ / ໂຮງງານຂະໜາດນ້ອຍແບບຄອບຄົວ / ອາຫານນຳເຂົ້າ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The government administers food centrally and entrusts the Ministry of Health with direct responsibility (Food Law, Art. 66). For registration, industrial plants and imported food are decided by the Food and Drug Department (Agreement, Art. 18) and family-scale workshops by that department with the provincial and capital health departments (Art. 19), on a form the department prescribes (Art. 8.1). Provincial and municipal health departments (Art. 68), district health offices (Art. 69) and village health committees (Art. 70) take part within their remits, and transit approval goes to the ministry or the provincial or municipal health department (Art. 36) (ລັດຖະບານ ຄຸ້ມຄອງວຽກງານອາຫານ ຢ່າງລວມສູນ ໂດຍມອບໃຫ້ ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ ຮັບຜິດຊອບໂດຍກົງ (ກົດໝາຍວ່າດ້ວຍອາຫານ ມາດຕາ 66). ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນ: ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ອາຫານນຳເຂົ້າ ແມ່ນ ກົມອາຫານ ແລະ ຢາ ພິຈາລະນາອອກ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງ ມາດຕາ 18); ໂຮງງານຂະໜາດນ້ອຍ ແມ່ນ ຂະແໜງອາຫານ ແລະ ຢາ, ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ (ມາດຕາ 19). ແບບຟອມຄຳຮ້ອງ ກຳນົດໂດຍ ກົມອາຫານ ແລະ ຢາ (ມາດຕາ 8 ຂໍ້ 1). ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນ (ມາດຕາ 68), ຫ້ອງການສາທາລະນະສຸກ ເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 69) ແລະ ຄະນະກຳມະການສາທາລະນະສຸກຂັ້ນບ້ານ (ມາດຕາ 70) ມີສ່ວນຮ່ວມ. ອະນຸຍາດຜ່ານແດນ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ ຫຼື ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນ (ມາດຕາ 36))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Food Law Art. 24; Food Law Art. 35; Food Law Art. 36; … 28 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/food-registration/
- Notes: This matter rests on two layers: the Food Law (revised, 2013) is the framework and itself sets out no procedure or documents for a general food business licence, only approvals for donation, import, transit, advertising, verification and research (Arts. 24 and 35 to 39). What can actually be followed is the Food Registration Agreement (revised, 2023), which carries the conditions, documents, timescales, validity and suspension rules, and that is what this page cites.; Decide which of the three tiers you fall into, since documents, timescales and validity all differ (Agreement, Arts. 8, 10, 14, 18, 19 and 20): an industrial plant files thirteen items, waits forty-five working days and holds three years with GMP, GHP or HACCP and otherwise two; a family-scale workshop files nine items, waits thirty working days and holds two years; imported food files ten items, waits forty-five working days and holds two years.; … 6 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/food-registration/
- Where: The government administers food centrally and entrusts the Ministry of Health with direct responsibility (Food Law, Art. 66). For registration: industrial plants and imported food are decided by the Food and Drug Department (Agreement, Art. 18), and family-scale workshops by that department together with the provincial and capital health departments (Art. 19); the application form is prescribed by the Food and Drug Department (Art. 8.1). Provincial and municipal health departments (Art. 68), district health offices (Art. 69) and village health committees (Art. 70) take part within their remits. Transit approval goes to the ministry or the provincial or municipal health department (Art. 36).
- Steps: First fix your tier: industrial plant, family-scale workshop or imported food, with conditions in Arts. 6, 7 and 13 and documents in Arts. 8, 10 and 14; An industrial plant needs the food business licence first: Art. 6.1 makes it a precondition of registration; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/food_hygiene_permit
- Time: Review times (Agreement, Arts. 18 and 19): forty-five working days for industrial plants and imported food, thirty for family-scale workshops, both counted from a correct and complete file. Incomplete files are notified within ten working days and returned within thirty. Validity (Art. 20): three years for an industrial plant meeting GMP, GHP or HACCP, two years for other industrial plants and for imported food, and two years for family-scale workshops, with renewal filed ninety days before expiry. The Food Law gives no periods for transit or advertising approval and none is invented here.
- Cost: Art. 32 of the Agreement and Art. 42 of the Food Law both refer charges to the presidential fees ordinance in force, and neither sets an amount. In the 2021 ordinance the public health sections price medicine and device registration and show no food registration entry, and the service-charge detail is not translated in our copy. Rely on the counter, and note that laboratory testing under Art. 27 is a separate cost.
- Watch out: Do not read only the Food Law: the procedure and documents sit in the Food Registration Agreement (revised, 2023); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/food_hygiene_permit

### Road transport business licence: passenger transport, freight, terminals, vehicle hire and logistics (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດຂົນສົ່ງທາງບົກ (ຂົນສົ່ງຜູ້ໂດຍສານ, ຂົນສົ່ງສິນຄ້າ, ສະຖານີ, ໃຫ້ເຊົ່າລົດ, ໂລຈິສຕິກ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Land transport is administered centrally through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Art. 73) at four levels: the ministry (Art. 74), provincial and municipal departments (Art. 75), district and town offices (Art. 76) and village administrations (Art. 77). For the business licence, controlled-list activities are filed with the investment office and issued after the sector committee reports to the minister (Agreement, Arts. 8 and 18), while activities off the list are filed with the central, provincial or district one-stop investment service office (Arts. 9 and 19) (ວຽກງານຂົນສົ່ງທາງບົກ ລັດຖະບານຄຸ້ມຄອງລວມສູນ ໂດຍມອບໃຫ້ ກະຊວງໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ ຮັບຜິດຊອບໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 73), ມີສີ່ຂັ້ນ: ກະຊວງ (ມາດຕາ 74), ພະແນກໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນ (ມາດຕາ 75), ຫ້ອງການ ເມືອງ, ເທດສະບານ (ມາດຕາ 76), ອົງການປົກຄອງບ້ານ (ມາດຕາ 77). ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ: ຢູ່ໃນບັນຊີຄວບຄຸມ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ຫ້ອງການລົງທຶນ ແລະ ລາຍງານລັດຖະມົນຕີ (ຂໍ້ຕົກລົງ ມາດຕາ 8, 18); ບໍ່ຢູ່ໃນບັນຊີຄວບຄຸມ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ຫ້ອງການລົງທຶນປະຕູດຽວ ຂັ້ນສູນກາງ, ແຂວງ ຫຼື ເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 9, 19))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: land Transportation Law Art. 13; land Transportation Law Art. 15; land Transportation Law Art. 16; … 33 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/road-transport-licence/
- Notes: This licence rests on two layers: the Land Transport Law (revised, 2012) is the framework and sets out no documents or timescales, only that operating without approval is prohibited (Art. 60.1) with fines for unlicensed, out-of-scope or expired operation (Arts. 63.2 and 86.1). What can be followed is the Public Works and Transport Sector Business Licensing Agreement (2025), which carries the documents, timescales, renewal, change and suspension rules.; A version note, and worth checking article numbers at the counter: our library holds another agreement of the same name with one more article, whose Art. 42 states that it replaces the agreement of 25 June 2025 No. 14807, which is the version cited here. That newer text is still unreviewed in our library and carries no promulgation date, so this page cites the reviewed 2025 version. Comparing them: the document lists match and the fifteen and five working day limits match, but the article numbers are shifted by one and the receiving-office wording is updated. Prepare the documents and expect the timescales, but confirm article numbers against the text the counter uses.; … 5 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/road-transport-licence/
- Where: Land transport is administered centrally by the government through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Art. 73) at four levels: the ministry (Art. 74), provincial and municipal departments (Art. 75), district and town offices (Art. 76) and village administrations (Art. 77). For the business licence, controlled-list activities are filed with the investment office, studied by the sector one-stop implementation committee with the departments concerned and issued after the minister gives direction (Agreement, Arts. 8 and 18); activities off the list are filed with the central, provincial or district one-stop investment service office, which issues on the committee assessment (Arts. 9 and 19).
- Steps: Match your activity to the nine types in Art. 7 and confirm it falls in the fifth, land transport, as defined in Art. 2.5; Then establish whether it is on the controlled list (Arts. 5 and 6), which decides which office takes it and whether you wait fifteen or five working days; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/road_transport_permit
- Time: The licensing timescales sit in the Agreement (Arts. 18 and 19): fifteen working days for controlled activities, broken down as two days to circulate, five to study and answer in writing, five to report to the minister and three to issue, with a refusal notified within three; and five working days for activities off the list. After a suspension is remedied the office checks and certifies within fifteen working days (Art. 38), and damage or loss must be reported within thirty (Art. 20). The Agreement does not fix the licence term in years, only the penalties for late renewal, so rely on the licence itself and the counter; the Land Transport Law likewise gives no periods for the vehicle, dangerous goods or special transport approvals.
- Cost: Art. 21 of the Agreement lists four chargeable acts and Art. 22 leaves the amounts to the presidential ordinance in force. In the 2021 ordinance the construction and transport section prices vehicle and route permits, a different layer from the business licence, so do not transpose them. Late renewal carries fixed multiples: double the fees after six months and quadruple after twelve with a fresh application. Rely on the counter.
- Watch out: Check article numbers at the counter first: our library holds another agreement of the same name with forty-two articles whose Art. 42 replaces the 25 June 2025 version cited here. The documents and timescales match but the numbering is shifted by one; … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/road_transport_permit

### Licence for a pharmaceutical or medical product business, and product registration (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ກ່ຽວກັບ ຢາ ແລະ ຜະລິດຕະພັນການແພດ ແລະ ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນຜະລິດຕະພັນ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The government administers drugs and medical products centrally through the Ministry of Health (Art. 99) at three levels: the ministry, the capital and provincial health departments (Art. 101) and the district health offices (Art. 102), with a food and drug management committee alongside. For the licence, register the enterprise with the industry and commerce sector first and then apply to the public health sector on the ministry form (Art. 83); product registration goes through the online system to the Food and Drug Department (Agreement, Arts. 10 and 34), and cosmetics import, export and transit go to the capital or provincial health department (Arts. 49 and 50) (ລັດຖະບານ ຄຸ້ມຄອງວຽກງານ ຢາ ແລະ ຜະລິດຕະພັນການແພດ ຢ່າງລວມສູນ ໂດຍມອບໃຫ້ ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ ຮັບຜິດຊອບໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 99). ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ມີສາມຂັ້ນ: ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ, ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ແລະ ແຂວງ (ມາດຕາ 101), ຫ້ອງການສາທາລະນະສຸກ ເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 102). ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ: ແຈ້ງຂຶ້ນທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ຢູ່ຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ກ່ອນ, ແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງ ຍື່ນຄຳຮ້ອງ ຕາມແບບພິມ ທີ່ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ ກຳນົດ (ມາດຕາ 83). ການຂຶ້ນທະບຽນຜະລິດຕະພັນ: ຜ່ານລະບົບ ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນ ອອນລາຍ ຢູ່ ກົມອາຫານ ແລະ ຢາ. ສຳລັບ ເຄື່ອງສຳອາງ ຢູ່ ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ແລະ ແຂວງ (ມາດຕາ 49, 50))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Drugs and Medical Products (Amended) Art. 49; Law on Drugs and Medical Products (Amended) Art. 50; Law on Drugs and Medical Products (Amended) Art. 51; … 23 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/pharmaceutical-licence/
- Where: For the licence, register the enterprise with the industry and commerce sector first, then apply to the public health sector on the ministry form (Art. 83); administration runs at three levels (Arts. 99, 101 and 102). Product registration goes through the online system to the Food and Drug Department (Agreement, Arts. 10 and 34), and cosmetics import, export and transit go to the capital or provincial health department (Arts. 49 and 50).
- Steps: First register the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector and obtain the enterprise registration certificate (Art. 83); Apply to the public-health sector on the ministry’s form; the ministry decides within fifteen days of receiving a complete and correct application with its attachments, and if it refuses it must give written reasons inside the same period (Art. 85); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/pharma_license
- Time: Business licence: fifteen days from a complete and correct filing (Art. 85) — the clock starts on the day the file is complete and correct, not the day you first hand it in. Product registration: the number is set by the online system within 10 working days (Agreement, Art. 14). Renewal runs 5, 15, 30 or 45 working days depending on risk class and whether anything changed (Agreement, Art. 17). There is no single validity period: Art. 85 only says each business type has its own, renewable under the relevant rules — read the expiry printed on your certificate.
- Cost: The current schedule is the 2021 fees decree (No. 002/PPT, 17 June 2021), Art. 35. Professional registration certificates (2 years each): pharmaceutical factory 1,000,000 kip; factory making medicines and medical products 600,000; import-export company 1,000,000 and a branch 600,000; first-class wholesaler 500,000, second-class 200,000; first- and second-class retail pharmacies 100,000 each; retail assistant 100,000. Product registration is separate: a new medicine 8,000,000 or 2,000,000 by class; medical devices 500,000 / 1,200,000 / 1,600,000 per item per five years by risk class; a newly developed traditional medicine 2,500,000 and an inherited formula 1,500,000. Do not use the 2012 price list still circulating online — that presidential decree of 26 December 2012 was expressly replaced by Art. 60 of the 2021 decree.
- Watch out: Do not conflate the two gates: the licence is about whether your company may trade, the registration is about whether one particular medicine may be sold in Laos, and Art. 53 requires every medicine and medical product made, imported, exported or distributed to be registered on its own; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/pharma_license

### Sign permits: use, installation and the sign business licence (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ນຳໃຊ້ປ້າຍ, ຕິດຕັ້ງປ້າຍ ແລະ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ປ້າຍ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The government administers signs centrally through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism as the lead body, coordinating with public works and transport, industry and commerce, health and other authorities (Art. 40), at four levels: the ministry, the capital and provincial departments (Art. 42), the district offices (Art. 43) and the village culture and social units (Art. 44). Use permission is filed with the culture and tourism sector (Art. 19), installation permission with the public works and transport sector (Arts. 22 and 45), and the sign business licence follows enterprise registration with industry and commerce (Arts. 25 and 46) (ລັດຖະບານ ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ວຽກງານ ປ້າຍ ຢ່າງລວມສູນ ໂດຍມອບໃຫ້ ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ຮັບຜິດຊອບໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 40). ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ມີສີ່ຂັ້ນ: ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ; ພະແນກຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ມາດຕາ 42); ຫ້ອງການຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ມາດຕາ 43); ຫ້ອງການ ວັດທະນະທຳ ຂັ້ນເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 44). ຂໍອະນຸຍາດ ນຳໃຊ້ປ້າຍ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ຂະແໜງການ ຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ມາດຕາ 19); ຂໍອະນຸຍາດ ຕິດຕັ້ງປ້າຍ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ຂະແໜງໂຍທາທິການ ແລະ ຂົນສົ່ງ (ມາດຕາ 22, 45); ຂໍອະນຸຍາດ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ປ້າຍ ຕ້ອງ ມີ ໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ກ່ອນ (ມາດຕາ 25, 46))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on Signs Art. 8; Law on Signs Art. 12; Law on Signs Art. 16; … 21 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/sign-permit/
- Where: Use permission is filed with the information, culture and tourism sector together with the sign form and content (Art. 19) and decided within five working days (Art. 20); installation permission goes to the public works and transport sector (Arts. 22 and 45); and the sign business licence follows enterprise registration with industry and commerce, then an application to the culture and tourism sector decided within ten working days (Arts. 25 and 28).
- Steps: First separate what are really three different things rather than one certificate: the use permission covers the sign’s content and form and goes to the Culture and Tourism sector; the installation permission covers where and how it is fixed and goes to Public Works and Transport; and the business licence is only for those who make signs as a trade; Check whether your sign needs the use permission at all: Art. 19 exempts slogan signs, meeting signs, office signs of Party, State, Lao Front for National Development, Lao Veterans Federation and mass organisations, enterprise names, traditional-festival signs and premises signs; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/sign_permit
- Time: Use permission: five working days from a correct and complete filing, with written reasons inside three days if refused (Art. 20). Business licence: ten working days on the same basis, with reasons in the same period if refused, and the licence runs one year and is renewable (Art. 26). The five days and the ten days belong to two different permissions — do not mix them. How long a sign may stay up depends on its class (Art. 23).
- Cost: We checked the 2021 fees decree (No. 002/PPT): the Art. 38 table for the Information, Culture and Tourism sector has no line for signs, and that sector’s service charges sit in Art. 39. The Act itself says fees are charged under the regulations without giving an amount, and we found no line reading "sign" in the current decree — so no figure is given here; go by what the counter posts. Installation permission belongs to Public Works and Transport and carries its own charges.
- Watch out: Lao must be used, and it must sit above and be larger (Art. 16): every sign in the country must be in Lao with correct, clear content; if a foreign language is used it may only be English, with Lao above and English below, or Lao on the right and English on the left, and the English type must not be larger than the Lao; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/sign_permit

### Insurance business licences: insurer, reinsurer, broker and agent (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດປະກັນໄພ (ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພ, ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພຕໍ່, ນາຍໜ້າປະກັນໄພ, ຕົວແທນປະກັນໄພ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The government administers insurance centrally through the Ministry of Finance (Art. 87). Insurers and reinsurers obtain the investment licence and enterprise registration first, then the business licence from the ministry (Art. 36); brokers file within thirty days of registration and are decided in seven (2023 guideline, Art. 2); agents act on an insurer authorisation subject to Art. 61, and inspection runs internally and externally (Art. 89) (ລັດຖະບານ ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ວຽກງານ ການປະກັນໄພ ຢ່າງ ລວມສູນ ໂດຍ ມອບ ໃຫ້ ກະຊວງການເງິນ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ ໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 87). ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພ ແລະ ບໍລິສັດປະກັນໄພຕໍ່: ໃບອະນຸຍາດລົງທຶນ, ໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ, ແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງ ຂໍ ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດປະກັນໄພ ຢູ່ ກະຊວງການເງິນ (ມາດຕາ 36). ນາຍໜ້າປະກັນໄພ: ຍື່ນ ຄຳຮ້ອງ ພາຍໃນ 30 ວັນ ນັບແຕ່ ວັນ ໄດ້ຮັບ ໃບທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ, ກະຊວງການເງິນ ພິຈາລະນາ ພາຍໃນ 7 ວັນ. ຕົວແທນປະກັນໄພ ດຳເນີນ ຕາມ ການ ອະນຸຍາດ ຂອງ ຜູ້ປະກັນໄພ ແລະ ເງື່ອນໄຂ ຕາມ ມາດຕາ 61)
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Insurance Law ( Amended ) Art. 36; Insurance Law ( Amended ) Art. 37; Insurance Law ( Amended ) Art. 38; … 25 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/insurance-licence/
- Where: Insurers and reinsurers take the investment licence and enterprise registration first, then the business licence from the Ministry of Finance (Art. 36), as a public or limited company (Art. 37). Brokers file with the ministry within thirty days of registration and are decided in seven (2023 guideline, Art. 2), while agents act on an insurer authorisation subject to Art. 61. The Ministry of Finance is the responsible authority throughout (Art. 87).
- Steps: Three steps in order (Art. 36): the investment licence under the Investment Promotion Law, then enterprise registration under the Enterprise Law, then the operating licence from the Ministry of Finance, which decides within the period the relevant laws set; The last sentence of Art. 36 is easily missed: one legal entity may run only one class of insurance business, so doing life and general insurance together is not a matter of one licence; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/insurance_license
- Time: For an insurance company Art. 36 only says the ministry decides within the period the relevant laws set and gives no number of days — none is invented here; go by what the counter posts. Broking is different and the guidance gives three firm numbers: thirty days from the registration certificate to apply, seven days for the ministry to issue where the conditions are met, and three days to give written notice where they are not. Two further time lines: no insurance activity within one hundred and eighty days of the licence brings suspension (Art. 46), and failing without good reason to follow the business plan filed with the application during the first five years brings revocation (Art. 50) — that five-year plan is binding.
- Cost: Art. 40 of the Insurance Law only says fees and charges are paid at the rates the regulations set, without an amount, and we found no insurance line in the 2021 fees decree either — so no figure is given here. Two sums are fixed by law and should not be confused with fees: the minimum registered capital in money (30 billion kip for life and for general insurance, 60 billion for reinsurance, Art. 39) and a deposit of 20% of that minimum (Art. 41). These are entry thresholds, not application charges.
- Watch out: One legal entity may run only one class of insurance business (Art. 36, final sentence) — doing life and general insurance together is not a matter of one licence; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/insurance_license

### Printing and publishing: the printing permit and the licences for publishers, print shops and distributors (ໃບອະນຸຍາດພິມ ແລະ ການດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ການພິມຈຳໜ່າຍ (ສຳນັກພິມ, ໂຮງພິມ, ວິສາຫະກິດ ຈຳໜ່າຍ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; 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) (ລັດຖະບານ ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ວຽກງານ ການພິມຈຳໜ່າຍ ຢ່າງ ລວມສູນ ໂດຍ ມອບ ໃຫ້ ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ ໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 61). ອົງການຄຸ້ມຄອງ ມີ ສາມ ຂັ້ນ: ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ; ພະແນກຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ (ມາດຕາ 63); ຫ້ອງການຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ, ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ເມືອງ (ມາດຕາ 64). ຂໍອະນຸຍາດພິມ: ຮັບໃຊ້ ທົ່ວປະເທດ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ກະຊວງ, ຮັບໃຊ້ ໃນ ແຂວງ, ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ພະແນກ ຂັ້ນແຂວງ, ພິຈາລະນາ ພາຍໃນ ສິບຫ້າ ວັນລັດຖະການ (ມາດຕາ 11). ລິຂະສິດ ຍື່ນຕໍ່ ຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ມາດຕາ 12))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law On Publishing Art. 11; Law On Publishing Art. 12; Law On Publishing Art. 13; … 18 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/printing-publishing-licence/
- Where: For a printing permit, obtain the content guarantee first, then file with the ministry for nationwide works or the provincial department for provincial ones; books receive a printing registration certificate and other publications a printing permit, both within fifteen working days (Art. 11). The three business licences are filed with the same sector under Arts. 29, 44 and 51, administered at three levels (Art. 61).
- Steps: First separate the two: printing a book or a publication is the printing permission of Art. 11, while opening a publishing house, printing works or distribution shop is the business licence from Art. 27 onward; For printing permission you first obtain a content-guarantee certificate from a publishing house and/or the relevant organisation (Art. 11); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/publishing_license
- Time: 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.
- 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.
- Watch out: 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); … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/publishing_license

### Internet service business licence: domestic, international and satellite (ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ບໍລິການອິນເຕີເນັດ (ພາຍໃນປະເທດ, ລະຫວ່າງປະເທດ))
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The Ministry of Technology and Communications issues, renews, suspends or revokes the internet service licence and approves changes of type, form and activity (Art. 31), while the capital and provincial departments act within the delegated tiers and issue the fee notices (Art. 32), with the telecom regulator coordinating implementation (Art. 37). A first application is decided within thirty days and refusals explained in writing within fifteen working days (Art. 11); renewals are filed thirty days before expiry and reviewed within fifteen working days (Arts. 13 and 16) (ກະຊວງເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ ແລະ ການສື່ສານ ອອກ, ຕໍ່, ໂຈະ ຫຼື ຖອນ ໃບອະນຸຍາດດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ບໍລິການອິນເຕີເນັດ ແລະ ອະນຸມັດ ການ ປ່ຽນແປງ ປະເພດ, ຮູບແບບ ແລະ ກິດຈະກຳ (ມາດຕາ 31); ພະແນກເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ ແລະ ການສື່ສານ ນະຄອນຫຼວງ, ແຂວງ ປະຕິບັດ ຕາມ ການ ແບ່ງຂັ້ນ ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ແລະ ອອກ ແຈ້ງການ ຄ່າທຳນຽມ ແລະ ຄ່າບໍລິການ (ມາດຕາ 32). ຄັ້ງທຳອິດ ພິຈາລະນາ ພາຍໃນ 30 ວັນ, ກໍລະນີ ບໍ່ ອອກ ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ແຈ້ງ ພາຍໃນ 15 ວັນລັດຖະການ (ມາດຕາ 11); ຕໍ່ອາຍຸ ຍື່ນ ກ່ອນ ໝົດ ອາຍຸ 30 ວັນ ແລະ ພິຈາລະນາ ພາຍໃນ 15 ວັນລັດຖະການ (ມາດຕາ 13, 16))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Internet Service Business Operation Agreement Art. ມາດຕາ 5; Internet Service Business Operation Agreement Art. ມາດຕາ 6; Internet Service Business Operation Agreement Art. ມາດຕາ 7; … 15 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/internet-service-licence/
- Where: File with the technology and communications sector: the ministry issues, renews, suspends or revokes the licence and approves changes (Art. 31), while the capital and provincial departments act within the delegated tiers (Art. 32). A first application is decided within thirty days, with written reasons in fifteen working days if refused (Art. 11); renewals are filed thirty days before expiry and reviewed within fifteen working days (Arts. 13 and 16).
- Steps: First settle which kind you want (Arts. 5, 6, 7): domestic internet service may or may not have its own network but must not connect directly to a foreign internet network, and its scope is nationwide, one province, or a specific zone the government defines; international and satellite service carry their own conditions; Assemble the documents listed in Art. 13 and file them with the Technology and Communications sector; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/internet_service_license
- Time: First application: 30 days from a complete and correct file, with written reasons inside 15 working days if it cannot be issued (Art. 11) — the two periods are different things, one to decide and one to explain. Validity: the temporary licence runs one year, renewable to two years in total; the permanent licence also runs one year and is renewable (Art. 12), so "permanent" does not mean forever. Renewal: file 30 days before expiry, examined within 15 working days; an incomplete, incorrect or non-qualifying file is simply not examined (Arts. 13, 16).
- Cost: The agreement itself sets no fee, only requiring in Art. 14 that fees and charges be settled before renewal. The 2021 fees decree (No. 002/PPT), Art. 31, does carry annual internet items by access technology: PSTN dial-up 1,000,000 kip a year; telephone-line dial-up 3,000,000; fibre 5,000,000; cable 3,000,000; power line 3,000,000; wireless WiFi and WiMAX 5,000,000; mobile network 5,000,000; plus an internet information-service centre at 500,000 a year and domain registration at 400,000 a year, and IXP and IP connection charges per month. Two caveats: the satellite line is unreadable in our copy, and the same items appear again with different amounts because the source table’s columns collapsed into rows — so go by what the counter posts.
- Watch out: The licence runs only one year and comes in two stages (Art. 12): temporary for one year, renewable to two years in total, and after it becomes permanent it still runs one year — "permanent" does not mean forever; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/internet_service_license

### Postal service business licence: international, nationwide, provincial and postal financial or product services (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ການບໍລິການໄປສະນີ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: The Postal Department issues, renews, suspends, withdraws or revokes licences for international and nationwide delivery and full postal services, notifying the planning and industry sectors (Art. 42), while the provincial departments do the same for within-province delivery and agency services and report monthly, quarterly and annually (Art. 43). Applications run in three steps under Art. 26: the investment licence where the service is listed, enterprise registration, then the postal licence, with provincial departments guiding applicants on a one-stop basis in three stages (2020 guidance, Art. 5) (ກົມໄປສະນີ ອອກ, ຕໍ່, ໂຈະ ຫຼື ຖອນ ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ສຳລັບ ການບໍລິການໄປສະນີ ລະຫວ່າງປະເທດ ແລະ ທົ່ວ ແຂວງ (ມາດຕາ 42); ພະແນກໄປສະນີ, ໂທລະຄົມມະນາຄົມ ແລະ ການສື່ສານ ຂັ້ນແຂວງ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ ການບໍລິການ ພາຍໃນ ແຂວງ (ມາດຕາ 43). ສາມ ຂັ້ນຕອນ: ຂະແໜງການແຜນການ ແລະ ການລົງທຶນ (ສະເພາະ ກໍລະນີ ຢູ່ ໃນ ບັນຊີ ຄວບຄຸມ), ຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ, ແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງ ຂະແໜງການ ໄປສະນີ (ມາດຕາ 26))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Agreement on Licensing of Postal Service Operations (Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Communications, No. 199/MPTC) Art. 6; Agreement on Licensing of Postal Service Operations (Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Communications, No. 199/MPTC) Art. 26; Agreement on Licensing of Postal Service Operations (Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Communications, No. 199/MPTC) Art. 27; … 19 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/postal-service-licence/
- Where: Three steps under Art. 26: the investment licence where the service is listed as controlled or concessionary, then enterprise registration, then the postal licence — centrally for international and nationwide delivery and provincially for single-province services. The provincial department guides applicants on a one-stop basis in three stages (2020 guidance, Art. 5), and renewals return to the authority that first issued the licence (Art. 10).
- Steps: Step one is whether your service sits on the controlled and concession activities list (Art. 26(1)): only then do you need an investment licence — international delivery from the central planning and investment sector, domestic delivery from the local one — and if it is not on the list you do not go through them at all; Step two is enterprise registration with the Industry and Commerce sector (Art. 26(2)); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/postal_license
- Time: The agreement sets no decision period for a first application — Arts. 26 to 34 give principles, conditions and documents but no number of working days — so none is invented here; go by what the counter posts. Validity is clear (Art. 33): class one five years, class two three, class three two, class four one. Renewal is filed with the same body that first issued the licence and must clear four conditions: no tax arrears; no court order suspending or ending the business; no order from the ministry suspending or withdrawing an earlier licence; and no arrears of the annual fees and charges (Implementing Guidance, Art. 10).
- Cost: The fee is annual and paid to the body that issued your licence (Arts. 38, 39); the agreement gives no amount and points to the fees decree. The 2021 decree (No. 002/PPT), Art. 31, charges by operator class each year: international air post — letters 2,000,000 kip, parcels 4,000,000, logistics 6,000,000; regional post — letters 500,000, parcels 1,000,000, logistics 2,000,000; domestic post — letters 100,000, parcels 300,000; a branch service point of an authorised operator is 10,000 a year and a barcode or QR code 50 kip each. The domestic logistics line reads 8,500,000 in our copy, tens of times above letters and parcels in the same group and inconsistent with the 90,000 written elsewhere, so we treat that line as unreadable and do not rely on it — go by what the counter posts.
- Watch out: The three steps sit at different levels (Art. 26): the investment licence depends on the list, registration is with Industry and Commerce, the postal licence with Post and Telecommunications, and international or all-province service is central while single-province service is provincial — filing at the wrong level gets it sent back; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/postal_license

### Setting up and operating a wood-processing factory: sawmills, processing plants and furniture factories (ໃບອະນຸຍາດ ສ້າງຕັ້ງ ແລະ ດຳເນີນທຸລະກິດ ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳປຸງແຕ່ງໄມ້)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Wood-processing factories go through two stages and are split by size: small and medium factories are licensed by the provincial agriculture and environment department on forms HGM 02 and RM 05, while large ones are approved by the minister on form HGM 03 and licensed by the Forestry Department on form RM 06 (Arts. 28 and 34). Site inspection follows the same split, led by the province or the Forestry Department together with district offices, public works and transport, the sub-district and the village (Art. 27), and enterprise registration with industry and commerce comes first (Art. 22) (ໂຮງງານອຸດສາຫະກຳປຸງແຕ່ງໄມ້ ມີ ສອງ ຂັ້ນຕອນ ແລະ ແບ່ງ ຕາມ ຂະໜາດ: ຂະໜາດນ້ອຍ ແລະ ຂະໜາດກາງ ແມ່ນ ພະແນກກະສິກຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ແຂວງ ອອກ ໃຫ້ (ແບບຟອມ HGM 02 ແລະ RM 05); ຂະໜາດໃຫຍ່ ແມ່ນ ກະຊວງກະສິກຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ແລະ ກົມປ່າໄມ້ ອອກ ໃຫ້ (ແບບຟອມ HGM 03 ແລະ RM 06) ຕາມ ມາດຕາ 28, 34. ການ ກວດກາ ສະຖານທີ່ ໂຮງງານ ກໍ ແບ່ງ ຕາມ ຂະໜາດ (ມາດຕາ 27). ກ່ອນ ຍື່ນ ຄຳຮ້ອງ ຕ້ອງ ແຈ້ງ ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນວິສາຫະກິດ ຢູ່ ຂະແໜງການອຸດສາຫະກຳ ແລະ ການຄ້າ (ມາດຕາ 22))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Decision on the Management of Wood-Processing Industry Factories Art. ມາດຕາ 5; Decision on the Management of Wood-Processing Industry Factories Art. ມາດຕາ 9; Decision on the Management of Wood-Processing Industry Factories Art. ມາດຕາ 10; … 21 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/wood-processing-factory/
- Where: Stage one: register the enterprise with industry and commerce, then file form RM 01 and eight copies with the agriculture and environment sector (Arts. 22 and 25); incomplete files come back within five working days (Art. 26); site inspection is led by the province for small and medium factories and by the Forestry Department for large ones (Art. 27); the establishment decision follows within ten working days of the signed record, on form HGM 02 or HGM 03 (Art. 28). Stage two: begin trial production within thirty days without selling, then file form RM 04 with eleven documents (Art. 30) for a licence issued within five working days on form RM 05 or RM 06 (Art. 34). Renewal is filed thirty days before expiry and includes a fresh site inspection (Art. 36).
- Steps: Register the enterprise with the Industry and Commerce sector first (Art. 22) — without that certificate none of the rest can start; File form RM 01 with eight copies to the Agriculture and Environment sector (Art. 25); if the file is incorrect or incomplete they must tell you in writing with reasons within five working days of receiving it (Art. 26); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/wood_factory_license
- Time: An incomplete file is returned in writing with reasons within five working days (Arts. 26, 32). The establishment decision issues within ten working days of the signed site-inspection record (Art. 28). Trial production must start within thirty days of that decision, with no distribution or sale during the trial (Art. 28). The operating certificate issues within five working days of the committee’s signed assessment (Art. 34). Renewal must be requested thirty days before expiry, and if two years pass without a renewal request the certificate is suspended or withdrawn (Art. 36).
- Cost: Art. 40 only says fees are charged under the regulations for issuing, renewing, amending and replacing the certificate, without an amount, and we found no line item for wood-processing factories in the 2021 fees decree either — so no figure is given here; go by what the counter posts. Note that the timber-source layer has its own fees under the tracking decision.
- Watch out: This is a two-stage process, not one visit: first the establishment permission (registration, form RM 01, site inspection, decision), and only then the operating certificate (form RM 04, committee inspection, forms RM 05 or RM 06); … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/wood_factory_license

### Divorce registration and the divorce certificate, by agreement or by court judgment (ການຈົດທະບຽນການຢ່າຮ້າງ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການຢ່າຮ້າງ)
- Who: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners.
- Competent authority: Lao citizens register a divorce at the district home affairs office where the couple lived; where one spouse is a foreigner, alien or stateless person it is the provincial or capital home affairs department; abroad it is the Lao mission or the law of the country of residence (Household Registration Law Art. 17; 2016 decision Art. 13). An agreed divorce is routed through the village administration while a court divorce may be filed directly with the district office (Art. 11; 2021 guidance Art. 4), and the two texts give different issuing deadlines of five and three working days (ພົນລະເມືອງລາວ ຈົດທະບຽນ ການຢ່າຮ້າງ ຢູ່ ຫ້ອງການພາຍໃນເມືອງ ໃນ ທ້ອງຖິ່ນ ທີ່ ຄູ່ສົມລົດ ຢູ່ ຮ່ວມກັນ; ກໍລະນີ ກັບ ຄົນຕ່າງປະເທດ ຢູ່ ພະແນກພາຍໃນແຂວງ ຫຼື ນະຄອນຫຼວງ; ຢູ່ ຕ່າງປະເທດ ຢູ່ ອົງການ ຕາງໜ້າ ຂອງ ສປປ ລາວ (ມາດຕາ 17). ການຢ່າຮ້າງໂດຍສະໝັກໃຈ ຕ້ອງ ຜ່ານ ອົງການປົກຄອງບ້ານ; ການຢ່າຮ້າງໂດຍຄຳຕັດສິນຂອງສານ ຍື່ນ ໂດຍກົງ ໄດ້ (ມາດຕາ 11))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Civil code Art. 95; Civil code Art. 143; Civil code Art. 170; … 19 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/divorce-registration/
- Where: Lao citizens register at the district home affairs office where the couple lived; where a foreigner is involved it is the provincial or capital department, and abroad it is the Lao mission or the local law (Art. 17). An agreed divorce is routed through the village while a court divorce goes straight to the district (Art. 11; 2021 guidance Art. 4). The certificate is issued within five working days under the law and three under the 2016 decision, both still in force, for a fee of 10,000 kip per set.
- Steps: First settle which route you are on, because the conditions, the procedure and the documents all differ (Civil Code Art. 172): a divorce by mutual consent needs all three — no dispute about the children, such as their upbringing, no dispute about property acquired, and no dispute about debts (Art. 173); any dispute sends you to court; The first step of a consensual divorce is not with the government but in the village, and the form is exact (Civil Code Art. 174): the couple files with the village chief where they live, with both sets of parents meeting face to face and at least three witnesses present; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/divorce_registration
- Time: In the village the chief counsels first and, where there is no immediate reconciliation, allows a further period of no more than three months (Art. 174); the court route has the same cooling-off period (Art. 177). For issuing the certificate two different periods appear in two instruments — both are cited below and neither is picked over the other; go by what the counter posts.
- Cost: The 2021 fees decree, Art. 47, civil-registration section: issuing a divorce certificate is 10,000 kip a set; the same article prices a name-change certificate at 5,000 a set and a certified copy at 5,000 each time. The court route carries its own case fees under Art. 43, banded by the amount in dispute.
- Watch out: When you are actually divorced differs by route: a consensual divorce takes effect only after registration at the district civil-registration office where the couple lived together (Civil Code Art. 173), while a court divorce takes effect from the day of judgment; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/divorce_registration

### Inheritance: opening a will, certifying estate documents and registering the transfer of property (ການສືບທອດມູນມໍລະດົກ (ການເປີດພິນັຍກຳ, ການຢັ້ງຢືນເອກະສານກ່ຽວກັບມູນມໍລະດົກ ແລະ ການຈົດທະບຽນ ປ່ຽນແປງ ຊັບສິນ))
- Who: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners.
- Competent authority: Three authorities: the court registry opens wills and certifies estate documents, opening within fifteen days, recording jointly with the village administration and the heirs, who must declare acceptance or renunciation in writing within six months (sections 3.8, 4.2.3 and 4.9); the district natural resources and environment office registers inherited land under the 2024 guidance; and condominium units pass under the 2025 guidance, with the place of succession fixed by Civil Code Art. 569 (ການເປີດພິນັຍກຳ ແລະ ການຢັ້ງຢືນເອກະສານກ່ຽວກັບມູນມໍລະດົກ ແມ່ນ ອົງການທະບຽນສານ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ: ເປີດ ພາຍໃນ ສິບຫ້າວັນ, ອົງການປົກຄອງບ້ານ ແລະ ຜູ້ສືບທອດ ຮ່ວມກັນ ເຮັດ ບົດບັນທຶກ, ຜູ້ສືບທອດ ຕ້ອງສະແດງເຈດຈຳນົງຂອງຕົນ ເປັນລາຍລັກອັກສອນ ພາຍໃນ ຫົກເດືອນ. ການຈົດທະບຽນ ປ່ຽນແປງ ສິດນຳໃຊ້ທີ່ດິນ ຍ້ອນ ການສືບທອດ ແມ່ນ ຫ້ອງການຊັບພະຍາກອນທຳມະຊາດ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂັ້ນເມືອງ. ບ່ອນ ເລີ່ມ ການສືບທອດ ແມ່ນ ບ່ອນ ຢູ່ ສຸດທ້າຍ ຂອງ ເຈົ້າຂອງ ມູນມໍລະດົກ (ມາດຕາ 569))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Civil code Art. 100; Civil code Art. 565; Civil code Art. 566; … 16 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/inheritance-registration/
- Where: Wills are opened and estate documents certified at the court registry: the registry opens the will within fifteen days, the village administration and heirs jointly sign the opening record, and the heirs declare acceptance or renunciation within six months (sections 4.2.3 and 3.8). Land passes at the district natural resources and environment office under the 2024 guidance and condominium units under the 2025 guidance, with the place of succession fixed by Civil Code Art. 569 at the deceased last habitual residence.
- Steps: First be clear that these are three different authorities, not one counter: opening the will and certifying inheritance documents at the court registry; changing land-use rights by inheritance at land registration; and apartment-unit ownership under its own guidance; Opening the will: the court registry holding it opens it within fifteen days of learning the testator has died or of receiving an application to open it; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/inheritance_registration
- Time: Opening the will: within fifteen days of learning of the death or of receiving the application (Court Registration Guidance, s. 4.2.3), where a further and more pressing deadline for heirs under the will also sits — read that section. On the land side most registration acts take two working days (2024 land guidance), though that guidance sets no separate period for the inheritance route. Succession itself opens on the day the owner dies, or on the date of the final judgment where a court declares the death (Civil Code Arts. 568, 569).
- Cost: On the court-registry side, certifying inheritance documents is charged per document (Guidance s. 8.2) without an amount; on the land side the applicant pays the fees and charges due by law, again without an amount — so no figure is given here. One money point that is easily missed: fees form part of the succession costs that come off the estate before it is shared (Civil Code Art. 570).
- Watch out: Opening the will has two timelines and the second matters more (Guidance s. 4.2.3): the registry opens within fifteen days, and the heirs under the will have their own deadline — read the section rather than remembering only the first; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/inheritance_registration

### Tourist visa T-B3: where to apply, how it may be extended, and when it is the wrong visa (ວີຊາທ່ອງທ່ຽວ T-B3)
- Who: Foreigners.
- Competent authority: The Ministry of Public Security leads entry, exit and foreigner administration, coordinating with Foreign Affairs and Labour (Art. 59). Tourist visas are issued by Lao embassies and consulates no more than twice, or once by checkpoint visa units, with anything further needing the prior agreement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Art. 22), which also issues multiple-entry visas (Art. 61). The immigration department (Art. 41) and provincial immigration offices (Art. 42) handle cases and review extension applications, which must be filed before the stay expires (Art. 27) (ລັດຖະບານ ມອບ ໃຫ້ ກະຊວງປ້ອງກັນຄວາມສະຫງົບ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ ໂດຍກົງ ແລະ ປະສານ ກັບ ກະຊວງການຕ່າງປະເທດ (ມາດຕາ 59). ວີຊາທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ອອກ ໂດຍ ສະຖານທູດ ແລະ ກົງສຸນ ບໍ່ ເກີນ ສອງ ເທື່ອ; ໜ່ວຍ ວີຊາ ດ່ານສາກົນ ອອກ ໄດ້ ໜຶ່ງ ເທື່ອ (ມາດຕາ 22). ວີຊາ ເຂົ້າ-ອອກ ຫຼາຍ ເທື່ອ ອອກ ໂດຍ ກະຊວງການຕ່າງປະເທດ (ມາດຕາ 61). ການ ຕໍ່ ເວລາ ພັກເຊົາ ຕ້ອງ ຍື່ນ ກ່ອນ ໝົດ ກຳນົດ (ມາດຕາ 27))
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 3; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 9; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 19; … 12 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/tourist-visa/
- Where: Tourist visas come from Lao embassies and consulates, which may issue them no more than twice, or from checkpoint visa units once (Art. 22). Extensions are requested before expiry from immigration officers, with the length set by separate regulations (Art. 27) and provincial immigration offices reviewing before referral (Art. 42); multiple-entry visas come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Art. 61). The 2014 law states no document list or fee, so follow the notice of the embassy or checkpoint where you file.
- Steps: First make sure a tourist visa is really what you need — this is where people most often go wrong. Art. 19 divides visas into fourteen kinds, each for one purpose: coming to work is the labour visa LA-B2 and coming to invest is the investment visa NI-B2 or I-B2, and choosing the wrong kind means starting over; Apply to a Lao embassy, consulate, consular section or consular office abroad, which may issue tourist, short-term and transit visas no more than twice; a checkpoint visa unit may issue one (Art. 22); … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tourist_visa
- Time: To be straight about it: the 2014 Law on Entry, Exit and Management of Foreigners sets no processing time for a tourist visa. The only two periods in the law are that an extension must be filed before the stay expires (Art. 27), with the length of each extension left to separate regulations, and that accommodation operators must report a foreign guest within twenty-four hours (Art. 32) — which is their duty, not your processing deadline. So follow whatever the embassy or checkpoint handling your case publishes; nothing is invented here.
- Cost: This law sets no visa fee. We also checked Art. 50 of the 2021 fees decree, the entry-exit and foreigner-management section: there is no line reading "visa", only entries for entry-exit declarations, passports and laissez-passer — and the same item appears twice with different amounts, 8,000 and 10,000 kip, where the source table’s two columns collapsed into two rows; a line for servicing foreign vehicles entering has no amount at all in our copy. So no figure is given here; the visa fee is whatever the embassy or checkpoint handling your case publishes.
- Watch out: A tourist visa is not a work visa and not a residence permit — the most common wrong turn. Art. 19 divides visas into fourteen kinds, each for one purpose: labour visa LA-B2 to work, investment visa NI-B2 or I-B2 to invest; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/tourist_visa

### Health checks and health certificates: who must be examined, and how often (ການກວດສຸຂະພາບ ແລະ ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສຸຂະພາບ)
- Who: Lao citizens, resident aliens, stateless persons and foreigners.
- Competent authority: The government entrusts the Ministry of Health with hygiene and health promotion (Art. 65), administered at five levels: the ministry, provincial and capital departments, district offices, health centres and village health committees, with most people starting at the district office or a health centre. The law names no clinic, tests or fee and creates no health certificate as such (ລັດຖະບານ ມອບ ໃຫ້ ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ ຮັບຜິດຊອບ ໂດຍກົງ (ມາດຕາ 65). ອົງການ ຄຸ້ມຄອງ ມີ ຫ້າ ຂັ້ນ: ກະຊວງສາທາລະນະສຸກ; ພະແນກສາທາລະນະສຸກ ແຂວງ ແລະ ນະຄອນຫຼວງ; ຫ້ອງການສາທາລະນະສຸກ ເມືອງ; ສຸກສາລາ; ຄະນະກຳມະການ ສາທາລະນະສຸກ ຂັ້ນບ້ານ. ກົດໝາຍ ບໍ່ ໄດ້ ລະບຸ ບ່ອນ ກວດ, ລາຍການ ກວດ ຫຼື ຄ່າ ບໍລິການ)
- Required documents: 
- Legal basis: Health and Health Promotion Law (Revised Edition) Art. 13; Health and Health Promotion Law (Revised Edition) Art. 24; Health and Health Promotion Law (Revised Edition) Art. 26; … 4 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/health-certificate/
- Where: Five levels administer this (Art. 65) and most people start at the district health office or a health centre. The law fixes duties and frequency: employers must arrange at least one check a year, or two where the workplace is hazardous (Art. 26); food handlers at least one a year under the Food Law (Art. 24); women of childbearing age and children under five must be examined and vaccinated (Art. 36). The 2019 law names no clinic, tests or fee and creates no "health certificate", so follow the health authority notice.
- Steps: Start with this: the revised Law on Hygiene and Health Promotion (No. 73/NA, 22 November 2019) contains no document called a health certificate. What it sets are the duty to have health checks and how often — not a certificate, which is why this is a signpost page; Remember the two numbers in Art. 26, which the law fixes: an employer must have workers checked at least once a year, and at least twice a year for those working where there is risk and harm to health — pathogens, chemicals, radioactive material, nuclear. The duty falls on the employer; … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/health_certificate
- Time: To be straight about it: this law sets no turnaround time for a health check, nor where to have it or what to test. What it sets is frequency: at least once a year, and at least twice a year for work carrying risk and harm to health (Art. 26); and at least once a year for anyone in contact with food, following the Food Law (Art. 24). How long results take is whatever the health facility you attend publishes; nothing is invented here.
- Cost: This law sets no price for a health check. We also checked the 2021 fees decree: Arts. 34 and 36 cover public-health service charges, where the treatment-service rate is expressly to be set separately by the government on the ministry’s proposal — so the amount is not in that decree — and we found no line reading health check or medical examination there either. So no figure is given here; follow what the health facility you attend publishes.
- Watch out: This is a signpost page and here is why: the law contains no health certificate and does not say where to be examined, what is tested, what it costs or how long results take — what is written here is what the law actually contains; … 4 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/health_certificate

### Household book reissue / update (ປຶ້ມສຳມະໂນຄົວ (ອອກໃໝ່/ປ່ຽນແປງ))
- Who: Lao citizens plus resident aliens / stateless persons registered in Laos (Art. 26); foreigners on a visa cannot apply.
- Competent authority: Civil registration authority of the public security department (ອົງການທະບຽນຄອບຄົວ ຂອງຂະແໜງການປ້ອງກັນຄວາມສະຫງົບ)
- Required documents: Existing household book (photo upload)
- Legal basis: Family Registration Law (Amended) Art. 25
- Notes: To enter a newborn into the household registration, a birth certificate must be held (Art. 25).
- Where: The civil-registration body of the public-security sector where you live, under the delegated tiers, with the application filed through your village administration (Household Registration Law, Arts. 25 and 11); in practice the household management and grassroots section of the district public-security command (Art. 41). Do not go to the wrong one: the birth certificate comes from Home Affairs and the family book from Public Security.
- Steps: A note first: the law does not set out the steps for a family book in a single article. What follows is assembled from Arts. 11, 25 and 42(1) and is not the wording of any one article; Take your papers to the village administration where you live (Art. 11); in remote areas the village administration forwards the case to the district registration body; … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/household
- Time: Ten days — the public-security registration body must decide within ten days of receiving the application (Art. 25). Note these are calendar days, not working days: Art. 25 says ສິບວັນ with no ລັດຖະການ, whereas Arts. 15 and 23 of the same law say ວັນລັດຖະການ expressly when they mean working days. A general ceiling also applies: registration examination may not exceed thirty days from receipt (Art. 12).
- Cost: Here we can only give a range and the reason matters: in Art. 50 of the 2021 fees decree the line for a family book appears seventeen times with amounts from 2,000 to 10,000 kip. The surviving Lao fragments show the original table had a third dimension — Lao-only or bilingual, and the number of pages — so a multi-column table was flattened into one. Picking any single figure would be guesswork. Art. 49, the registration fees, runs to thousands of characters in our copy but is mostly ellipsis placeholders, so the registration fee itself is missing rather than zero. Go by what the counter posts; carry the 2,000–10,000 kip order of magnitude in your head.
- Watch out: Do not confuse the two offices: the birth certificate comes from Home Affairs and the family book from Public Security (Arts. 15 and 25) — get the birth certificate first, then go and be entered in the family book; … 4 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/household

### Birth certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການເກີດ)
- Who: Lao citizens only (foreigners cannot apply).
- Competent authority: Family registration officer (Ministry of Home Affairs) (ພະນັກງານທະບຽນຄອບຄົວ (ກະຊວງພາຍໃນ))
- Required documents: Birth registration application form; Birth certificate from a hospital / medical facility, or from the village chief; Declarant's household book copy or ID card
- Legal basis: Instruction on the Implementation of the Law on Family Registration under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Public Security (Ministry of Public Security, No. 0../MPS, Vientiane, January 2019) Art. 3
- Where: The civil-registration body of the district Home Affairs office, filed through the village chief or village administration where you live (Arts. 14, 15). Once you hold the birth certificate you go to district Public Security for the family book — a different office.
- Steps: Where the birth is in a hospital, health centre or medical facility, that facility issues the birth notification within seven days (Art. 14); Where the birth is outside a medical facility, it must be reported to the village chief within fifteen days (Art. 14); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/birth
- Time: The hospital notifies within seven days; a birth outside a medical facility is reported to the village chief within fifteen days; the chief issues the certificate within seven days; and the district Home Affairs office issues within five working days (Arts. 14, 15). The deadline for reporting to the village chief differs between instruments and this is a real conflict, not a scanning error: the 2018 law says fifteen days, a 2016 decision says thirty working days, and a 2012 one gives the chief five working days. The 2018 law governs — its Art. 70 repeals anything inconsistent with it, and it is the later instrument. Older material online still says thirty days.
- Cost: Birth registration appears in two articles of the 2021 fees decree: Art. 47 charges 20,000 kip for those aged eighteen and over, and Art. 48 exempts under-eighteens and charges 20,000 for those eighteen and over. Whether that is two separate charges or one charge copied into both articles cannot be settled from our copy — and the Chinese side of Art. 47 is missing the under-eighteen exemption line that the Lao fragments suggest was there — so we give no total. Several district one-stop decisions independently say 14,000 kip (12,000 form fee plus 2,000 stamp duty), which does not match the decree’s 20,000; those are single-district practice, not the national rule. Go by what the counter posts.
- Watch out: The deadline for reporting to the village chief genuinely conflicts, not through a scanning error: the 2018 law says fifteen days and a 2016 decision says thirty working days. The 2018 law governs (Art. 70 repeals anything inconsistent). Older material online still says thirty; … 3 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/birth

### Single / marital status certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນຄວາມເປັນໂສດ / ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສະຖານະພາບຂອງບຸກຄົນ)
- Who: Lao citizens only (foreigners cannot apply).
- Competent authority: Ministry of Home Affairs (interior department) (ກະຊວງພາຍໃນ)
- Required documents: Household book or ID card copy
- Legal basis: Guidance on Implementation of the Family Registration Law for Matters under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs Art. 6
- Notes: For foreigners this certificate is issued by the home country, not by Laos; the platform can only help organise documents and the translation / notarisation route.
- Where: To be straight: no article says who issues this certificate. We went through the thirteen duties of the Home Affairs registration bodies in Art. 40, the ten of Public Security in Art. 42 and the nine of Justice in Art. 44, and none includes issuing a personal-status certificate; the instructions and decisions only list it as a document other matters require. What is certain is that its form belongs to Home Affairs — the marriage decree says expressly "on the Home Affairs form" — and that registration applications go through the village administration where you live (Art. 11). In practice it is handled with the marriage registration at the district Home Affairs office.
- Steps: This section should describe how to apply for the certificate, but the law contains no procedure for it; what follows is the procedure of the matter that actually uses it — marriage registration; One of the legal conditions of marriage is holding documentary proof of being single, divorced or widowed (Civil Code Art. 150(3)); … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/single
- Time: Not set by law. We checked Arts. 11, 12, 15, 16 and 40 of the Household Registration Law, Arts. 4–8 of the 2021 instruction, Arts. 9–12 and 23 of the 2016 decision on the use of family-registration documents, and Arts. 8 and 9 of the marriage decree — none states a period for this certificate. Two neighbouring figures can be cited: registration examination may not exceed thirty days (Art. 12, which is registration not this certificate), and the marriage certificate itself issues within three working days (2016 decision, Art. 12). One district’s one-stop timetable lists seven matters and this certificate is not among them.
- Cost: Not set by law. We read every line of Art. 47 (eight lines of civil-registration fees) and Art. 48 (nine lines of civil-administration charges) of the 2021 decree and neither lists this certificate; nor do Arts. 49 and 50 for police, 43 and 44 for justice, or 45 and 46 for the courts. One district’s 2018 one-stop decision bundles the Home Affairs items into a single line reading roughly 80,000 kip and upwards — that is one district’s package price and the wording even says "about", so it is not this certificate’s price. Go by what the counter posts.
- Watch out: No article says who issues this certificate: the three duty lists in Arts. 40, 42 and 44, of thirteen, ten and nine items, contain nothing of the sort. This is not a gap in our search — the law genuinely does not say; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/single

### Marriage registration (ການຈົດທະບຽນການແຕ່ງດອງ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Ministry of Home Affairs (family registration) (ກະຊວງພາຍໃນ (ທະບຽນຄອບຄົວ))
- Required documents (Lao citizen × foreigner): Applicant · Marriage application form (public security department format); Applicant · Certificate of personal status (interior department format); Applicant · Curriculum vitae (interior department format); … 18 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/marriage
- Legal basis: Guidance on Implementation of the Family Registration Law for Matters under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs Art. 4; Guidance on Implementation of the Family Registration Law for Matters under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs Art. 6; Decree on Marriage between Lao Citizens and Foreigners, Expatriates, and Stateless Persons Art. 7; … 10 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/marriage-registration/
- Notes: All foreign-language documents must be translated into Lao, and copies certified as true copies (Art. 6).; The Lao party's police clearance and health certificate, and both parties' photos, must be no older than 3 months (Art. 6).
- Where: Two Lao citizens: file through the village administration where you live, to the family-registration office of the district Home Affairs office (Instruction Art. 4). A Lao citizen marrying an alien, a foreigner or a stateless person inside Laos: file through the village administration and the relevant sectors, to the family-registration office of the provincial Home Affairs department (same article) — but before registration the file must pass the Consular Department of Foreign Affairs and the public-security chain (Marriage Decree Art. 7). Aliens, foreigners or stateless persons marrying each other: file through the organisation the couple works for or belongs to, straight to the provincial Home Affairs department, without going through the village (Instruction Art. 4).
- Steps: First work out which route you are on: two Lao citizens go village then district Home Affairs; if one side is an alien, a foreigner or a stateless person you go to the provincial Home Affairs department, and approval must come first; Get both sides’ documents together (Instruction Art. 6). Any foreign-language document of the foreign party must be translated into Lao, and the copies certified true to the original by a law office; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/marriage
- Time: Foreign spouse: 3 working days for consular certification, 5 at district police, 5 at provincial police, and 20 days at the Immigration Police Department from a correct and complete file (Art. 8); then three months to go and register, and 5 working days for the certificate (Art. 9). Alien or stateless spouse: 3 working days at district police and 5 at provincial police (Arts. 12, 13), then 5 working days for the certificate (Art. 14). For two Lao citizens the Instruction sets no time limit — go by what the counter posts.
- Cost: The 2021 fees decree (No. 002/PPT, 17 June 2021), Art. 47, civil-registration section, for issuing a marriage certificate: a Lao citizen with an alien, foreigner or stateless person — 25,000 kip per set and 100,000 kip; between aliens, foreigners or stateless persons — the same two figures. The same category appears twice with different amounts: the source table almost certainly had a fee column and a service-charge column that collapsed into four rows in our copy, and we cannot tell which figure belongs to which column, so both are shown — go by what the counter posts. The table has no line for two Lao citizens, so this decree gives no figure for that case.
- Watch out: The one most people trip on: after the Ministry of Public Security approves, you have three months to register at the provincial Home Affairs department — past that the right is treated as waived and you start over (Art. 9); … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/marriage

### No-criminal-record certificate (ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ)
- Who: Lao citizens only (foreigners cannot apply).
- Competent authority: People's Court (ສານປະຊາຊົນ)
- Required documents: Household book or ID card copy
- Legal basis: Guidance on Implementation of the Family Registration Law for Matters under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs Art. 6
- Notes: Issued by the People's Court; valid for no more than 3 months.; For foreigners this certificate is issued by the home country, not by Laos; the platform can only help organise documents and the translation / notarisation route.
- Where: Most articles say expressly that the People’s Court issues it: the marriage decree at Art. 6(a)(5) and three places in Art. 11 all read "police-clearance certificate (issued by the People’s Court, not older than three months)", as does Art. 8(5) of the 2021 instruction. One instrument differs: Art. 7 of the 2024 decree on permanent residence for people of Lao descent abroad says "from a competent Lao authority and/or the applicant’s country" — we set both out rather than choose. Do not confuse it with the separate law-abiding certificate the police issue to foreigners (2021 fees decree, Art. 50, 100,000 kip each) — that is a different document.
- Steps: This section should give the steps, but nothing in the law describes how to apply for this certificate. We went through all seventy-six articles of the People’s Court Law, all seventy of the Household Registration Law, the 2021 instruction, the 2016 decision and all sixty-three articles of the Notarial Law: every mention treats it as a document some other matter requires; It is needed for marriage, especially cross-border marriage: Arts. 6 and 11 of the decree list it as required from both sides; … 1 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/no_crime
- Time: Not set by law. We searched all seventy-six articles of the People’s Court Law in both Lao and Chinese and found no mention of this certificate at all — the court law does not describe the function. The Household Registration Law, the 2021 instruction, the 2016 decision, the Notarial Law and one district’s seven-item one-stop timetable are equally silent. The nearest figure, thirty days in Art. 12, is for civil registration and cannot be borrowed. Go by what the issuing court posts.
- Cost: The current decree has no such line. We read Arts. 43, 44, 47, 48, 49 and 50 and none lists it. Arts. 45 and 46, the court fees and charges, are badly damaged in our copy — the Chinese survives only as a note that the text is garbled and the amounts are blank rules — so whether the court charges for this cannot be settled from what we have; that is not the same as there being no charge. The one figure that does exist comes from the 2012 decree that Art. 60 of the current one expressly replaced, where the Chinese also mistranslates the term — do not use it. Go by what the issuing court posts.
- Watch out: The validity is not a uniform three months: most articles say not older than three months, two say ninety days, and one 2023 instrument says within six months — so it depends on what you need it for, and three months is merely the commonest; … 5 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/no_crime

### Residence / address certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນທີ່ຢູ່)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Public security authority (temporary residence permit) / village administration (address proof) (ຂະແໜງການປ້ອງກັນຄວາມສະຫງົບ / ອົງການປົກຄອງບ້ານ)
- Required documents: Household book or ID card copy; Passport copy; Visa / residence permit
- Legal basis: Family Registration Law (Amended) Art. 11; Family Registration Law (Amended) Art. 27; Guidance on Implementation of the Family Registration Law for Matters under the Responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs Art. 6
- Notes: Civil-registration applications go through the village administration of the place of residence to the registration authority (Art. 11).; Temporary residence elsewhere is declared to the new village administration; the district police command issues a 3/6/12-month temporary-residence book (Art. 27).
- Where: This page really covers two different things. Temporary residence: someone staying elsewhere reports to the village administration at the new address and the district police command issues a 3, 6 or 12-month temporary-residence book (Arts. 27 and 42(4)). The everyday address certificate is issued by the village administration. Do not take the two to the same counter — the address certificate is not a police matter.
- Steps: Decide which you need: staying for a period is temporary residence; a paper proving where you live is an address certificate; For temporary residence, report to the village administration at the new address (Art. 27) — and the duty to report lies with the person providing the lodging, not only the guest; … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/residence
- Time: The law sets no number of days. We scanned all seventy articles of the Household Registration Law: the eighteen articles that do state a period are Arts. 14–26 and 28–32, and Art. 27, temporary residence, is not among them. Only the general ceiling applies: examination may not exceed thirty days from receipt (Art. 12). The address-certificate route has no procedural article at all, so no period either — do not invent "three to five working days".
- Cost: Temporary residence: the 2021 fees decree, Art. 50, sets 15,000 kip per registration of a citizen’s temporary stay. Address certificate: there is no national price — it is agreed between the district and each village, so it varies; go by what your own village administration posts.
- Watch out: Do not take both to the same counter: the temporary-residence book is issued by the district police command, the address certificate by the village administration — many people go to the police for the latter and waste the trip; … 3 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/residence

### Kinship certificate (ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສາຍຍາດ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Ministry of Home Affairs (family registration) (ກະຊວງພາຍໃນ (ທະບຽນຄອບຄົວ))
- Required documents: Birth certificate + authentication
- Legal basis: Family Registration Law (Amended) Art. 2; Family Registration Law (Amended) Art. 3
- Where: To be straight: nothing in the law says who issues this certificate or how. We checked the three duty lists in Arts. 40, 42 and 44 of the Household Registration Law — thirteen, ten and nine items — and the eight heads of notarial competence in Art. 9 of the Notarial Law, and it appears in none of them. Three things do have a basis: its definition, in the 2023 land-registration guidance, as a document certifying the relationship between direct and collateral relatives as determined by the Civil Code; the scope of kinship in Civil Code Art. 139; and the household-registration basis in Arts. 2 and 3(3). Where the relationship is disputed you ask the People’s Court to confirm it (Civil Procedure Law, Art. 42(4)).
- Steps: This section should give the steps but the law does not set any. We checked all seventy articles of the Household Registration Law, the 2021 instruction, the 2016 decision and all sixty-three articles of the Notarial Law — whose Art. 20 four-step procedure and Art. 9 eight heads of competence both exclude kinship. The one real path the law does describe is going to court where the relationship is disputed; Work out what you need it for: registering land-use rights by inheritance or sale requires it, and so does changing apartment-unit ownership by inheritance — but the land route needs it for both transferor and transferee, while the apartment route needs only the recipient’s; … 2 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/kinship
- Time: Not set by law. Two nearby figures exist but neither belongs to this certificate: the notarial office decides within three working days (Notarial Law, Art. 22) and civil registration may not exceed thirty days (Household Registration Law, Art. 12). How long this certificate takes is not written anywhere; go by what the issuing office posts.
- Cost: Not set by law. We read every line of Arts. 47 and 48, and Arts. 43, 44, 49 and 50 of the 2021 decree, and none lists a kinship certificate. One figure is easily misused: the fee for registering inherited land is banded by land value (Art. 25), and one district writes it as 0.3% for direct heirs, 0.5% for collateral relatives and 1% for non-inheritance transfers — that is the land-registration fee, not this certificate’s.
- Watch out: Two Lao wordings coexist and both are the law’s own, so do not harmonise them yourself: the 2023 land guidance uses ຍາດສາຍຕັ້ງ and ຍາດສາຍຂວາງ while Civil Code Art. 139, which it cites, uses ຍາດສາຍກົງ and ຍາດສາຍຂ້າງ; … 6 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/kinship

### Land / house basic documents (ເອກະສານທີ່ດິນ/ເຮືອນ)
- Who: Lao citizens only (foreigners cannot apply).
- Competent authority: District land office (ຫ້ອງການທີ່ດິນຂັ້ນເມືອງ)
- Required documents: Proof of acquisition of possession and use rights (land title / lease / transaction documents); Household book or ID card copy; Residence certificate
- Legal basis: Guidance on the Registration and Issuance of Land Certificates Art. 4
- Where: Land and housing are not the same office and this is where people most often go wrong. Changes and dealings in land-use rights go to the district natural resources and environment office where the land lies (renamed agriculture and environment in some places from 2026 — the same door); state land leases and concessions, and buying a time-limited state allocation, go to the provincial department, and government-approved cases to the ministry’s land department; first issuance goes through the district one-stop unit. Housing registration is not a land-office matter — it goes to the public works and transport sector through the sub-district administrative committee. Contracts must also pass the village administration and then the court registry, which certifies their content, before the district office continues.
- Steps: First separate land from housing — two routes, two sectors, different papers. The housing route also needs copies of the construction permit and the building compliance certificate, both obtainable only from public works and transport; On the land route the holder or an authorised representative files the application and the papers for the particular case on the prescribed form at the district natural resources and environment office, which verifies the land title, issues a certificate of its authenticity and charges the service fee; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/property
- Time: The land route has detailed periods by matter (2023 land registration and change guidance): verifying the title takes one working day for a change registration and five for a dealing registration; the new title issues within four working days of the signed face-to-face memorandum; splitting and merging take fifteen working days; sales with repurchase conditions, easements, adding or withdrawing a mortgage and dealings in time-limited state allocations take three each; cancellations take two; copying a land file takes up to three working days, or five and free of charge for a state body; and remaking a damaged file takes five, free of fees for the holder. On the housing route the site data gathering is within thirty days and the certificate within five working days. One deadline people miss: income from a sale or transfer must be declared to the tax office where you live within fifteen days of receiving it.
- Cost: This comes in three parts and one of them we must mark unusable. Reliable fees: a state land title is 100,000 kip; a transfer of land-use rights that is neither between relatives nor an inheritance is banded by land value at 100,000, 200,000, 300,000 and 500,000 kip; collateral-relative inheritance or transfer at 30,000, 60,000, 120,000 and 150,000. Fixed items include an easement at 50,000, transfer of state land-use rights to an individual at 100,000 per title, transfer of a concession contract at 600,000, mortgaging or leasing a state allocation at 500,000, the same for an apartment at 300,000, and a land-business licence at 1,000,000. Unusable: the direct-heir band and the mortgage band, where our copy shows wildly different figures for the same band and two different thresholds — we give no number for those. A translation error worth knowing: the Chinese of Art. 25 renders the Lao ຕື້, a billion, as a trillion, so every threshold in the Chinese text is wrong; the bands above follow the Lao. Income tax is 2% on selling or transferring land-use rights, housing, buildings, or land with buildings, and 1% on agricultural land used for agricultural production, with exemptions for registered business assets already taxed on profit and for inheritance between grandparents, parents, spouses, children, siblings and grandchildren. Survey and form fees are unreadable in our copy, some provinces add their own 2% instruction which is not a national rule, and no housing-registration fee appears in the current decree.
- Watch out: How far a representative can go: filing the application, handing in papers and taking the file to the court registry are all things the law expressly allows an authorised representative to do, but after payment the face-to-face memorandum between the contracting parties and the land officer must be signed in person, and only then do the four working days for the new title begin. Only three cases skip it — withdrawal or return of the right, natural and legal status, and a court judgment; … 6 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/property

### Vehicle sale / transfer documents (ຊື້ຂາຍ/ໂອນລົດ)
- Who: Lao citizens and foreigners; documents differ.
- Competent authority: Land Motor Vehicle Registration Office (ກອງທະບຽນຍານພາຫະນະທາງບົກ)
- Required documents: Proof of purchase (sale contract); Proof of address; Household book or ID card copies of buyer and seller; … 5 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/vehicle
- Legal basis: Land Motor Vehicle Law Art. 46; Land Motor Vehicle Law Art. 48
- Notes: Transfer of ownership must be registered within 30 days of the sale, keeping the original plate; the vehicle must be presented for on-site inspection (Art. 48).
- Where: The relevant land vehicle registration office — but check which level first. There are three: central, provincial and capital, and district, municipal and city. The district level handles only motorcycles and agricultural machinery; cars, pickups, lorries and buses go to the provincial or capital office, which is the level that registers all types, prints certificates and does technical inspection, and permanent registration must go there too. The seller’s guarantee letter must first be certified by the village administration.
- Steps: The seller first obtains a guarantee letter from the village administration and has it certified; where the vehicle is handed over rather than sold, an ownership transfer letter certified the same way is used; Assemble five: the sale certificate; an address certificate with copies of both parties’ family book or ID; the seller’s guarantee letter certified by the village administration; the original registration certificate; and the registration tracking book; … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/vehicle
- Time: The most important point first: the law sets no period between filing and receiving the new registration certificate. We went through all ninety-two articles of the Land Vehicle Law — across registration, sale, handover, relocation and the registration offices’ duties only three places state five working days, and none of them is the transfer registration. So how long it takes is whatever the office posts. The periods that are fixed: the transfer must be registered within thirty days of the sale or handover, which is your duty rather than their deadline; an inter-provincial transfer note issues within five working days; the registration certificate runs five years and is renewable, and if it is not renewed within three years of expiry the provincial or capital office removes the vehicle from the register; and technical inspection is two years for a new motorcycle or light vehicle then yearly, yearly for imported second-hand ones, and one year for a new passenger or goods vehicle then every six months.
- Cost: To be straight: we could not find a single usable figure for a transfer. Art. 48 says only that fees and charges are paid under the regulations, and Arts. 58 and 59 give the offices the power to collect without stating amounts. In the 2021 fees decree, Art. 26 runs to barely eighty characters and points to the official gazette for the detail; Art. 28 covers only goods and passenger transport business licences, not vehicle registration; Art. 49 is almost entirely destroyed in our copy, the Chinese surviving as hundreds of ellipses; and Art. 50, which is legible, has just one vehicle line — 10,000 kip for a police certificate about a damaged plate, a transfer or manufacture, which is not a registration fee. So no figure is given here. Two other vehicle costs are worth knowing: the annual road fee, payable between 1 January and 31 March with 0.1% a day late, 40% after a year and 60% after two; and income tax, where the current law taxes renting a vehicle out but lists only land, housing and buildings under sale and transfer, so whether a resident selling a car owes income tax is not stated (non-residents have a separate 10% rule).
- Watch out: This matter has no proxy provision in law: across all ninety-two articles of the Land Vehicle Law nothing mentions a mandate, an agent or an authorised representative for a transfer, Art. 48 requires the vehicle itself to be inspected, and Art. 46 requires the seller’s own guarantee letter certified by the village administration. So we can help assemble the papers and accompany you, but not do it all for you — unlike the land matter, where the law expressly allows a representative to file; … 6 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/vehicle

### Stay permit / residence permit card (ບັດອະນຸຍາດພັກເຊົາ)
- Who: Foreigners.
- Competent authority: Foreigner-management police (ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ຕຳຫຼວດຄຸ້ມຄອງຄົນຕ່າງປະເທດ)
- Required documents: Company's proposal for stay permit card (SP Card) and visa; Visa page used for entry; Copy of foreign investment license or concession license; … 5 more documents — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/stay_permit
- Legal basis: Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 19; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 27; Law on the Arrival - Departure and Management of Foreigners in Lao PDR. Art. 29; … 13 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/stay-permit-card/
- Notes: 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.; … 1 more statutory notes — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/stay-permit-card/
- Where: 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); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/stay_permit
- Time: 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.
- Watch out: 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); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/stay_permit

### Work visa / work permit pre-check (ກວດເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ ວີຊາເຮັດວຽກ)
- Who: Foreigners.
- Competent authority: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (ກະຊວງແຮງງານ ແລະ ສະຫວັດດີການສັງຄົມ)
- Required documents: Passport data page; Entry stamp page
- Legal basis: Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Art. 5; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Art. 6; Agreement on Approving the Recruitment of Foreign Workers to Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic Art. 7; … 11 more citations — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/en/laos-civil-cert/work-visa-precheck/
- Notes: This form is a pre-check only, not the full work-permit checklist; the formal application follows the MoLSW procedure.
- Where: 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); … 3 more steps — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/work_visa
- Time: 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.
- Watch out: 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); … 7 more pitfalls — full list: https://www.123laoai.com/govforms/apply/work_visa

## Terminology (Lao — English — Chinese)
- ປຶ້ມສຳມະໂນຄົວ — household registration book — 户口簿
- ບັດປະຈຳຕົວ — identity card — 身份证
- ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນການເກີດ — birth certificate — 出生证明
- ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນຄວາມເປັນໂສດ — certificate of single status — 单身证明
- ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສະຖານະພາບຂອງບຸກຄົນ — certificate of personal status — 个人身份状况证明
- ການຈົດທະບຽນການແຕ່ງດອງ — marriage registration — 结婚登记
- ບົດບັນທຶກການສູ່ຂໍ — record of the marriage proposal ceremony — 提亲笔录
- ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ — police clearance / criminal record certificate — 无犯罪记录证明
- ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນທີ່ຢູ່ — residence certificate — 居住证明
- ໃບຕາດິນ — land title certificate — 土地证
- ໃບທະບຽນຍານພາຫະນະທາງບົກ — road motor vehicle registration certificate — 车辆登记证
- ບັດອະນຸຍາດພັກເຊົາ — stay permit card — 居留许可卡
- ວີຊາແຮງງານ LA-B2 — labour visa — 劳务签证

## Boundaries
- LaoPaniti organises documents, offers online form filling with upload and pre-check hand-off to staff. It is not a government filing and never represents acceptance or approval by any Lao authority. No approval is guaranteed; no expedited handling is offered.
- Certificates that a foreigner's home country issues (single status, police clearance) are not issued in Laos; the Lao forms are for Lao citizens only.