Introduction

Hello! If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering extending your visa in Luang Prabang, Laos! Well, you’re in the right place. When I went to extend my visa in Luang Prabang, it all seemed very uncertain because there wasn’t any information available online about where to go or what the process was like.

So, I’ve taken it upon myself to write this and hopefully help fellow travellers in need of some info! Read on to find out all about extending your visa in Luang Prabang, Laos.

How To Get To And From The Immigration Office

Initially, I was worried about extending my visa in Luang Prabang because I read online that the Immigration Office was permanently closed. But if you type this in on Google: ‘Immigration office and visa extension new building Luang Prabang’ it should be about a 7-10 minute drive out of town.

If you can ride a scooter, I highly recommend hiring one for the day and driving yourself there and back.

Another option is to ask a local taxi/tuk-tuk driver to take you there, wait for you outside and then bring you back to the town, we were quoted a price of £27 for this which we hastily declined. We paid around £5 (100k Kip) for the driver to take us there and then we walked back to our accommodation which took about 30 minutes.

If we have to extend our visas again, I will definitely be renting a scooter and driving there because walking back in 39°C heat that felt like 47°C was awful, haha!

How Much Does A Visa Extension Cost?

The visa extension for Laos costs $2 per day.

You can extend for 30 days at a time, for a total period of 90 days.

Immigration Office Opening Times

The Immigration office in Luang Prabang is open from Monday – Friday.

Morning: 08:00 – 11:30 AM

Afternoon: 14:00 – 16:00 PM

How To Find The Visa Extension Office Once Inside

Once you go through the main entrance of the government building (there should be a waiting area) turn left and left again at the end of the corridor and the visa extension office is the third door down on the right. There should be a sign on the door stating if it is open or closed. There is also a waiting area inside the office. Just go through into the office and ask to extend your visa.

What Do You Need To Take With You?

– Your passport (obviously)

– Your current visa for Laos

– 2 passport photos

– Money

– Make sure you know all of the dates for your extended stay and your hotel addresses

Overall Experience Extending Visas in Luang Prabang

We were highly impressed by the speed and kind service we received at the immigration office. The only mistake we made was arriving when all of the staff were on their lunch break. To avoid making the same mistake we did, if you’re going in the afternoon aim to get there for 2 pm.

All you have to do is fill out a form, provide 2 passport photos, pay the fee and you’re done! The Immigration office will keep your passport until the following day and you can pick it up between 3-4 pm. Once we were in the office, the whole process took about 15 minutes and then we just popped back to get our visas the next day!

Why Did We Extend Our Visas in Luang Prabang?

We decided to extend our visas in Laos for various reasons. We knew we needed to be in Thailand in August to meet Brett’s parents and it made more sense financially and logistically to stay in Laos for 2 months rather than hopping over to another country. Laos has a lot to offer and we are looking forward to taking it slow in this country and exploring all it has to offer!

Overall, extending visas in Luang Prabang, Laos was an easy and pleasant experience! I hope it’s as easy for you as it was for us. Good luck!

If you found this blog useful, be sure to check out my other handy travel guides here!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me via email: tianitravels@gmail.com or via social media.