Risk level

Safety and security

Xaisomboun Province

There have been random shooting incidents near Xaisomboun town, in Xaisomboun Province, since late 2015.

If you must travel to this region despite our advisory, avoid travel after dark, be extremely cautious and follow the advice of local authorities.

Bokeo province

Criminals operate in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, in the Ton Pheung district of Bokeo province bordering Thailand and Myanmar. The criminal activity includes drug and human trafficking as well as employment scams.

If you travel to this area despite the advisory:

• exercise extreme caution
• follow the instructions of local authorities

Crime

Street crime is prevalent in cities and towns, including Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, and occasionally involves violence.

Bag theft occurs frequently. Thieves on motorcycles grab bags and other valuables from pedestrians, other motorcycle drivers and their passengers.

Ensure that your personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times.

Do not show signs of affluence, and avoid travelling late at night.

Break-ins at hotels and guesthouses occur. Armed robberies occur occasionally.

Local police may not have the capacity to respond to crimes, especially at night.

Scams

Be wary of money counting scams (currency exchange). Don't exchange large sums of money in one transaction. Get local currency from the bank or an ATM instead of a currency exchange kiosk.

Report any incident of crime or scams to the local tourist police in the jurisdiction where the incident occurred, before you leave the country.

Overseas fraud

Spiked food and drinks

Never leave your food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances, as they may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery.

Some food and drinks, such as "happy pizzas" and "special shakes," may contain unspecified amounts of opium and other unknown substances. These items are sold in areas frequented by tourists, particularly in Vang Vieng. While these items may be easily accessible, taking any amount of opiates can be dangerous. Foreigners, including Canadians, have died as a result of drug overdoses.

Several foreigners in Vang Vieng have been victims of suspected methanol-adulterated alcohol poisoning.

• Be vigilant if you choose to drink alcohol
• Avoid accepting free or extremely low-priced drinks
• Only buy alcohol in sealed bottles and cans from reputable shops
• Follow orders issued by local authorities
• Do not purchase or consume prohibited brands such as Tiger vodka and whisky
• Seek medical assistance if you begin to feel sick

Women's safety

Sexual assaults occur, particularly in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Be particularly vigilant along hiking trails.

Advice for women travellers

Adventure tourism

Only undertake adventure sports, such as zip-lining and rock climbing, with a well-established and reputable company that has insurance.

Tour operators may not adhere to international standards. If you have any doubt concerning the safety of the installation or equipment, refrain from using them. Ensure that the recreational activities you choose are covered by your travel insurance. 

Exercise extreme caution and carefully consider your safety when engaging in river-based sporting activities, including in Vang Vieng. Travellers have died or been seriously injured while taking part in river-based activities such as tubing or jumping/diving into the river. River levels can fluctuate considerably and debris can make river-based activities dangerous.

If engaging in adventure tourism:

• never do so alone and always hire an experienced guide from a reputable company
• buy travel insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation
• ensure that your physical condition is good enough to meet the challenges of your activity
• ensure that you're properly equipped and well informed about weather and other conditions that may pose a hazard
• inform a family member or friend of your itinerary, including when you expect to be back to camp
• know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness, which can be fatal
• obtain detailed information on each activity before setting out and do not venture off marked trails

Tourist facilities

Tourist facilities outside Vientiane and Luang Prabang are limited.

Security officials may place foreigners under surveillance. Hotel rooms, telephones, fax machines and email messages may be monitored. Personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched.

Public transportation

Public transportation is unreliable and limited after dark. River travel is common in Laos. Safety standards are minimal. Speedboat travel is especially dangerous during the dry season (November to May). Lifejackets and helmets should be provided to and worn by passengers.

Do not travel on or across the Mekong River after dark. In some areas, the Laotian military has been known to shoot at boats after dark.

Landmines

Landmines and unexploded ordnance constitute a risk across the country, particularly in the Plain of Jars, in Xiengkhouang Province, as well as in the Laotian-Vietnamese border areas, including those traversing the former Ho Chi Minh Trail. Follow the advice of local authorities, and only travel on well-used roads and paths.

Road safety

Road travel in Laos can be hazardous, as vehicles are often poorly maintained and road conditions are poor, especially during the rainy season.

Drivers have little regard for traffic regulations and do not follow safe driving practices.

Livestock often stray onto the roads, causing accidents.

Travel should be undertaken only during daylight hours.

Travellers involved in traffic accidents have been required to pay compensation for property damage or injury, regardless of who the police determine to be at fault. Laotian insurers will generally only meet a small proportion of the costs of an accident and refuse to cover compensation, which can be the largest expense.

Rental vehicles

Do not leave your passport as collateral when renting vehicles, including motorcycles. Read rental contracts thoroughly to ensure that the vehicle is correctly insured to cover damages and theft. Only rent from reputable companies, as some companies have been known to "steal" the vehicle, particularly motorcycles, and claim for the loss.

Air travel

We do not make assessments on the compliance of foreign domestic airlines with international safety standards.

Information about foreign domestic airlines

Entry and exit requirements

Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet your destination’s entry or exit requirements.

We have obtained the information on this page from the Laotian authorities. It can, however, change at any time.

Verify this information with the Foreign Representatives in Canada.

Passport

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport you use for travel.

Before you travel, check with your transportation company about passport requirements. Its rules on passport validity may be more stringent than the country’s entry rules.

Regular Canadian passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Laos.

Passport for official travel

Different entry rules may apply.

Official travel

Passport with “X” gender identifier

While the Government of Canada issues passports with an “X” gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries. You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the “X” gender identifier. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Other travel documents

Different entry rules may apply when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Useful links

• Foreign Representatives in Canada
• Canadian passports

Visas

Tourist visa: required
Business visa: required
Student visa: required

Electronic tourist visas can be obtained in advance by travellers planning to enter Laos through the Wattay International Airport or the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I.

Tourist visas can be obtained upon arrival at Wattay International Airport, Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport and some “international” (that is, open to all foreign nationals) border crossings. Contact the nearest Laotian embassy or consulate to confirm where you can get a tourist visa. A passport photo and US$42 are required to obtain a visa upon entry.

Electronic tourist visa – Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Entry stamp

Immigration offices at some border crossings are difficult to identify. Ensure that you obtain an entry stamp into Laos. Failure to do so can result in serious fines, detention and deportation.

Travel to Xaisomboun

Travellers are required to obtain permission from local authorities prior to travel to certain parts of Xaisomboun Province. You may be refused entry to some areas of the province, particularly around Long Tieng.

Children and travel

Learn more about travelling with children.

Yellow fever

Learn about potential entry requirements related to yellow fever (vaccines section).

Health

Routine vaccines

Be sure that your routine vaccinations, as per your province or territory, are up-to-date before travelling, regardless of your destination.

Some of these vaccinations include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), influenza and others.

Pre-travel vaccines and medications

You may be at risk for preventable diseases while travelling in this destination. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or vaccines may be right for you, based on your destination and itinerary. 

Safe food and water precautions

Many illnesses can be caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated by bacteria, parasites, toxins, or viruses, or by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

• Learn more about food and water precautions to take to avoid getting sick by visiting our eat and drink safely abroad page. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!
• Avoid getting water into your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming or participating in activities in freshwater (streams, canals, lakes), particularly after flooding or heavy rain. Water may look clean but could still be polluted or contaminated.
• Avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs. 

Insect bite prevention

Many diseases are spread by the bites of infected insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or flies. When travelling to areas where infected insects may be present:

• Use insect repellent (bug spray) on exposed skin
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester
• Minimize exposure to insects
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in buildings that are not fully enclosed

To learn more about how you can reduce your risk of infection and disease caused by bites, both at home and abroad, visit our insect bite prevention page.

Find out what types of insects are present where you’re travelling, when they’re most active, and the symptoms of the diseases they spread.

Animal precautions

Some infections, such as rabies and influenza, can be shared between humans and animals. Certain types of activities may increase your chance of contact with animals, such as travelling in rural or forested areas, camping, hiking, and visiting wet markets (places where live animals are slaughtered and sold) or caves.

Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, livestock (pigs, cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats, and to avoid eating undercooked wild game.

Closely supervise children, as they are more likely to come in contact with animals.

Person-to-person infections

Stay home if you’re sick and practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette, which includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand. Reduce your risk of colds, the flu and other illnesses by:

•  washing your hands often
• avoiding or limiting the amount of time spent in closed spaces, crowded places, or at large-scale events (concerts, sporting events, rallies)
• avoiding close physical contact with people who may be showing symptoms of illness 

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and mpox are spread through blood and bodily fluids; use condoms, practise safe sex, and limit your number of sexual partners. Check with your local public health authority pre-travel to determine your eligibility for mpox vaccine.  

Medical services and facilities

Medical facilities throughout Laos are scarce and operate below the standards you might expect in Canada.

To obtain suitable treatment, medical evacuation to Thailand is required, except for basic medical conditions and injuries. Such evacuations are very expensive and difficult to organize, but you may have to consider leaving if you experience medical problems while in Laos.

Seek immediate assistance in Vientiane at the French Medical Clinic on Rue Simeuvang, off Khouvieng (tel. +856 21 214 150), or the Alliance International Medical Centre Route Luang Prabang, on the way to the airport (tel. +856 21 513 095).

Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.

Health and safety outside Canada

Laws and culture

You must abide by local laws.

Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad.

Identification

Travellers are subject to search, detention and the possibility of fines by authorities if they can’t show suitable identification, such as a passport, and for not having an entry stamp in your passport.

Always carry ID, and comply with requests to stop at checkpoints and roadblocks.

Drugs

Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are strict and may include the death penalty.

Drugs, alcohol and travel

Illegal or restricted activities

Non-marital sexual relationships between foreigners and Laotian citizens are against the law, as are various forms of cohabitation with Laotian nationals. Convictions for such offences can lead to prison sentences and large fines. Improper registration of a relationship to a Laotian national can lead to similar penalties. Permission for marriage or engagement to a Laotian citizen must be submitted in a formal application to Laotian authorities.

Photography of government buildings and vehicles, as well as bridges, airfields and military installations or personnel, is prohibited. Violators may be arrested and their equipment, seized.

Laos is tolerant of a diversity of religions. Religious proselytizing or distributing of religious material, however, is strictly prohibited. Violators may be arrested or deported.

Panhandling is illegal and can lead to fines or imprisonment.

Dual citizenship

Dual citizenship is not legally recognized in Laos.

If local authorities consider you a citizen of Laos, they may refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services. This will prevent us from providing you with those services.

Dual citizens

International Child Abduction

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty. It can help parents with the return of children who have been removed to or retained in certain countries in violation of custody rights. It does not apply between Canada and Laos.

If your child was wrongfully taken to, or is being held in Laos by an abducting parent:

• act as quickly as you can
• consult a lawyer in Canada and in Laos to explore all the legal options for the return of your child
• report the situation to the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to Global Affairs Canada by calling the Emergency Watch and Response Centre

If your child was removed from a country other than Canada, consult a lawyer to determine if The Hague Convention applies.

Be aware that Canadian consular officials cannot interfere in private legal matters or in another country's judicial affairs.

Useful links

• International Child Abductions: A guide for affected parents
• Children and travel
• Canadian embassies and consulates by destination
• Request emergency assistance

Driving

You must carry an International Driving Permit.

International Driving Permit

Culture

Public displays of affection, such as kissing, whether between opposite or same-sex couples, are not considered proper or polite.

Money

The currency is the kip (LAK).

The LAK is not easily obtained or exchanged outside of Laos. U.S. dollars and Thai baht are commonly accepted.

ATMs are widely available. Major credit cards are accepted at some international hotels and tourist establishments. Cash advances can be obtained from some banks, although the bank commission rates are high.

Natural disasters and climate

Typhoons and Monsoons

The rainy (monsoon) season extends from May to November. During the rainy season, provinces along the Mekong River in southern Laos are especially prone to severe rainstorms that can cause flooding and landslides, resulting in significant loss of life, extensive damage to infrastructure and hampering the provision of essential services.

• Keep informed of regional weather forecasts
• Avoid disaster areas
• Follow the instructions of local authorities

Tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and monsoons