Laos customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• Personal belongings of travelers are exempt from customs duties.
• 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco leaves.
• Up to 2 L of alcoholic beverages, 3 L of wine and 5 L of beer.
• Perfume and fragrant oils: one item of each.
• Goods above these allowances must be declared to customs on the prescribed form.
Currency
• Cash in any currency, precious metals and stones (gold or silver bars and items, diamonds, gems) and bearer negotiable instruments (traveler's checks, bank checks, money orders, bonds) worth 100,000,000 kip or more must be declared to customs on arrival on the customs declaration form.
• Failure to declare or a false declaration is fined, and undeclared cash or valuables may be seized.
• The import of Lao kip and foreign currency is regulated by the Bank of the Lao PDR; check current rules before travel.
Prohibited
• Narcotics, including opium, cannabis and cocaine
• Weapons of all kinds, ammunition and military vehicles
• Highly dangerous chemicals
• Destructive fishing tools
• Pornographic material
• E-cigarettes (vapes), heated tobacco products and shisha (water-pipe tobacco)
Restricted
• Goods on the prohibited list may be imported only with an authorization issued by the Government of the Lao PDR on a case-by-case basis.
• Trade in wild animals and plants listed in CITES Appendix I, and in products made from them, is banned. Other CITES-listed species need a CITES permit.
• Personal belongings of travelers are exempt from customs duties.
• 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco leaves.
• Up to 2 L of alcoholic beverages, 3 L of wine and 5 L of beer.
• Perfume and fragrant oils: one item of each.
• Goods above these allowances must be declared to customs on the prescribed form.
Currency
• Cash in any currency, precious metals and stones (gold or silver bars and items, diamonds, gems) and bearer negotiable instruments (traveler's checks, bank checks, money orders, bonds) worth 100,000,000 kip or more must be declared to customs on arrival on the customs declaration form.
• Failure to declare or a false declaration is fined, and undeclared cash or valuables may be seized.
• The import of Lao kip and foreign currency is regulated by the Bank of the Lao PDR; check current rules before travel.
Prohibited
• Narcotics, including opium, cannabis and cocaine
• Weapons of all kinds, ammunition and military vehicles
• Highly dangerous chemicals
• Destructive fishing tools
• Pornographic material
• E-cigarettes (vapes), heated tobacco products and shisha (water-pipe tobacco)
Restricted
• Goods on the prohibited list may be imported only with an authorization issued by the Government of the Lao PDR on a case-by-case basis.
• Trade in wild animals and plants listed in CITES Appendix I, and in products made from them, is banned. Other CITES-listed species need a CITES permit.