The weather forecast for Vietnam was looking very bad so we decided to leave Vietnam a few days before we had initially planned to. Unfortunately, due to Covid the border crossing we wanted to use was closed so we had to aim for Lao Bao.
🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む: ベトナムからラオスへ陸路国境超え:ラオバオ〜デンサバーン、そして寝台バスで一気にサワンナケートまで行ってみた
- Exit Vietnam: Lao Bao Checkpoint.
- Neutral Zone: Walking from Vietnam to Laos (approx. 200–500m).
- Enter Laos: Dansavan Checkpoint (Visa on Arrival available here).
- Visa for Border Crossing from Vietnam to Laos
- Preparing to Apply for a 30-day Visa for Laos
- How to Get the Lao Bao Border Checkpoint from Hue
- Minibus to the Laobao Border Checkpoint
- The Journey from Hue to Lao Bao
- Crossing the Vietnamese and Lao borders
- Laos Visa on Arrival Fee at Dansavan Border
- From Lao Dansavan Border to Savannakhet
Visa for Border Crossing from Vietnam to Laos
At the time of writing this blog post, Japanese passport holders do not need to obtain a visa for Laos if their stay is for tourism purposes and lasts 15 days or less. However, as I am British, I am required to have a Laos visa. Futhermore, as it is highly likely that we will stay for longer than 15 days, Mai will need to get a 30-day visa anyway.
Before the pandemic, there were six border crossings open between Vietnam and Laos. However, there are currently (2022 Dec) only two checkpoints that issue visas on arrival. We crossed at the Lao Bao border checkpoint, which is located south of those two checkpoints.
Preparing to Apply for a 30-day Visa for Laos
You can get an arrival visa at the Lao Bao checkpoint. To do so, you will need two passport-sized photographs and a passport with at least six months’ validity remaining.
As we didn’t have any passport-sized photographs with us, we had to have some taken in the centre of Hue. Luckily, we found a studio that took passport photos and had them taken there.
Minh Quyen Photo Studio
093 526 72 32
The cost of the passport photos was 40,000 kip per person, so 80,000 kip for the two of us.
The fee for a 30-day visa for Laos is US$40 (depending on nationality).
Always bring clean, crisp USD bills. The immigration officers can be very picky and may reject notes that have even small tears or marks. Also, try to have the exact change to avoid “rounding up” errors by the officers!
How to Get the Lao Bao Border Checkpoint from Hue
There are buses running from Hue to Lao Bao. According to the staff at the guesthouse, there is only one bus a day, but we later found out this wasn’t true.
In any case, there was little information available and no other options, so we had to choose a minibus that would pick us up from the guesthouse at around 8 am.
The fare was 320,000 Vietnamese dong per person. We managed to get a discount, bringing it down to 300,000 dong, but this is actually three to five times the price paid by locals.
If you want the cheapest fare, buy your ticket at the Northern Bus Station in Hue, where the buses to Lao Bao depart.
A minibus picked us up at 08:15 from our hotel and took us to another minibus at a location in Hue. We then waited until 09:00 before heading to the north bus station. We then waited until 10:00 before leaving.
I think that there are several minibuses leaving daily so just come directly to the north bus station, buy your ticket and get on the bus!
Minibus to the Laobao Border Checkpoint
The bus from Hue to the Lao Bao border checkpoint is a 15-seater minivan.
When we arrived at the bus stop, there were no passengers yet, so we had to wait a little while before setting off. We actually left at just before 9 o’clock in the morning.
The bus headed back into the city centre and drove slowly around, picking up passengers along the way. We then arrived at the main bus terminal, the North Terminal.
Budget Update (May 2026):
While you might find older information online suggesting a price of 100,000 VND, the current rate in 2026 is typically between 150,000 and 200,000 VND due to inflation. If you’re quoted 100,000 VND, you’ve found a lucky bargain! However, if someone asks for more than 300,000 VND, there is definitely room for negotiation.
The Journey from Hue to Lao Bao
We left the guesthouse in Hue at 8.15 am. We set off from the North Bus Terminal at 10 am. We’d already wasted some time by this point, but the bus continued to plod along at a leisurely pace, picking up and dropping off passengers and luggage as usual.
The first half of the three hour long journey is not so exciting as it goes along the main road to Dong Ha. The second half is quite beautiful as the road winds it’s way inland through the mountains to the border.
We arrived at the Lao Bao border crossing at 1 pm.
Crossing the Vietnamese and Lao borders
As soon as we arrived at the Vietnamese immigration counter, a Vietnamese woman holding a wad of Lao kip approached us. She offered to exchange our Vietnamese dong for Lao kip, but she was incredibly persistent. What’s more, the exchange rate was bound to be poor, so we simply ignored her and carried on.
Exiting Vietnam was very straightforward. First our passport was checked briefly to get us through to the Immigration area. A Vietnamese official took our passports when we entered the Immigration building. He reviewed them and passed them on to an underling who stamped us out.
We then walked the 500 metres or so across no man’s land and entered the Lao Immigration building. There were no queues and the Immigration Officer gave us entry forms to complete and submit with a passport photo.
He entered the full page visa into our passports and stamped us in. The first time back in Laos for me for 26 years and 9 years for Mai.
Laos Visa on Arrival Fee at Dansavan Border
Getting a Laos Visa on Arrival at the Dansavan border (opposite Lao Bao) is generally straightforward, but you need to be prepared with the right currency and a little extra for fees.
How much does a 30-day Laos Visa Cost? (2026 Update)
As of 2026, the standard fee for a 30-day tourist visa is $40 USD for most nationalities (including British and Canadian citizens).
When crossing a land border, expect to pay a few extra dollars on top of the base visa fee:
- Overtime/Service Fee: Around $2 USD. This is often charged if you cross on a weekend, a public holiday, or outside of “standard” office hours (usually before 8:00 AM or after 4:00 PM).
- Entry Stamp Fee: You may be asked for another $1–$2 USD for the actual entry stamp in your passport.
Critical Checklist for a Smooth Entry
- Passport Photos: Bring at least two recent passport-sized photos. If you forget them, you can usually pay an extra $2–$5 fee to have your passport scanned, but it’s cheaper and faster to bring your own.
- Pristine USD Bills: This is the most important rule! Ensure your dollar bills are clean, crisp, and new. Immigration officers in Laos are known to reject bills that have tiny tears, folds, or ink marks.
- Exact Change: Try to have the exact amount ready. Change is often given in Lao Kip at a poor rate, or not given at all.
To be safe, we recommend having $45–$50 USD per person in cash in a secure part of your bag. This covers your visa, all processing fees, and gives you a small buffer for any unexpected “service charges” at the checkpoint.
Best currency to pay for Laos Visa
When you arrive at the Dansavan border checkpoint, you will be given the option to pay for your 30-day visa in several currencies, including US Dollars (USD), Thai Baht (THB), or Vietnamese Dong (VND).
However, not all currencies are created equal. Here is why your choice of cash matters:
1. US Dollars (USD) – The Best Value
The official visa fee is set in US Dollars (usually $40 USD in 2026). If you pay in USD, you pay exactly the official rate.
- Verdict: Highly Recommended. It is the cheapest and most straightforward way to pay.
2. Thai Baht (THB) – The “Convenience Tax”
Because Laos has close economic ties with Thailand, Baht is widely accepted. However, the border officers use a very poor exchange rate. For a $40 visa, they might ask for 1,500 – 1,600 THB.
- The Maths: At current rates, 1,500 THB is roughly $48 USD.
- Verdict: You end up paying an extra $8 USD just for the convenience of using Baht.
3. Vietnamese Dong (VND) – The Most Expensive Option
Since you are coming from Hue, you likely have plenty of Dong. While the officers may accept it, the rate is usually the worst of all.
- The Maths: Expect to pay a premium of 20% to 30% over the USD price.
- Verdict: Only use VND as a last resort if you have no other cash.
From Lao Dansavan Border to Savannakhet
We had initially planned to walk into the town about two Kms away to go to the ATM and get some money out. However, there was a bus leaving from the border which had come from Da Nang, Vietnam and heading to Savannakhet.
We negotiated the price a bit and used up the last of our VND(about $8 USD), as well as $10 USD in cash. The bus was pretty expensive because it was a sleeper bus. Completely unnecessary for our needs, but what the hell as it was very convenient.
Shoes were not allowed inside the bus. You take your shoes off at the entrance, where you are given a yellow plastic bag and asked to put your shoes inside.
The journey from the border should normally take about 5-6 hours, but our driver raced on without stopping and did it in 3.
It was great to arrive in Savannakhet and be greeted to 30C and dry weather! A good decision!
We walked twenty minutes to the Leena Guesthouse and got an Aircon room…100,000 kip compared to 60,000 kip…$5.80 USD instead of $3.48 USD. Good to be back! (Ironically we hardly used the Aircon:)
Next up: We hired bikes in Savannakhet and went sightseeing! You can read about Savannakhet’s top attractions in the blog post below.
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