Laos

Specific Information

One sea and one air shipment only. Even for those qualifying for duty-free entry, only one sea shipment and one air shipment are permitted duty-free. The owner may import only one of each type of electrical appliance duty-free.

Private company employees must pay duty. Non-citizens employed by private companies in Laos will pay duty on personal effects.

Returning Lao nationals must pay duty on all personal effects.

Non-citizens not employed in Laos must pay duty on personal effects and are subject to cargo inspection by Customs officers.

Transit routing through Thailand: Laos is landlocked. Sea shipments first enter Thailand (typically through the port of Laem Chabang or Bangkok) before being transported in-bond overland to Vientiane. The original bill of lading must show "In-transit to Vientiane, Laos via Bangkok, Thailand" to ensure proper handling and avoid double clearance.

Duties & Taxes

Duty-free import is limited to diplomats and NGO workers. Non-citizens may import used household goods and personal effects duty-free only if they hold diplomatic status or work for a registered non-governmental organization with a tax exemption letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

VAT rate: 10%. Applied to most imports.

Customs duty rates: Tariffs range from 0% to 40% depending on the commodity classification. Average tariff for non-agricultural goods from non-ASEAN countries is approximately 8.3%. ASEAN-origin goods benefit from reduced or zero tariffs under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

Prohibited & Restricted Items

Importing a Used Personal Vehicle

Required Documents

• Title / registration
• Original bill of lading
• Letter of employment
• Import permission (must be obtained before the vehicle arrives)
• Tax exemption letter (if applicable; diplomats and NGOs)
• Vehicle specification: power number, engine number, colour, year, product/make, model

Specific Information

Only foreign diplomats may import a vehicle duty-free.

Second-hand vehicles cannot be imported into Laos, except by diplomats and NGO workers.

Vehicles are subject to duties assessed on the type, age, and engine size. Automobile importers must pay import tax, excise tax, VAT, and potentially a luxury goods tax.

Import permit and tax exemption letter must be obtained before importing the vehicle into Laos.

Pets

• ISO 15-digit microchip (ISO 11784 / Annex A to ISO 11785)
• Rabies vaccination certificate (administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry)
• Veterinary health certificate issued shortly before travel, endorsed by the government veterinary authority in the origination country
• Pet passport (government-issued, if available)
• Import permit from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (takes at least 2 weeks to obtain)

Microchip required. All dogs and cats imported to Laos must be identified with an ISO-compliant microchip. The microchip number must appear on all documentation.

Rabies vaccination: Required for all dogs and cats over 3 months of age. Must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry. Titer test results and veterinary exemption letters are not accepted as substitutes.

Additional vaccinations: Dogs must be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, and parainfluenza. Cats should be vaccinated against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia.

Rabies titer test: Not required from any country. However, Laos is classified by WOAH as a high-rabies-risk country. A titer test may be required for return to the country of origin (particularly the US and EU). Pet owners planning temporary stays should arrange testing before departure.

Parasite treatment: Optional but strongly recommended. Brown tick disease is common in Laos, and all pet owners should protect their pets from external parasites.

Import permit: Must be secured from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries. Processing takes at least 2 weeks.

Quarantine: No quarantine for compliant pets. Non-compliant pets may be quarantined (if facilities are available), returned, or euthanized at the importer's expense.

Entry point: Pets should enter via Wattay International Airport in Vientiane.

Breed restrictions: Laos does not publish a list of banned breeds.

Export from Laos: Requires the same documentation plus an export document from the Livestock Office, which takes at least 7 days to obtain.

Special Categories