Laos · Retire or live on savings
Laos Long-term visa I-B3
Savings needed: from $20k
Long-term visa (I-B3)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Long-term visa I-B3 is a retire or live on savings route for Laos. Applicants need savings from $20k. You can stay 1 yr. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- from $20k
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
Shown, not spent$20k+ · $40k+
- $20,000Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay.
- $40,000Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay.
RenewalRenewable
You can apply for an extension with the immigration police before your stay expires. The length of each extension is set by separate regulations.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Lao embassies and consulates, and visa-on-arrival checkpoints, issue this visa category only with the concurrence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Presence rulesStay rule
The foreigner management police register your stay by stamping your passport for each 90 days, and holders of this visa can obtain a stay permit card.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Laos, not after arriving
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- A separate basis is a good contribution to national protection and development, including benefits to Laos with a long-stay purpose.
What you must show2
- Hold USD 20,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay.
- Hold USD 40,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay.
Steps1
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs concurs in the issue of this visa, as for all visas other than tourist, short-term and transit visas.
What happens at day 183
How Laos decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in a within the year, continuous or notForeign national working in Laos but paid abroad becomes liable to Lao income tax (Law on Income Tax, Article 32).
- Foreign-source income
Income of foreign nationals working in Laos is taxed in Laos, and foreign nationals paid from abroad are taxed in Laos once they stay more than 183 days in a year.
All tax rules for Laos Tax records checked
Full official text
Visa for foreigners with a long-stay purpose in Laos who hold money in a Lao bank account: at least USD 20,000 for a six-month stay or USD 40,000 for a one-year stay. It is also issued to people who contribute to national protection and development. 1 2
What you must show
- Savings of at least $20,000 · Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay. 1
- Savings of at least $40,000 · Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay. 1
Requirements
- A separate basis is a good contribution to national protection and development, including benefits to Laos with a long-stay purpose. 1
- Hold USD 20,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay. 1
- Hold USD 40,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay. 1
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs concurs in the issue of this visa, as for all visas other than tourist, short-term and transit visas. 1
Stay
- Six-month stay for USD 20,000 or one-year stay for USD 40,000.
- First stay: 6 to 12 months, decided case by case.
Official sources
- Law on Immigration and Foreigner Management of the Lao PDR No. 59/NA of 26 December 2014 (English edition) · Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2014-12-26
- Visas: categories of the Lao PDR · Department of Immigration, Lao PDR · checked 2026-10-10
Long-term visa I-B3 and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term visa I-B3 | Needs savings from $20k | 1 yr | – |
| LTR · Wealthy Pensioner Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Long-stay visitor (JPY 30M) Japan | Needs savings of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 1 yr | Limited |
| Second Home visa Indonesia | Needs savings of $130k+ | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Retirement visa United Arab Emirates | Needs income of AED 240k+ a year ≈ $65k | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Long-term visa I-B3?
Savings of at least $20,000. Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay. Savings of at least $40,000. Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay.
How long can I stay on the Long-term visa I-B3?
Six-month stay for USD 20,000 or one-year stay for USD 40,000.
How are Long-term visa I-B3 holders taxed in Laos?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Long-term visa I-B3. The standard rules apply: Monthly employment income up to LAK 2,500,000 (≈ $110) is taxed at 0%, with progressive rates of 5% to 25% above that. Income of foreign nationals working in Laos is taxed in Laos, and foreign nationals paid from abroad are taxed in Laos once they stay more than 183 days in a year.
More in Laos
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law on Immigration and Foreigner Management of the Lao PDR No. 59/NA of 26 December 2014 (English edition) · Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration · checked 2026-10-10
- Visas: categories of the Lao PDR · Department of Immigration, Lao PDR · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.