--- title: "Laos Long-term visa I-B3 requirements 2026: from $20k needed" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/i-b3-long-term-visa/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-11 --- 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 11 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **Savings needed:** from $20k (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.) - **First stay:** 1 yr (Six-month stay for USD 20,000 or one-year stay for USD 40,000.) - **Who can apply:** Any passport ## 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+** - $20,000 Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay. - $40,000 Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay. **Renewal: Renewable** You can apply for an extension with the immigration police before your stay expires. The length of each extension is set by separate regulations. [Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration](https://api.immigration.gov.la/client/law/file/%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%81%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%BB%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%94%C3%A0%C2%BB%C2%9D%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%B2%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%8D-59-r17g2an4cb.pdf) **Where to apply: From abroad** Lao embassies and consulates, and visa-on-arrival checkpoints, issue this visa category only with the concurrence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration](https://api.immigration.gov.la/client/law/file/%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%81%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%BB%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%94%C3%A0%C2%BB%C2%9D%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%B2%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%8D-59-r17g2an4cb.pdf) **Presence rules: Stay 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. [Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration](https://api.immigration.gov.la/client/law/file/%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%81%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%BB%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%94%C3%A0%C2%BB%C2%9D%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%B2%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%8D-59-r17g2an4cb.pdf) ## 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 apply - A separate basis is a good contribution to national protection and development, including benefits to Laos with a long-stay purpose. #### What you must show - 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. #### Steps 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. ## 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 not** Foreign 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/tax/) Tax records checked 12 Oct 2026 **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. (sources 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. (source 1) - Savings of at least $40,000 · Money held in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay. (source 1) #### Requirements - A separate basis is a good contribution to national protection and development, including benefits to Laos with a long-stay purpose. (source 1) - Hold USD 20,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a six-month stay. (source 1) - Hold USD 40,000 in an account at a bank in Laos for a one-year stay. (source 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. (source 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. Checked 2026-10-11 ## Official sources 1. [Law on Immigration and Foreigner Management of the Lao PDR No. 59/NA of 26 December 2014 (English edition)](https://api.immigration.gov.la/client/law/file/%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%81%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%BB%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%94%C3%A0%C2%BB%C2%9D%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%B2%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%8D-59-r17g2an4cb.pdf) · Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2014-12-26 2. [Visas: categories of the Lao PDR](https://www.immigration.gov.la/en/visas) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/thailand/ltr-wealthy-pensioner/) Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Long-stay visitor (JPY 30M)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/japan/designated-activities-long-stay/) Japan | Needs savings of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 1 yr | Limited | | [Second Home visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/indonesia/e33-second-home/) Indonesia | Needs savings of $130k+ | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Retirement visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-arab-emirates/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 [SEZ property owner visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/sez-real-estate-visa/) [Investor business visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/ni-b2-investor/) [Investor long stay · $15M](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/investor-long-term-concession/) [Expert visa E-B2](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/e-b2-expert-visa/) [Technical staff visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/la-b2-technical-visa/) [Student visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/laos/st-b2-student/) ## Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere [🇲🇾 MM2H Gold](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/malaysia/mm2h-gold/) [🇵🇭 SRRV Classic](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/philippines/srrv/) [🇰🇭 Retirement extension (ER)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/cambodia/er-retirement-extension/) [🇳🇵 Residential visa · no business](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/nepal/residential-visa-no-business/) [🇫🇯 Assured income residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/fiji/retirement-assured-income/) [🇧🇭 Golden · Non-resident retiree](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/bahrain/golden-retiree-nonresident/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## 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. 1. [Law on Immigration and Foreigner Management of the Lao PDR No. 59/NA of 26 December 2014 (English edition)](https://api.immigration.gov.la/client/law/file/%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%81%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%BB%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%94%C3%A0%C2%BB%C2%9D%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%B2%C3%A0%C2%BA%C2%8D-59-r17g2an4cb.pdf) · Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration · checked 2026-10-10 2. [Visas: categories of the Lao PDR](https://www.immigration.gov.la/en/visas) · Department of Immigration, Lao PDR · checked 2026-10-10 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.