Italy to Laos visa requirements

Italian passport holders need a visa to enter Laos. The simplest option is the official Lao eVisa (laoevisa.gov.la), a single-entry tourist visa applied for online before travel. Visa on arrival is also available at major entry points. Italy is not on the list of countries exempt from Lao visa requirements, so an Italian ordinary passport holder needs a visa for tourism. Laos offers two practical short-stay routes: the official electronic visa (eVisa) obtained in advance at laoevisa.gov.la, and a visa on arrival (VOA) at designated international airports and land/rail borders. The eVisa is the recommended method because it is applied for online before departure, is government-operated, avoids queues at the border, and produces a printable approval emailed to the applicant. It is a single-entry tourist visa valid for 60 days from issue, permitting a stay of up to 30 days, which can be extended once for a further 30 days at the Department of Immigration in Vientiane (60 days total). Official processing is usually 3 working days; allow more time during holidays. The all-in eVisa cost is about USD 50 (a USD 35 government visa fee plus a service/processing fee), payable online by card and non-refundable. Travelers need a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival with at least two blank pages. Note that a 2024 temporary visa-waiver pilot covered some European countries but never included Italy and has expired; there is no current visa-free channel for Italians. Sources consulted: the official Lao eVisa portal, the Lao Department of Immigration, the U.S. State Department country page, and Wikipedia's visa policy of Laos.