Do Australia passport holders need a visa to visit LA?

Australian passport holders need a visa for Laos. The easiest option for a short tourist visit is the official Lao eVisa (Travel Visa) applied for online before departure: single entry, up to 30 days, valid 60 days from issue. Visa on arrival at the three international airports and major land borders is also available as an alternative. Laos does not grant visa-free entry to ordinary Australian passport holders for tourism. Australians have two practical channels for a short stay: the official Lao eVisa (laoevisa.gov.la), a single-entry tourist visa allowing up to 30 days within a 60-day validity window, processed in roughly 3 working days; or a visa on arrival (VoA) obtainable at Wattay (Vientiane), Luang Prabang and Pakse international airports and at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and other designated land/rail crossings. The eVisa is recommended because it removes the need to queue, carry cash and passport photos, and confirms eligibility before you fly; it is also the only option at some crossings (e.g. Boten road/rail). The tourist visa fee for Australians falls in the typical USD 30-50 band, with the eVisa adding a small service/processing charge payable by card. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months with one to two blank pages. The eVisa is single entry, so travellers leaving and re-entering Laos need a fresh visa. No Schengen rules apply (Laos is in Southeast Asia, not Europe). Verified against the official Lao eVisa government portal, the Lao Department of Immigration, and the Wikipedia visa-policy summary as of 30 May 2026; no 2024-2026 change removing the visa requirement for Australians was found, so the conservative, accurate verdict is that a visa (eVisa recommended) is required.