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Laos visa photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR for the Laos visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Laos visa photo?

For the official Lao e-Visa you upload a colour photo of 4 x 6 cm taken in the last 6 months, with a plain white background, no shadows, a neutral expression and both eyes open. Embassies set their own sizes: Washington asks for two 2 x 2 inch photos with a white background, and Geneva's English page asks for two 4 x 6 cm photos. We found no official photo rule for visa on arrival.

A foreign visitor to Laos can get a visa three ways. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the official e-Visa portal, launched on 9 July 2019, which issues a single-entry tourist visa for 30 days to holders of ordinary passports. Lao embassies issue visas on paper. At the border, a visa on arrival is the fallback when you enter at a port that does not accept the e-Visa.

The photo depends on the route. The portal asks you to upload the picture, and its information page says the size must be 4 x 6 cm, citing the ICAO standard for photographs. Paper applications at embassies need printed photos stapled or attached to the form, and the size is not the same everywhere: the Washington embassy says 2 x 2 inches, while the Geneva mission's English page says 4 x 6 cm and its French page says 3 x 4 cm.

Take care over the website you use. The official portal's address ends in gov.la, and it describes itself as the official online platform of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other websites that sell help with Lao visas are not the official portal.

Laos visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR:[1]

Print sizee-Visa: 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm); Washington: 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm); Geneva: 4 x 6 cm in English, 3 x 4 cm in French
Digital sizee-Visa: a scanned colour copy of the photo; no pixel size published
BackgroundWhite (e-Visa: "plain white background"; Washington: "white background")
Coloure-Visa: colour photo
Photo ageTaken within the last 6 months (e-Visa and Washington embassy)
File sizee-Visa: no file size limit published
Print qualityEmbassies: two printed photos with the form; e-Visa: no shadows on the photo
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white.

Key requirements

  • The e-Visa checklist

    The portal's FAQ says the photo must be 4 x 6 cm, in colour, taken within the last 6 months, with no shadows and a plain white background. You must face the camera, keep a neutral expression and have both eyes open.

  • The portal's sample sheet

    The sheet marks these as wrong: a blurred, washed-out or overlit picture, an upside-down picture, a face that is too small, hair covering part of the face and a covered face.

  • Glasses on the sample sheet

    The sheet marks tinted glasses, reflections on the lenses and frames that cover the eyes as wrong. It shows clear glasses with a thin frame that leaves the eyes visible as acceptable.

  • Washington: two 2 x 2 inch photos

    The embassy's visa information asks for two photos of 2 x 2 inches with a white background, taken within 6 months, with the face, eyes and ears clearly visible.

  • Geneva: the size differs by language

    The mission's English page asks for two photos of 4 x 6 cm, its French page asks for two of 3 x 4 cm, and the photo box on its form says 2 x 2 inches. Ask the mission which one it applies.

  • Tourist visas on ordinary passports

    The e-Visa FAQ says you can apply only for a tourist visa and only on an ordinary passport. The Washington embassy says a multiple-entry visa, or a stay beyond 30 days, needs a paper application.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check that the web address ends in gov.la before you upload anything.
  • Face the camera with both eyes open and a neutral expression.
  • Use a plain white background and avoid shadows.
  • Take the photo within 6 months of applying.
  • Ask the embassy for its photo size before you print for a paper application.

Don't

  • Do not wear tinted glasses or glasses that reflect light.
  • Do not let hair fall across your face.
  • Do not cover your face.
  • Do not upload a blurred, washed-out or overlit photo.
  • Do not upload a photo that is upside down.

Sample photos

How a Laos visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

For the e-Visa, the portal's sample sheet is the guide. It rejects tinted glasses, reflections on the lenses and frames that cover the eyes. It shows clear glasses with a thin frame, and the eyes fully visible, as acceptable. The embassy pages we read say nothing about glasses.

Headwear and religious dress

The e-Visa sample sheet rejects a face covered by a cloth and accepts a head covering that leaves the whole face visible. We found no wording about hats or other headwear on the embassy pages.

Babies and children

The e-Visa FAQ says all applicants, including children and infants, must have a visa, and that one invoice can cover up to 20 people. It sets no separate photo rule for children, so each child needs a photo that meets the same list as an adult's.

If you apply on the e-Visa portal, the photo is a digital image. The FAQ says applicants submit scanned colour copies of their documents and the photo. No pixel size or maximum file size is published. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to the 4 x 6 cm proportion before you upload it.

If you apply at an embassy, you attach printed photos to the paper form. Washington wants two of 2 x 2 inches, and Geneva's English page wants two of 4 x 6 cm. Have the prints made at the size your embassy names, since the sizes differ.

Where to submit the photo

Online: on laoevisa.gov.la. You fill in the application, upload the documents, pay online and download the approval letter, which you print and show at one of the designated entry ports. The FAQ says embassies cannot be asked about the status of an e-Visa.

At an embassy: you send or hand in the form with the photos and your passport. Washington and Geneva both say that applications sent by post need a prepaid return envelope. On arrival: the e-Visa FAQ mentions a visa on arrival lane and says you apply for one if you enter at a port that does not accept the e-Visa. No official page we read states a photo size for it.

How to get your Laos visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Laos visa: 40 × 60 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the e-Visa checklist; the portal's sample sheet; glasses on the sample sheet; washington: two 2 x 2 inch photos.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. If you apply on the e-Visa portal, the photo is a digital image. The FAQ says applicants submit scanned colour copies of their documents and the photo. No pixel size or maximum file size is published.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online: on laoevisa.gov.la. You fill in the application, upload the documents, pay online and download the approval letter, which you print and show at one of the designated entry ports. The FAQ says embassies cannot be asked about the status of an e-Visa.

Make this photo online

Laos visa photo FAQ

The portal says 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm), in colour, taken within the last 6 months, with a plain white background and no shadows. Its information page says the size is set by the ICAO standard for photographs.

The Washington embassy asks for two photos of 2 x 2 inches for paper applications, in its visa information and on its form. That is an embassy rule for printed photos, not the portal's rule. Use the size of the route you are applying through.

The only official mention we found is the French-language page of the Lao mission in Geneva. Its English page asks for 4 x 6 cm, and the e-Visa portal asks for 4 x 6 cm. Check with the embassy before you print 3 x 4 cm photos.

White. The e-Visa FAQ says a plain white background, and the Washington embassy's visa information says a white background. The Geneva pages we read do not name a colour.

Only if the lenses are clear, show no reflections and the frame does not cover your eyes. The portal's sample sheet marks tinted lenses, reflections and frames over the eyes as wrong, and shows clear glasses with a thin frame as correct.

The official pages we read do not list a photo size for it. The e-Visa FAQ mentions the visa on arrival lane and says you apply for one at ports that do not accept the e-Visa. Carry a recent photo in case the officer asks.

Yes. Its About page says it is an official online platform, launched by the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs with its partners on 9 July 2019. The Washington embassy also points to it. Other sites that look similar are not official.

Yes. The e-Visa FAQ says children and infants need a visa like adults, and that each applicant uploads documents and a photo. The portal gives no separate photo rule for children, so the same 4 x 6 cm list applies.

Related photo specifications

Other Laos documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR. Information: document information and photograph specifications laoevisa.gov.la. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR. Frequently Asked Questions laoevisa.gov.la. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR. About Lao eVisa laoevisa.gov.la. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of the Lao PDR, Washington, DC. Lao Visa laoembassy.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Lao PDR, Washington, DC. Lao eVisa laoembassy.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Lao PDR, Washington, DC. Visa information and application form laoembassy.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Permanent Mission / Embassy of the Lao PDR, Geneva. Visa laomission.ch. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Permanent Mission / Embassy of the Lao PDR, Geneva. Visa application form laomission.ch. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Lao eVisa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Laos visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/laos/visa-photo

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