Opening a bank account in Laos

Hi all,

is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Laos ?

Which documents are required to open a bank account in Laos ?

How long does it take to open it ?

Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services (loans for instance)  ?

Which bank would you recommend ?

Thanks in advance for your participation,

Julien

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You need to have a business visa or a work permit before you can open a bank account. The banks will ask you for this documentation.
There is one private bank Ihave heard that will let you open an account without the paperwork but it has gone bust once before and as a private bank you will have no recourse to be avle to get your funds back.

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Thank you for your contribution stumpy!

Harmonie.:)

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Hi guys, I found this:

You can now open a Euro currency bank account with DKB, a major German bank, even while you are in Laos. A notary partner in Vientiane verifies your identity and mails your application documents to the bank - free of charge. Withdraw cash KIP from any ATM free of charge.

dkb.webs.com/ for more info

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That's okay but to open an account in a Lao bank you still need the documentation I mentioned in my previous email.
You get very good interest rates from Lao banks

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You may still be able to open a savings account without a work permit, but little else. For loans you would need an established local business or other collateral owned by a Lao citizen/partner.

There's good general information about banks in Laos, fixed deposits for foreigners etc at http://go2c.me/laosbanks

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