How to send money to Laos in 2026: the kip reference rate, the dollar as a second currency and a flat for a foreigner
In 2026 a Lao bank receives a transfer to your account in 1-3 business days in dollars or kip and exchanges dollars into kip at a rate close to the reference rate the Bank of the Lao PDR announces daily. Up to $10,000 details and a short explanation are enough.
In short
- The Bank of the Lao PDR reference rate on 7 October 2026: 22,368 kip per dollar.
- Since 3 January 2025 the kip is the main currency for prices, and the dollar is second.
- Exchanging $10,000 there and back at Bank of the Lao PDR rates costs $100.
- A foreigner buys a flat in a residential complex under the land law, with the procedure in place since 1 February 2024.
In detail
Money is sent to Laos to an account at a Lao bank in dollars or kip: a transfer takes 1-3 business days, and it is exchanged into kip at the rate the Bank of the Lao PDR sets every day. The reference rate on 7 October 2026 is 22,368 kip per dollar. Within the country prices are written in kip, and the dollar serves as a second currency for hotels, tourism, visas and payments to the state.
| Method | In 2026 | Currency | Timing | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer to your own account in Laos | works | dollars or kip | 1-3 business days | account number, an 8 or 11 character bank code, name |
| Exchanging dollars at a bank in Laos | at the bank's rate close to the reference rate | kip | on the day you apply | a bank account and a passport |
| Money transfer service | works | dollars, kip | from minutes to a day | the recipient's name and ID document |
| Paying a developer for a flat | since 1 February 2024 under the decree on residential complexes | dollars or kip under the contract | 1-3 business days | a contract, papers on the origin of the money |
The reference rate of the Bank of the Lao PDR on 7 October 2026 is 22,368 kip per dollar. The rows were checked on 8 October 2026, and dollar sums are rounded up.
Kip first, dollar second: Laos currency rules since 2025
The 2022 law on foreign exchange management and Bank of the Lao PDR decision No. 11 of 3 January 2025 make the kip the country's main currency: prices, price tags and advertising are in kip, and foreign currency stands next to it in second place. Dollars are paid where this is expressly allowed: hotels and tourism, visas and entry fees, payments to the state, imported goods and services.
For a transfer this means a simple set-up: money arrives in a dollar account and stays in dollars, and is exchanged into kip in parts as expenses arise. The reference rate of the Bank of the Lao PDR moved by less than 0.1% in a week in early October 2026:
| Date | Reference rate, kip per dollar |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2026 | 22,357 |
| 6 October 2026 | 22,375 |
| 7 October 2026 | 22,368 |
| 9 October 2026 | 22,379 |
The Bank of the Lao PDR itself bought the dollar at 22,376 kip on 9 October 2026 and sold it at 22,599, a difference of 1%. Exchanging $10,000 into kip and back loses 2,230,000 kip, or $100, so a large sum is exchanged once and for a specific payment.
Does the bank in your country not work with Laos directly? A route can be found through a bank in a third country: a manager will find a legal route for the sum, currency and payment date.
A flat in Vientiane for a foreigner: what the land law gives
The 2019 land law, in force since 27 August 2020, gave a foreigner the right to buy a flat in a residential complex, and the decree on residential complexes, in force since 1 February 2024, set out the procedure for purchase and registration. A foreign buyer owns the flat itself, while the land under the building stays with the developer; the flat can be sold, rented out, mortgaged and inherited.
If the land is owned by a Lao developer, the right to the flat lasts for the whole service life of the building. The deal is paid by transfer to the developer under the contract, so the money is brought to an account in Laos in advance together with papers on the origin of the funds.
Life in the capital is described in the Vientiane guide.
We will help you send money to Laos
Mistakes cost more than fees: the whole sum exchanged into kip at once and 1% lost on the way back, a payment to the developer in a currency not in the contract, a transfer through a chain of banks with extra fees, a Lao bank without statements tracing the money. We will help you avoid them: we choose a legal transfer route from your country, prepare documents on the origin of the money for the Lao bank and the developer and carry out the transfer through licensed partners through to crediting.
Details and the cost are with a manager in the chat: the calculation depends on the amount, the currency and the sending country.
How many papers a Lao bank will ask for: from $10,000 to a deal
A Lao bank asks about the money in more detail the larger the sum. In 2026:
| Amount | What a bank in Laos will ask | What to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $10,000 | the purpose and the recipient | details and a short explanation |
| $10,000-$100,000 | where the money comes from | six-month statements, an income certificate |
| From $100,000 | the whole chain up to the developer | a contract with the developer, a contract for the sale of previous property, a tax return |
How to prove where the money comes from is covered in proof of source of funds, sending a large sum abroad and moving home sale proceeds abroad.
Buying a flat in Vientiane or sending $100,000 or more to Laos for your own business? A manager will put together the papers on the origin of the money for the Lao bank and the developer and carry out the transfer through licensed partners through to crediting; moving capital is on the capital relocation page.
Onward from Vientiane: where transfers go
From Laos money is most often sent for studies and to relatives working abroad:
- South Korea - an incoming transfer with no amount limit
- Japan - yen to an account at a Japanese bank
- Australia - Australian dollars to an account
- USA - deposits insured up to $250,000
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- Thailand - baht or foreign currency to your own account
- Vietnam - dong at the bank's rate
- China - yuan and exchange up to $50,000 a year
- Myanmar - at the market rate through a bank
- Singapore - Singapore dollars in minutes
- Cambodia - US dollars to an account
Moving capital in full follows the plan on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
What is the kip reference rate to the dollar in October 2026?
Can you pay in dollars within Laos?
Can a foreigner buy a flat in Laos?
How much is lost exchanging dollars into kip and back?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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