Laos and Japan signed an agreement over the weekend that will allow foreigners and long-term residents to resume travel between the two countries as early as September.

The plan of easing travel restrictions was approved by Laos Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and Japan Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during a meeting in Vientiane on Sunday (Aug 23).

Apart from reopening the borders for long-term residents, they also agreed to speed up coordination through diplomatic channels to restart business travel. Even, Lao students holding Japanese government scholarships will be allowed to enter into Japan.

Travelers from Laos and Japan still need to serve stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival in respective country. They also need to show a negative COVID-19 test. Travelers will be required to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures and to have adequate health insurance to cover their travel duration.

However, Director of the Commercial Department of Laos Airlines Mr. Noudeng Chanthaphasouk said yesterday that the state-run Lao Airlines still has no plans to resume flight operations to Japan.

Mr. Noudeng said that Lao Airlines hopes to resume charter flights to South Korea in September, but this will subject to approvals from government. “I think if the situation (Covid-19 pandemic) is improving in neighboring countries and regions, resuming charter flights to South Korea by Lao Airlines in September is possible,” he added.

The airlines of Laos and Vietnam previously planned to reopen international commercial flights between their countries in July, but they had to postpone them due to the surge in infection. Currently, Lao Airlines only operates international flights twice a week every Thursday and Sunday from Vientiane to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.