URL: https://esimgo.in/international-sim/laos/
Buy: https://esimgo.in/esim-laos/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 13 Oct 2026

# Laos SIM card for Indian travellers: Jio and Airtel roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Jio and Airtel sell packs that cover Laos, but Vi's prepaid T&C list no pack for Laos (as listed on 13 Oct 2026). On Jio, the World Pack gives 2 GB over 14 days for ₹1,499, and a ₹599 data pack gives 1 GB with no calls. A data-only eSIM for Laos installed in India starts at ≈ ₹574 (12 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$5.99 by card.

## Laos eSIM or local SIM: what Indian travellers need

Getting around Laos by map, ride app or messenger takes mobile data, not a Lao number. Install a Laos eSIM in India and it is ready when you land, with your Indian SIM left in the phone for bank OTPs. A Laos tourist SIM is worth it only if people in Laos need to ring you locally. Travelling on to a neighbouring country? Our [guides to other destinations](/international-sim/) cover it.

Our Laos plans use ETL, one of the local networks, on 4G, with data only and no calls or SMS. The range covers six fixed-data plans, 1 GB for 7 days to 20 GB for 30 days, and five unlimited data plans of 3 to 15 days. The 7-day unlimited plan is ≈ ₹3,782 (12 Oct rate), charged US$39.49, and it drops to 1 Mbps once 3 GB a day is used. Hotspot / tethering use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule. With no coverage data for rural Laos in our catalogue, check a remote route with us first.

## Jio and Airtel packs in Laos, and why Vi prepaid has none (checked 13 Oct 2026)

Jio sells two pack families with data that list Laos: the World Pack and the data packs. Its 100-country and 75-country packs leave Laos out. Airtel's one country list includes it. Vi's prepaid T&C list no pack for Laos. The four rows below cost ₹599 to ₹2,899 as listed on 13 Oct 2026.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

| Pack | Price | Data · days | Calls · SMS | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jio data pack | ₹599 | 1 GB · 7 days | no calls | about ₹599 | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Jio World Pack | ₹1,499 | 2 GB · 14 days | 100 min + incoming · 100 SMS | about ₹750 | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Jio World Pack | ₹2,899 | 5 GB · 30 days | 100 min out + 100 in · 100 SMS | about ₹580 | [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Airtel prepaid IR, 5 days | ₹998 | 4 GB · 5 days | 150 min · 20 SMS | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C PDF](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |

Each row links the operator's document, read on 13 Oct 2026; the per-GB column is our derivation (price ÷ GB). Apart from Jio's data pack, every row carries minutes on your Indian number, which our data-only eSIM does not. Airtel's T&C are dated 24 Sep 2026 and its FAQ page still shows older prices; the same Airtel pack set serves every covered country, the cheapest being ₹698 for 1 GB over a day.

A Vi prepaid customer has no pack to buy for Laos, and without a pack Vi keeps mobile data off. Vi's postpaid table lists Laos in Set 2, and we could not confirm that this table is current.

On 12 Oct 2026 Airtel's ₹998 pack came to about ₹250 per GB, while our Laos plan with 5 GB over 30 days cost ≈ ₹1,771 (12 Oct rate), about ₹354 (US$3.70) per GB, charged US$18.49, plus any [markup your card issuer applies](/how-to-pay/forex-markup/). For a short trip that needs about 4 GB, Airtel's pack is the better choice, and it carries 150 minutes.

Data plan validity starts at different points. Jio states: "Your plan validity begins only with your first usage—call, text, or data." Airtel prepaid packs can be booked up to 30 days before travel; if you do not travel within 30 days, the pack expires with no reimbursement, and validity starts when the phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage. Our plan starts with its first connection to a Lao network. Jio's other packs: [Jio roaming page](/roaming/jio/).

## Laos with Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia: country plans or the Asia plan

The [Asia plan](/esim-asia/) lists Laos together with Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia among 18 places, so one eSIM serves an overland route through all four. It sells no unlimited rows. A Thai, Vietnamese or Cambodian country plan lists its own country only, not Laos.

On 12 Oct 2026 the Asia plan cost less than the Laos plan on all six rows the two share. On the 5 GB, 30-day row: ≈ ₹861 (12 Oct rate) on the Asia plan against ≈ ₹1,771 (12 Oct rate) on the Laos plan. On the 10 GB row: ≈ ₹1,340 (12 Oct rate) against ≈ ₹2,777 (12 Oct rate). The Laos plan adds unlimited data plans and a named host network.

For Laos plus [Thailand](/international-sim/thailand/), the two 5 GB country plans cost ≈ ₹1,771 (12 Oct rate) and ≈ ₹622 (12 Oct rate), charged US$18.49 and US$6.49. Together that was more than the Asia plan's 5 GB row at ≈ ₹861 (12 Oct rate), charged US$8.99 (our addition). The Asia plan lists India, so keep its line switched off until you land abroad; on Android its access point name is entered by hand. Neighbours: [Vietnam](/international-sim/vietnam/), [Cambodia](/international-sim/cambodia/), [Asia SIM card guide](/international-sim/asia/).

## Local SIM after landing vs an eSIM bought in India

A local SIM on arrival fits a long stay that needs Lao calls. Bought as a physical Laos SIM card from a local operator, it needs a free slot, and in a single-slot phone it displaces your Indian SIM until you swap back, OTPs included. We quote no Laos SIM card price in kip because we have not verified one.

## Setting up the Laos eSIM before you fly

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land in Laos. See whether your phone is on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/), purchase on the [Laos eSIM page](/esim-laos/), then complete the QR code install on home Wi-Fi. The days count from the first connection to a Lao network, so an install at home spends none.

After you land, switch data roaming on for the eSIM line. The Laos plan sets its access point name automatically on iPhone and Android. Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

## Bank OTPs and your Indian number in Laos

OTP texts from your bank go to your Indian number; the Laos eSIM takes no SMS, so it never sees them. Leave the Indian SIM in as a second line with mobile data switched off, and ask your operator if SMS reaches you in Laos on your plan. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you.

Airtel's ₹118 prepaid IR activation lasts 28 days at standard rates, "allows unlimited incoming SMS" and needs an active base pack. For Jio, the MyJio app shows what your plan allows. Dual-SIM settings are in the [OTP guide](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/).

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

## Sources

Checked on 13 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio IR plans](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n); country lists of the [100-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-new-packs.pdf), [75-country](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-32.pdf), [World Pack](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/continents-pack-details.pdf) and [data-pack](https://jep-asset.akamaized.net/jio/plan/ir-covered-country-list-70.pdf) offers
2. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf)
3. [Vi prepaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) and [Vi postpaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_Postpaid_IR_T&C.pdf)

## FAQ

### Will my Jio SIM work in Laos?

A Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM works once international roaming is on, but for mobile data plan on a roaming pack: without one, Airtel bars prepaid data abroad and Vi keeps mobile data off. Jio's World Pack and data packs list Laos; its 100-country and 75-country packs do not.

### Does Vi international roaming cover Laos?

Not on prepaid: Vi's prepaid T&C list no pack for Laos, and with no pack Vi keeps mobile data off. Its postpaid table lists Laos in Set 2, and we could not confirm that this table is current.

### When do the days on a Laos eSIM start?

They start with the first connection to a network in Laos. Installing at home before the flight leaves them untouched.

### Can I get OTPs and use WhatsApp with a Laos eSIM?

WhatsApp messages go over the eSIM's data. OTPs reach your Indian number by SMS, which this eSIM cannot receive, so keep the Indian SIM active in the phone.

### Is one eSIM enough for Laos and Thailand?

Yes with the Asia plan, which lists Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia; it has no unlimited plans. The Laos plan covers Laos only.

### Does my phone support eSIM?

Our eSIM phone list shows whether your exact model takes an eSIM; a model not listed should be treated as no.