Laos Civil Registration

There are no central registries of vital records in Laos. There are no standard forms for any civil record other than the Household Registry Book and national Identification Card. Documents can be obtained only by those applying in person and resident in Laos, and occasionally by family members applying in person. All documents should be considered unavailable to applicants outside of Laos.

Documents regarding events that took place before 1975 are unavailable. The Japanese Army destroyed virtually all extant French colonial records when it invaded Laos in World War II. When the Pathet Lao came to power in 1975, they destroyed most extant records of the former Royal government.