Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. ned.moic.gov.la
- Check access requirements. Account required: Optional. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 0.00. Payment methods: Unknown.
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: Unknown. English UI: Partial.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: Unknown.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 4 Sept 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. Laos’s official company registry is the National Enterprise Database (NED), operated by the Enterprise Registration and Management Department at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The secure address https://ned.moic.gov.la did not complete a connection when last checked, while the plain address http://ned.moic.gov.la loaded. The English navigation offers Search the Register, but that page arrives with almost no search form on it, and https://ebrs.moic.gov.la, linked from the Lao home page as the new enterprise search, loads only an empty application frame. http://erm.gov.la no longer resolves. Search fees are therefore unknown rather than free; confirm at source. Laos remains on the FATF grey list.
What is the official Laos business registry?
The Enterprise Registration and Management Department (ERMD) under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) operates the central business registry for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The address that answers is http://ned.moic.gov.la; the secure version of the same hostname did not complete a connection when last checked.
The legal basis for business registration is the Enterprise Law of Lao PDR (amended 2019; Decision No. 0023/MOIC.ERMD dated January 9, 2019 covers enterprise registration procedures). The law requires businesses, including sole proprietors, partnerships, limited liability companies, and public companies, to register with the ERMD before commencing operations.
http://bned.moic.gov.la is a separate Business Operating Licenses database; the secure version of that hostname did not complete a connection when last checked. Operating licenses are distinct from enterprise registration.
What can you search?
The English NED home at http://ned.moic.gov.la/index.php/en/ lists Explore Data - Search the Register. The English search page http://ned.moic.gov.la/index.php/en/explore-data-en/search is titled Search the Register but arrives with no usable search form on it.
The Lao home page links a new search at ebrs.moic.gov.la. That host loads only an empty application frame, so the search fields it offers (name, registration number, sector, province) could not be confirmed; confirm at source.
Beneficial ownership data in the free public search layer could not be confirmed; confirm at source.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Cost (LAK) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Public company search (NED) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Certified extract (via agent) | Unknown | Unknown |
The English fees page http://ned.moic.gov.la/index.php/en/registration/fees lists new registration tariffs (for example Individual enterprise 40,000 kip; Company limited 100,000 kip, plus a capital registration scale). Those are incorporation fees, not search fees. No search fee is published on those pages, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source.
Do you need a local account or ID?
The NED home page is reachable without a login. The English navigation includes Login to Enterprise Return Portal, which is a filing path rather than a search requirement. Account rules for the search itself could not be confirmed on either the English search page or the ebrs portal; confirm at source.
Is the website in English?
Partial. The English NED path loads with English navigation (Registration, Explore Data, Search the Register, Fees). Company records are registered in Lao script. Official certificates are in Lao.
What’s the turnaround time?
Unknown. The English search page did not present a working form, and no search turnaround time is published; confirm at source. The “10 working days” language for new registration is an Enterprise Law target for incorporation, not a search turnaround.
Is there an API?
No public API is documented on the English NED pages. The navigation still lists Integrate with the NED, but erm.gov.la, the historic address for that page, no longer resolves.
What you legally cannot do
Bulk automated scraping of the NED portal is not permitted under Laos’s telecommunications and internet-use regulations. Redistribution of enterprise data from the NED for commercial purposes without MOIC authorization is restricted. Laos enacted a Law on Personal Data Protection in 2017. Laos’s FATF grey-list status is the fact most frameworks weight for Lao counterparties; confirm the current listing at source.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- Use the plain address if the secure one does not answer. https://ned.moic.gov.la did not complete a connection when last checked; http://ned.moic.gov.la loaded.
- ebrs loads an empty application frame. It is linked as the new enterprise search, but no search screen appears behind it.
- FATF grey list from February 2025. Confirm current status at FATF’s Lao PDR page.
- Special Economic Zones. Entities in SEZs may have separate licensing in addition to ERMD registration.
- Business Operating Licenses. http://bned.moic.gov.la is a complementary licenses database. The secure version of that hostname did not complete a connection when last checked. For the broader due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.
Alternatives if you cannot access the NED directly
- Aggregator search (indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes some Lao enterprise data but coverage is limited.
- Business Operating Licenses portal (http://bned.moic.gov.la): complementary host for sectoral permits.
- Local agents: Vientiane-based corporate service providers retrieve certified ERMD extracts.
Local data suppliers
No local commercial credit bureaus or registry resellers offering Laos-specific company data in English have been confirmed. The NED is the registry data source that exists; certified extracts come through a Vientiane-based legal practitioner.
FAQ
Can a foreign company access the Laos NED registry directly?
The plain NED address is reachable without an account, while the secure address did not answer. The English Search the Register page did not present a working form; confirm at source.
What is the enterprise registration number in Laos?
The Enterprise Registration Certificate number assigned by ERMD is the primary identifier for Lao businesses.
What entity types are registered with the ERMD?
The ERMD registers sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and public companies. Foreign company branches operating in Laos must also register with ERMD.
Does Laos have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?
A centralized public beneficial ownership registry is not documented on the NED pages; confirm at source. The FATF action plan for Laos includes beneficial ownership transparency.
How current is the data in the NED?
The NED does not publish a statement of how current its data is; confirm at source.
Is Laos on the FATF grey list?
Yes. Laos (Lao PDR) was added to the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring in February 2025. See fatf-gafi.org.
What’s the difference between the NED and the business operating license database?
The NED records enterprise registration: legal existence and corporate identity. The Business Operating Licenses database records sector-specific operating permits. A company can be registered in the NED but lack licenses for its stated activities.
Last verified: September 2026. Sources: https://ned.moic.gov.la, which did not answer; http://ned.moic.gov.la with its English search and fees pages; https://ebrs.moic.gov.la, which loads an empty application frame; erm.gov.la, which no longer resolves; http://bned.moic.gov.la. FATF Lao PDR page. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.