Can Europeans, Brits and Americans get Chinese tourist (L) visas in Laos?
If so, is it easy? How long does it take? Worth the trip? Cheers.

Yes they can. Yes it is easy. Pay extra get it in one or two days.

Download the NEW 2011A Visa form here (it is a PDF form you can fill in and print):

www.mychinavisa.com/tourist.php

Download the NEW 2011B "Supplementary Visa Application Form" here:

www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/pdf/visa-application-form.pdf

Address, map and info: www.chinese-embassy.info/asia/lao.htm

Note the visa application forms are new this year. I do not know if both are required.

Is it possible to get longer than one month visas?

That is what I want to know also, re:American nationals.
One American told me she got a 2 month visa from the PRC consulate in Laos.
Until recently, I thought most American applicants were just getting 1 month. Anybody have anymore info on this?

Yes, in April I got a two-month double entry visa with 6 month validity in Vientiane. I have a US passport and had no difficulty whatsoever. You just have to check the box for 60 days. I didn't ask for double entry but it's what I was hoping for. Very easy. The office for visa processing is only open in the morning from 9:30 - 11:30.

Got only one month!

How much was the visa?

Does anyone know if they are still issuing L class visas to foreigners in Vientiane? I browsed a few embassy websites and saw that Kuala Lumpur and Manila will only issue visas for citizens or foreigners with residence status in that country.

Could this be part of the new rules effective July 1st?

AlPage48, I'm pretty sure that foreigners can still get L visas in Vientiane, as they can in Thailand and this is after July 1st as I have been to the Chinese Embassy in Thailand since then and plenty of foreigners were applying. KL and Manila may not have issued L visas for non-resident foreigners even in the past, the rules are not the same at each consulate/embassy. Also, there is nothing on the Chinese embassy/consulate websites for Thailand and Laos suggesting foreigners can't get Chinese visas in Vientiane (or Thailand).

While I don't know about the exact document requirements for L visas issued in Vientiane, an expat foreigner friend of mine who went to Kunming last year noted that he was required to present a flight ticket or itinerary and evidence of pre-paid accommodation to be issued with an L visa since he didn't have an invitation letter from a resident there.

The requirement is much the same in Bangkok. However, if you don't have an invitation letter there, there is even a requirement that you have a plane ticket routed Bangkok-China-Bangkok so you can't apply for an L visa in Bangkok if you want to first travel overland to Ho Chi Minh City before flying to China, unless you have an itinerary that shows flights going all the way from Bangkok.

Thanks Asanee. The rules about hotel and return flight ticket would be the same. We have an invitation letter since we're caring for my wife's sister who is now disabled.