Lao government policy is receptive to overseas art forms, provided those art forms do not cause offence on moral or political grounds. The Ministry of Information and Culture is particularly keen to encourage visits by foreign artists and arts groups who are willing to work with, assist and develop the skills of their local counterparts.

It is possible for overseas artists and arts groups to set up a performance or exhibition tour in Laos directly with the International Relations Section of the Ministry of Information and Culture, but procedures for obtaining permission to present foreign work in Laos can be complex and time-consuming and it is therefore simpler to seek the assistance of a resident foreign mission from the outset. The limited number of overseas arts groups which have performed in Laos over the past few years have almost all done so as part of an official exchange agreement or through embassy sponsorship.

Visiting artists should be aware that outside the capital the country is very poorly-resourced in cultural facilities of all types, and must therefore be prepared to work flexibly.

For performing artists and arts groups, the only suitable venue in Vientiane is the National Cultural Hall, which was constructed as a gift from China in 2000. Luang Prabang's only auditorium, the Siengsavan Theatre, has not hosted performances for many years but is still theoretically available for hire. Outside these two cities the practice is simply to erect temporary outdoor stages in fields or on other open land.

Many opportunities exist for overseas visual artists and craftsmen to collaborate with staff and students of the National Faculty of Fine Arts and its two provincial satellite schools in Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. The Lao Fine Artists’ Association runs the only dedicated gallery spaces in Vientiane, but the lobby of the National Cultural Hall is also used from time to time as an exhibition space.