A simple theory is presented for the laser-induced damage in semiconductors in the range of low irradiation intensities. This theory avoids the solution of coupled differential equations, and takes into account characteristic physical properties of semiconductors—i.e. energy gap, carrier lifetime, and surface recombination velocity. The deduced equations permit us to estimate the damage threshold, or the minimum irradiation time required for damage to occur. Comparison is made with some experimental results reported in the literature and a reasonable agreement is found.