Welded joints of poor welding surface quality are sensitive to stress concentrations, affecting both the tensile strength of workpieces and the fluidity of liquids and gases in pressure and liquid containers. Orthogonal experiments involving the laser welding of 1-mm-thick duplex stainless steel sheets were conducted using different electric current, pulse width and frequency values in order to analyse the effect of welding properties on the surface characteristics of the welded joints. Rapid judgement regarding the welded joint properties was made based on the observed welding surface quality. The results show that an even phase proportion and grain refinement are not necessarily guaranteed to provide good welding surface quality. A satisfactory welding surface quality characterised by a smaller spot pitch or spot pitch difference, smaller weld width, reduced surface roughness and valley depth of surface waviness implies better welded joint mechanical characteristics and a more even microstructure. The specimen with the most suitable welding parameters and the greatest heat input can reach the lowest volume fraction of ferrite phase of 42.5% and the highest tensile strength of 848 MPa, and its surface quality is the best.