Visa Information

Update April 2009: AT THIS TIME VISAS ARE NOT BEING ISSUED TO AMERICAN CITIZENS - UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

To travel to Libya you need a visa, only Arab and certain African countries' citizens are exempt from this requirement. VISA`s can be issued for several reasons, Tourist and Business are the main reasons. Due to the growth of the Libyan tourism industry, VISA rules have been relaxed and are easier to obtain, but remember that they also can change at any time.

We have heard that some agencies offer to get Americans business visas that are much more expensive, and they charge an additional fee to process them. We have also heard reports that contradict this. Until we can reliably obtain visas for our American clients, we won't be able to send Americans to Libya.

Previously tour operators in the US were able to apply through their offices in Libya for an invitation letter and the clients would be able to get the visa upon arrival at the airport. This changed mid stream. We recommend all travelers have a visa in hand before departing for this destination. You do not want to be turned away at the airport. The visa fee is usally $100.00 to the Libyan Consulate in Ottawa (for Canadian and US travellers - see closest Consulate in other countries) and then there will be a processing fee by the agent to get this done.

The application itself has to go to the Ministry of Interior and if you have anything resembling an Israeli stamp or evidence that you entered or exited Jordan or Egypt via Israel, you won`t get a visa.

Be aware the visa process takes several WEEKS.