Libyan Visa Update for US Citizens

Ben Johnson

Dec. 9, 2023

For many of us with an interest in visiting Libya, we understand that the visa is now a whole lot more difficult to obtain than the short-lived glory days of the Visa on Arrival (VOA). We have recently had success organising visas for US citizens though and we thought it would be great to put out some up-to-date information for our US friends looking to travel to Libya.

Before you get put off by a lengthy visa process, know that it is possible!

However, you will need patience. You also need to understand that the visa process goes through several different government departments which constantly change the bureaucracy so expect to have some back and forth.

The upside is that whilst talking with the different Libyan embassies throughout the world, our experience is that the embassies themselves are very responsive and very helpful! Once you have your documents from Libya the visa processing time at the embassy is relatively quick.

What do you need?

Firstly, you will need to agree upon an itinerary with the visa provider and then you will need to pay a deposit (this amount is usually between EUR 200-300). Then, after a period of 2-6 weeks, you will receive a sort of invitation letter which you will be able to use with your application at your local Libyan embassy.

You must be aware that with your Libyan visa, once you have received your itinerary and visa application form, your itinerary cannot be changed at all! You also cannot add people to your group if you have a friend who decides they want to tag along afterwards. Also note that if someone in your group decides they can’t come, that your tour provider must be notified as they will have to go through a lengthy paperwork process even to remove them!

Once you have your documents (visa support letter, visa application, passport, and photographs) you will then hand your passport in and pay the visa fee. For the Washington DC embassy, you can also mail in your passport and they will mail it back to your supplied address. The process once they receive the passport takes about a week. If you go in person and collect it, it should take 3-4 days.

Can you mail it in?

If you are outside the US, and the Washington DC embassy provides services also for your country of citizenship, then mailing in your documents is also possible. For non-US citizens though we recommend contacting them in advance through their email or phone (both of which they respond to).

If you are a resident in the USA but not a citizen you will also be required to show proof of residency such as a visa or green card.

What visa will you receive?

You will most likely get a year-long multi-entry tourist visa. Now whether it can actually be used multiple times within a year, we are yet to experience, but that's what you will receive.

Read more about the Libya visa process here .

As always with this topic there are many questions that may arise with applications. If you are looking to travel to Libya and want to join a group tour or go solo, then contact us for more information.