Libya transit visa: validity, stay and requirements

Libya defines the transit visa, also called a passage visa, as permission to pass through Libya towards another state. The purpose must be transit only: you may not use it to live, work or make a visit in Libya. The application is made for crossing Libyan territory to the territory of another country.

The visa is valid for 45 days from the date it is issued, so you must enter within that window. Once in Libya, you may stay for the period written on the visa, but never longer than 15 days from the day of entry.

The passport or travel document must have been issued by competent authorities, be valid for at least six months, and allow you to return to the issuing country; a copy is uploaded. The portal accepts regular and diplomatic passports and travel documents.

You must hold a confirmed ticket to the final destination and an entry visa, or other entry permit, for the destination country. The application form asks directly whether you have an entry permit for your final destination when transiting through Libya.

Only citizens of Algeria, Malaysia, Mauritania and Tunisia are fully visa-exempt for Libya, according to the country data published by the eVisa portal. Other travellers should check their passport with the portal's e-visa eligibility check and otherwise plan on needing a visa.

The portal does not publish a fee table. It states only that a visa fee may be requested after the form and documents are complete, and the payment page offers card payment. The amount is shown during the application, so check it there before you pay; we could not confirm a standard fee from an official Libyan source.

The portal lists the transit visa among its published visa types but marks it as not yet open for individual online applications, and tells applicants to contact the portal to find out how to apply. Applicants should likewise use the portal's contact form, or ask their Libyan sponsor, to learn which channel applies before relying on any other route.

Applications start with an account on evisa.gov.ly, where you choose between an individual, agency or company account and sign in with a code sent by e-mail. The form asks for personal and passport data, the Libyan city you will visit, the purpose of the visit, the sponsor's name, e-mail, phone and address, single or multiple entry and the period requested. It also asks whether you hold residence in a third country, whether you are transiting to another destination with a valid entry permit, and whether you have held a Libyan visa or residence or work permit before.

You upload a personal photo and a photo of the passport, confirm a declaration that you will have at least 1,000 Libyan dinars or more on arrival, and then pay the visa fee online when the system asks for it; the application can be edited until payment. The portal says a decision usually takes from several days to a week. An approved e-visa is sent by e-mail as a PDF to present to immigration on arrival; a refusal is also notified by e-mail and you may apply again after dealing with the reason given.

Every Libyan visa type described on the portal lets the holder stay for the period written on the visa unless it is extended, and both the grant and any extension are made at the request of the person concerned. The portal does not explain the extension procedure; ask the Passports, Nationality and Foreigners Affairs Authority or your sponsor before the visa expires.