Az Zāwīyah

Passport validity requirements

To enter Libya, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Previous travel to Israel

If your passport shows previous travel to Israel, it will not be accepted for travel to Libya.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Be aware that a British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode could attract unwanted attention and pose a risk to your personal safety. Stay alert and exercise vigilance at all times.

Visa requirements

If you choose to travel to Libya against FCDO advice, ensure you have the right visa or you may be refused entry. Contact the Libyan Embassy in London for further information on the visa you require. You may require a specific type of visa depending on the nature of your trip.

A Libyan visa issued overseas may not be recognised in some areas or at certain ports of entry, due to the current political situation.

Vaccine requirements

For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Libya guide.

Registering with the police

All short-stay visitors must register with the police within a week of arrival. The company you’re visiting or the local travel agency you’re using will usually arrange this. If you do not register, you could get a fine when you leave the country.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Libya. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking money into or out of Libya

If you enter or leave Libya with over 10,000 US dollars-worth of cash, you must declare it to the customs authorities. If you do not, you risk having the money confiscated and even being detained.

There is a severe shortage of cash in Libya, and the Libyan Central Bank has imposed restrictions on cash withdrawals throughout the country. 

Libya is a cash-based society. You cannot use bank cards at banks, ATMs or hotels.

The exchange of foreign currency into Libyan dinar is tightly controlled by the Libyan Central Bank. Accessing Libyan dinar through formal methods is difficult for travellers. You can legally use exchange offices approved by the Central Bank, but they operate at black market rates. No bank will change money. Informal methods of currency exchange exist though their use carries the risk of arrest.  

It is illegal to take dinar out of Libya.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Libya. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking money into or out of Libya

If you enter or leave Libya with over 10,000 US dollars-worth of cash, you must declare it to the customs authorities. If you do not, you risk having the money confiscated and even being detained.

There is a severe shortage of cash in Libya, and the Libyan Central Bank has imposed restrictions on cash withdrawals throughout the country. 

Libya is a cash-based society. You cannot use bank cards at banks, ATMs or hotels.

The exchange of foreign currency into Libyan dinar is tightly controlled by the Libyan Central Bank. Accessing Libyan dinar through formal methods is difficult for travellers. You can legally use exchange offices approved by the Central Bank, but they operate at black market rates. No bank will change money. Informal methods of currency exchange exist though their use carries the risk of arrest.  

It is illegal to take dinar out of Libya.

Emergency services in Libya

Telephone: 1415 (ambulance, fire, police)

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO 

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X
• travel advice on Facebook

Areas where FCDO advises against travel

FCDO advises against all travel to Libya except for the cities of:

• Tripoli
• Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Derna, and the surrounding area known as Jebel Akhdar, either side of the coastal and desert roads between and including the towns of Al-Maqrun and Al-Tamimi
• Misrata

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the cities of:

• Tripoli
• Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Derna, and the surrounding area knows as Jebel Akhdar, either side of the coastal and desert roads between and including the towns of Al-Maqrun and Al-Tamimi
• Misrata

Find out more about why the FCDO advises against travel. 

UK government support

UK government support is limited in Libya. If you are in Libya and need urgent help from the UK government (for example, if you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died) contact the British Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia who provide assistance for British nationals in Libya. In-person support is not available in Libya. If you are a British national already in, or planning to travel to Tripoli, you should have robust security arrangements and contingency plans in place.

Before you travel 

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:  

• see general advice for women travellers 

• read our guide on disability and travel abroad 

• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers 

• read about safety for solo and independent travel 

• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance 

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X
• travel advice on Facebook
• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

Personal ID

By law you must carry your passport. Foreign nationals have been arrested for failing to provide the correct documentation when requested.

Ramadan

Libya is an Islamic country. Respect local traditions, laws and religious customs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan dates vary by year and country. During this time do not:

• eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public in the daytime, including in your car
• play loud music or dance
• swear in public

Get more advice when you arrive from your hotel or business contacts.

You should also:

• check opening hours of shops and restaurants
• be aware that if hotels and restaurants are providing food or drink in fasting hours, they may separate you from Islamic guests, for example with screens
• follow local dress codes – clothing that does not meet local dress codes may cause more offence at this time
• be aware that fasting can cause tiredness, particularly during the later afternoon and early evening
• be patient and show tolerance

Religion

It is illegal in Libya to make any attempt to convert Muslims to another religion.

Alcohol and drugs laws

It is illegal in Libya to drink alcohol or use drugs. Libyan authorities treat drug and alcohol offences seriously. You can be punished for use, possession and trafficking of drugs or alcohol.

Methanol poisoning

There has been an increase in cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol around the world.

Even small amounts of methanol can kill. It is not possible to identify methanol in alcoholic drinks by taste or smell. See Travel Aware Drink Spiking and Methanol Poisoning for information about how to reduce the risks.

Seek urgent medical attention if you or someone you are travelling with show the signs of methanol poisoning after drinking.

Business travel in Libya

There are often complex bureaucratic procedures needed to travel for work in Libya. Follow all relevant protocols and procedures if you intend to travel around Libya for business. You are likely to be at risk of intimidation, harassment and detention if you fail to comply with local customs.

Journalism in Libya

You must get press accreditation from the relevant government authorities. This may reduce the risk of harassment, intimidation and detention by armed groups and Libya’s intelligence services. There is a real risk of hostility from those who object to media reporting. International and local journalists have previously been detained in Libya.

Using cameras near military facilities

You must get permission before taking any photographs or interviewing at or near military facilities.

LGBT+ travellers

Consensual same-sex sexual activity is illegal for men and women in Libya, with penalties of up to five years imprisonment. 

Libyan society is intolerant of people of the same sex showing affection in public. Individuals perceived to be part of the LGBT+ community have experienced physical and psychological violence and harassment. There have also been arrests for people perceived as ‘promoting homosexuality’.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.