Middle East and North Africa

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

Travel Summary

• There are confirmed human cases of the A (H1N1) virus (Swine Flu) in Libya (source: Libyan Health Ministry). Please see 'health' below for details of monitoring/quarantine procedures at Libyan ports of entry.
  
  
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its pandemic threat alert phase to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. You should monitor local media reports for any further developments and advice. There is a dedicated swine flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on pandemic flu is available on the UK Department of Health website.
  
  

• We advise against all but essential travel to areas bordering Sudan, Chad, Niger and Algeria (see specific advice below on the towns of Ghadames and Ghat), owing to the threat from cross-border criminal activity and instability in the region. With the exception of the official land border crossings to Tunisia and Egypt, visitors and residents are not permitted to travel in the interior or to border areas without an officially sanctioned guide or specific permission from the Libyan authorities.
  
  

• The Libyan authorities may restrict access to the more remote parts of the country (e.g. desert areas and remote towns) at short notice. Visitors should check with their tour operator or the Libyan authorities for the latest information.

• There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• You should take sensible precautions for your personal safety and avoid political gatherings and demonstrations. You should follow news reports and be alert to developments in Libya and the Middle East that might trigger public disturbances, e.g. recent adverse developments in Swiss/Libyan relations have created difficulties for Swiss citizens in Libya.
  
  
• British citizens who are currently in Libya or planning to visit Libya should keep in close touch with political developments that might impact on British interests. British organisations in Libya should keep their contingency plans up-to-date.
  
  
• A visa is required for travel to Libya. Following the introduction of a new biometric visa system on 1 December 2008, visa-applicants are required to visit the Libyan People’s Bureau to give their fingerprints and submit the required documents and passport photos. Multiple entry visas are available for business people. On 11 November 2007, the Libyan authorities reimposed a requirement for all travellers entering (including those re-entering) the country to have an Arabic transcript of their passport’s details page. If you travel without this transcript, you may not be able to enter the country. Travellers requiring a visa on arrival in Libya are required to prove they have access to $1000 upon entry. See the Entry Requirements (Visas) section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• Thousands of UK citizens visit Libya every year. Most visits are trouble-free. 10 British nationals required consular assistance in Libya in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (3 cases), hospitalisations (2 cases), and arrests, for a variety of offences (4 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (24 cases).
  
  
• We recommend that comprehensive travel and medical insurance is obtained before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the general (insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance for more details.