Ras Ajdir and Emsaad borders are open for both Libyans
and foreign visitors. Occasional trouble may erupt at any time without warning.
In such case the service usually resumes a few days later. Tourist visa is now
available on arrival as before.
June 2012 Update:
(1) - Ras Ajdir border is currently unavailable
for tourist or transit visa holders. If you have secured your visa with entry
via Ras Ajdir (say from an embassy), you may not be able to bring your vehicle
into Libya. This is due to the fact that the Tunisian authorities currently (June
2012) do not allow any foreign vehicles to cross towards Ras Ajdir. As an alternative
route you can try entry via Dhiba border point (Dehibat-Wazin
crossing), but nothing is guaranteed.
(2) - Due to administration issues
and closures, all vehicle charges listed below may not be possible to obtain
at the border,
with the exception of the "number plate", which your guide will assist
you to complete.
(3) - Due to war and the current insecurity
in Libya, the RAC carnet no longer includes Libya. We cannot
guarantee you will be able to obtain a Libyan carnet at the border
because offices are yet to resume full service.
As we receive quite a number of inquiries regarding vehicle
taxes and car charges we have decided to create this page to provide all the
information drivers need to know regarding bringing their own vehicles into Libya.
If what you are looking for is not listed in this page, or if you have a specific
question, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
If you will be visiting Libya in your own vehicle, then you
need to bring your Logbook or V5 Registration Document, also known as V5C or
Registration Certificate. This document should contain all the technical and
ownership information about your car, motorbike, campervan, lorry, or whatever
type of vehicle you are bringing into Libya.
The following vehicle charges are not included in any of our
prices, and they are here mainly to help you calculate how much you would expect
to pay to the Libyan border authorities on arrival at any of the two land
borders with Egypt or Tunisia. These prices are up to date as of 2010.
There are four charges you need to pay:
(1) Fixed Charges:
A flat fee payable for every vehicle brought into the country. This charge
was introduced in 2009, and is not refundable. These amounts have been further updated
in September 2010 as follows:
Motorbikes: 75 LYD
Car (ordinary): 150 LYD
4WD vehicle: 150 LYD
Saloon cars & 4WD with tinted back windows (privacy glass): 251 LYD *
Double & Single Cabin cars (with box at the back): 251 LYD
Minibus: 250 LYD
Lorries, trucks and other large cargo vehicles: 351 LYD
This is what we mean by a car with tinted back windows
or privacy glass. These vehicles, regardless of type, are classed as cargo vehicles
and need to pay more than other similar cars without the tinted glass.
(2) Car Insurance:
Usually between 10 and 30 LYD per a vehicle, for 15 days, depending on insurance
company, duration, and vehicle type.
(3) Licence Plate:
About 15 Libyan Dinars, plus 100 LYD refundable deposit,
which you will get back when you leave the country. To make things easier at
the other end of the country (on exit), we normally pay this deposit for you
on arrival and keep the receipt to claim our money back after you leave the country.
You can, of course, pay it yourself, if you wish, and then queue on exit to
claim it back.
(4) Carnet de Passages:
Free if you have an international carnet.
If you do not have an international carnet, then you need to pay one of the following
amounts. Please note that we have left these amounts in US Dollars because
the amount payable is the same in Euro or Dollars: for example, you can pay either
30 Dollars or 30 Euro for your bike - the choice is yours; and therefore it is
best to bring some Dollars so that you can pay the carnet charges in Dollars,
otherwise you will end up paying the same figure in other currencies regardless
of value. (This is very similar to the price of Microsoft Vista when it was first
released in the UK: it was selling for the same amount in British Pound as it
was in US Dollars!)
1 bike or quads: $30 (US Dollars)
1 trailer: $50
1 car or desert (4x4) car: $50
1 campervan: $100
1 lorry: $150
LYD = Libyan Dinar
EUR = Euro (€)
US Dollar = $
Note:
If you bring your vehicle into the country twice or more in one year then you
need to pay the above fixed charges each time you bring the vehicle into the
country.
What is International Carnet de Passages en Douane?
It is a document usually issued by a motoring organisation (for example, RAC
in the UK) to allow temporary importation of a vehicle into certain countries
without having to pay customs duties and taxes. These countries include: Africa,
Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Far East and South America. If you do not
have this carnet, then you need to pay vehicle importation taxes (as outlined
above).
The carnet has another function: if the vehicle fails to
be re-exported out of the country it was taken into, then the issuing club will
be responsible for paying the required duties; and therefore, as a security the
issuing organisation normally require a cash deposit or a bank guarantee based
on the value of your vehicle.
This a copy of a carnet de passages.
Buying Petrol In Tunisia
If you are coming into Libya via Tunisia, then please be warned
of Petrol mixed with water: do not buy cheap petrol from sellers by the
side of the road in Tunisia: this petrol is illegally smuggled from Libya and
sold in the Tunisian black market after it has been mixed with water (to
make more profit). We know of several cases where some of our visitors had phoned
us saying they will not make it to the border as agreed because their vehicles
broke down. Buy petrol only from petrol stations.
Petrol in Libya is very, very cheap, and
many motorists say that the money paid for the required escort or guide is compensated
for by the cheap petrol in Libya.
Petrol : 20p a litre (0.20 LYD). Diesel : 15p a litre (0.15 LYD).
(Prices are as of June 2010)
Questions & Answers
Q:
I am planning to visit Libya three times this year. Can I leave my vehicle in
Libya until my next return?
A:
No, you cannot leave your vehicle in Libya unattended. If you intend to leave
Libya then the law says you must take your vehicle with you.
Q:
If I arrive on a Friday can I still be able to exchange foreign notes for Libyan
money at the border?
A:
No, as the bank will be closed, and the nearest shops are a bit of a drive into
the country. Please try to bring enough Libyan money to cover your vehicle charges
(as set above) before you arrive at the border on a Friday. Do not worry about
our money as you can pay us whenever you can exchange your money, even a few
days after arrival.
Q:
Can I buy Libyan money anywhere in Tunisia or Egypt?
A:
No, not anywhere. Please make sure you buy Libyan money only from a bank and
not from sellers on the street or private shops, as you might end up with fake
money. If it is to good to be true, then . . .
Q:
Is it possible to bring a car into Libya with the written permission of the owner
and owner's document but with owner not present?
A:
Yes, it is possible to bring the car without the owner being present as long
as the driver of the car has a written permission from the owner. The written
permission must be an official document approved by a legal authority and not
just an ordinary letter which anyone can write.
