Turkey will begin implementing a long-term multiple-entry visa system for Libyan citizens as a first step towards lifting visa requirements. The new policy will begin retrospectively from 15 September this year.
The new visa policy was announced last Thursday (18 September) by the Tripoli government and came following a meeting of Mohamed Al-Shahoubi, Minister of Transport and Financial Advisor to the Tripoli Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba, with Turkish Minister of Trade, Omar Bolat, in Ankara.
Al-Shahoubi confirmed that the measure comes within the framework of facilitating Libyan citizens’ access to long-term, multiple-entry visas as a first step toward lifting the visa requirement.
The Minister also added that this system supports cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and joint projects, highlighting ongoing efforts to expand job opportunities for Turkish companies in Libya.
The new policy will mean that Libyan citizens can obtain a multiple-entry visa with a stay of up to 90 days per visit. The visa is valid for a period of one, two, three, or five years, depending on specific categories and in accordance with the new procedures.
The conditions for the new Turkish visa system for Libyan citizens are as follows:
– Spouses and children of Turkish citizens.
– Libyan citizens who graduated from educational institutions in Turkey, in addition to their spouses and children.
– Libyan state employees who make regular official visits to Turkey.
– Libyan businessmen who demonstrate commercial activity and have entered and exited Turkey regularly over the past two years.
– Libyan citizens who hold a Schengen visa or valid visas for Canada, the United Kingdom, or the United States, as well as those who hold long-term residence or work permits (at least one year) in Saudi Arabia or the UAE.
The e-visa, valid for 30 days, continues to be issued to Libyan citizens who hold a valid visa or residence permit in the European Schengen area, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, and who meet certain conditions.
