Visa logistics for Libya and Algeria
 

Can anyone help with this? I'm a UK citizen living in London and my desired itinerary is:

- leave London on Dec 15
- Tunisia from Dec 18 to Jan 1
- Libya from Jan 1 to Jan 15
- Algeria from Jan 15 to Jan 29

The Sahara Overland site says that the Libyan visa lasts 30 days and expires after 45. It makes no mention of the Algerian one having a "shelf life." So it seems to me I should apply for the Algerian one first, with a sequence of events something like this:

- apply for Algerian visa in the first week of Nov when I have worked out detailed itinerary. Get passport back in second week of Nov.

- apply for Libyan visa 2 weeks before departure (i.e. Dec 1) using an agency to lessen the chance of a delay. Ask for visa to run from Jan 1. (Will they do this?)

- get passport back around Dec 8. Visa will run from Jan 1....and expire when? 45 days from date of issue, i.e. Jan 22?

This is making my head hurt...

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to think this through for me!

The Libyan visa for tourism purposes is valid one month and it is valid 45 days from the date of issue. (you can enter within 45 days ) . Note that individual visa is difficult to obtain as the minimum requested to receive the letter of invitation is of four peoples and a guide is mandatory all along the travel.

Thanks Budrinna. Chris, have you got anything to add? I know it's a mundane question but I would appreciate any wisdom you have re Algerian visas....and I promise to buy any of your books that I haven't yet got!

Hi Nick,
I'm currently about to apply for a libyan visa. I'm applying thru' Kalifa Hamed at the Visa & Translating services at Brittania house who organises the whole thing for you (from invitation to dealing with the libyan mission in london). There are only two of us applying for it. If you can't make up the pre-requisite group of three/four, do you want to apply for the visa together?
While no-one has yet told us that only applying in a group of two is a problem, the general consensus on the forum and elsewhere seems to be that it is (I heard previously that the minimum group is three)...we're planning on leaving about a fortnight after you (though we may now be leaving earlier if we can get everything sorted out)
George

Good idea. Sahara Overland says we don't need to travel or arrive at the same time, so it should work.

>but I would appreciate any wisdom you have re Algerian visa.

Just apply for the invite (http://www.sahara-overland.com/country/algeria.html)

and see if/hope it works out. We're all dying to know!

They say elsewhere it's become all "Libyan" in France for obtaining Alg visas. Sahariens wont open up for me, but it could just be a political thing. Few French actually go to Alg (compared to all tourists)

Ch

"but it could just be a political thing"

That's true !

See on Italian site : travellers have obtained their visas these days ....

[...on Italian site : travellers have obtained their visas these days ....

If I read italian well,they received within 3 days, and so this means that they got the visas according to the new law as reported on Saharian.

Must have more infos about infact the true problem is not to have or no the visa, but to fulfill the required procedure and also, after the entrance in the Country,follow this new regulation reported.(submit of infos on the travel itinerary, guide at the border, ship tickets ,ecc. see Saharians )

I don't believe the guide is really mandatory at border post : I've phoned (again) to the consulate last week : same procedure than last year : you need an invitation from the agency and no need of a guide at the border post .
Try to phone to your algerian consulate !
See also my reply on Saharians and also the phone call at the border post :
"Autres renseignements, datant de quelques jours, pris auprès du chef de poste de Taleb Larbi (frontière tunisienne) : pour l'instant, les douaniers ne demandent que les coordonnées précises de l'agence de voyage, mais ils n'exigent pas (encore ?) la présence du guide à la frontière." : NOW NO GUIDE IS MANDATORY AT BORDER POST

I think that all that stuff is politic !