fairly standard experience
 

I'm not going to get into a debate with Budrinna about Americans in Libya. Our experience (and those of many others) is that it has been considerably more difficult for Americans to get in than other nationalities.

What the rules say, what is asked for, and what is enforced are frequently different one from the other (and these relationships change frequently and abruptly!).

More usefully, I can let everyone know that the British Embassy in Brussels can do official arabic stamps for British passports, free of charge. I suspect this means that all mainstream British embassies will be able to do the same. Afterwards you still need the translation, but still good news and a new development (they didn't offer this service before).

Sam.

arabic translation in Cairo
 

I have just come from the British embassy in Cairo where after filling in a form and waiting an hour they have stamped a template from an arabic translation in my passport, they were aware it was for Libya and it cost me nothing. I asked where to get the details filled in, these were left blank, but they recommended no particular translator, I used one just up the road from my hotel who charged me 25 Egyptian pounds, about 2.30 sterling to fill it in. I will find out in 3 days if it is acceptable to the Libyans and let you know.

Less difficulties for italians tourists :
Rumor has hit that it will be shortly cancelled the actual limit 65 year’s of age for the Italians citizens who lived or are born in Libya before Great Revolution .

Cheers
Budrinna

Hello all,

My wife (Irish) and me (Dutch) travelling at the mo in Libya. Dutch embassy gives you a seperate piece of paper (for free) with Arabic template and had to go to official translator (on Tahrir square, Cairo is one). costs for this were 25 EP (2.3 GBP). After this you will have to go back to embassy and they will staple it in the last page of passport (so you don't loose any 'visa pages') and stamp with an official stamp the translation (half in passport, half on translation)
Irish embassy gives a Arabic stamp, same as the Brits, but will do the translation there and then. Cost 85EP.

All this was OK.
By the way...We met a French couple with a Land Rover here in Libya and they recieved a 7 day transit visa from the consul in Alexandria, Egypt which allowed them to travel without a guide. They had to wait a week for the visa to come through though. Costs, I don't know.

Roel