Obtaining a driving licence in Tripoli

A Libyan driving licence has one and only one benefit - to keep the cops off your ass if they stop you. Otherwise it's the most expensive and worthless slip of laminated paper in existence.

If you work for any 1/2 decent Western company or organisation the PR dept should get this for you. It takes around 3-4 weeks.

Save yourself the hassle and just get a Libyan license based on your native license. It is a fairly painless process, the company's PR department should be able to handle it for you.

I had mine done in less than a week, based on my Canadian license, the same for my wife.

If you have driven in south asia, Iran, Italy or France........ you will have no problem in Libya

the thing is that I don't drive No driving license, otherwise I surely wouldn't be looking for another pain in the neck in this country

Getting a driving license without having the correct documents shouldn't be a problem - you just need to speak to the right people ahrmmmm

I've just come back from Nigeria where the nice man just gave me a new license with no expiry date, all for the bargain price of $30

but this will not work for me either I really don't drive. at all. I can't even start a car so I will really have to learn

Palachakh wrote:

I really don't drive. at all. I can't even start a car so I will really have to learn

Neither do 95% of the Libyans on the road

When in Rome etc...

Palachakh wrote:

It may sound crazy, but still:

Does anyone know of a school where I could learn driving (in English) and subsequently obtain a driving license (preferably international)?

Is it possible at all? Has anybody tried it?

sorry..but your's is the most interesting one I have ever read here,because you even don't know how to drive..could you be able to find english driving course ..dear braveheart  why you need  course don't you have friends to teach you here..

regards
winafrica

Seems very simple - do not waste yr time.
1.Obtain driving license in your native country
2.Come back here and get the libyan driving license based on the first one (as Siddiqi says it is the fastest way, if you have the right local employee)
3.Enjoy the ride in Libya:lol:

BTW , one question:  In my libyan DL is noted my old passport No. .... is it still valid ??

zlatan wrote:

BTW , one question:  In my libyan DL is noted my old passport No. .... is it still valid ??

Is what valid - your passport or your DL?

It's not rocket science now, is it? If your license has expired then it's not valid duh 

Yes, the DL is valid up to 2017 .... yippie
but the No. of passport that is noted on LD is the expired one .....

Any problems with that ?

I am a British National and trying to obtain a libyan driving license.

Is it possible at all? Does anyone have any contacts?

Doyin

perfectly possible, I'm British and I got a brand new libyan DL within the last fortnight. Only after I got the new licence did the traffic cops see my UK licence and even then just because I showed them it out of interest.  The sheer quality of DVLA's laminating machine fairly impressed them ;-)

I'm in a smallish town rather than a city but I guess the process is the same.

In short, you NEED A FRIENDLY LOCAL who knows who's who in your locality. You will NEVER manage to do it on your own - you couldn't find the different places for starters !

It took about a week and involved paying 41 LYD and trailing about between the insurance office, traffic cops' office, the doctors surgery for a "medical exam" and the local photographer for the mug shots - as well as several other offices that didn't even have signs !

To be honest quite an entertaining affair and everyone I met was very friendly and interested in / surprised by my desire to drive in Libya.

If you work for a big firm your fixer should be able to get all this done, but on your own ? probably no chance...

laurieloo82 wrote:

Palachakh,

Unfortunately I think it is a bit naive to assume that people will disregard that you have run into their car and that you will not have to deal with insurance companies.

Being foreign and being a woman are two strikes against you when it comes to determining who is at fault when, (not if, but when), you are in an accident.  It will always be your fault unless you are lucky enough to hit another expat. 

Get into an accident with injuries reported and you will almost definetly be jailed.  Even if your company gets you out of jail quickly, your passport will be confiscated and you will not be able to leave the country for any reason until the goverment says so.  Trust me, it happens. A girlfriend of mine was in jail for 36 hours 3 weeks ago and will be lucky if she is able to leave the country for holiday by Christmas.

Dealing with insurance companies is a bloody nightmare unless you know someone that works at the insurance company or your company is looking after this for you.

In my opinion this is probably the worst possible country in the world to try and learn to drive.  Take a cab and save yourself the trouble.  It will cost you a few dinar but save you a hell of a lot less worry.  If you don't know how to drive already and drive WELL, this is not the time to try and learn.     

Just my two cents - not trying to scare you, simply making sure you are making an informed decision.

This is very true, I got rear ended by a police officer who was off duty, while i was driving a rental, funny thing is i was off the road and about 1.5meters from the road signaled off parked my car to make a phone call, my 4 ways were going and i was talking to ma momma and whamo! rear ended!

I had to pay the police officer 1000 dinar and buy the rental company a new chevy cobalt or what ever they are, the little white sedans. one of the issues i had trying to find the rentla company a new car was that their car was immaculate... so they say, when the front bumper was falling off tied by a wire and the back was already hit... nothing was good enough so i ended up buying them a pretty much new car... I was warned not to leave the country until i pay for the car so i got fed up and did so and bailed! came back of course.

but in conclusion i learned this!
1.dont rent cars from private car rental places. they wont do anything about insurance or helping you out. You break it you bought it.

2. take a cab... car rentals cost 50lyd a day.. with some good bargaining skills you can actually save! the only time i have paid over 10 dinar to go anywhere was to the airport... i travel with some libyan friends in cabs and notice they only give 3 dinar to go pretty much anywhere in tripoli! i was like heck! When ppl ask me where im from! I say Tarhona! lol bargaining skills are a must 80% of the time you will get over charged.


Oh and i know many Turkish ppl who get their Libyan licenses here and goto Turkey and get it translated to get their full license in turkey. Its much cheaper where turkey it costs about $1000 to go trough the whole process. so im assuming this is an international license.

oh jeeze Ive written too much

well, guys, I'm still here (not for long now - vacation! hooray!!) and still without any driving license. Just because still without any car. Since the vacation promise to be rather long due to the visa stuff, I'd rather go to a driving school in my home coutry to get a normal international driving license (which does not work in Libya, I know ). And when back I may try to drive here on Friday mornings to start with... Somehow now I feel less self-assured...

and the update on the topic:

I happily failed the driving exam in my homecoutry and had no time to re-take it as had to come back. The good news is that I can drive now. The better news is that coming back two days ago, today I have started taking driving lessons in a yellow car with two wheels and a nice female instructor totally arabic-speaking.

And one more news is that I failed the exam back home just because I was driving somewhat (to a very little extent) like she was "teaching" me today

Now again, guys, has anyone obtained a driving license here and what was the procedure? From the very fast local Arabic of that lady I got it that I had to go to my embassy to obtain some paper. And what to do with it afterall?

Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow planning to visit the office of that school to see if they can explain.

*heavy cream. heavy cream. heavy cream. heavy cream.* 

Welcome back.

An international licence is issued by a motoring organisation in the country in which you passed your test. In the UK it would be the AA or RAC. In the USA it would be AAA. You get it by application form and a copy of your original driving licence and a fee. The licence is only valid for use outside the country of issue.

As an example. I passed my first driving test in Tunisia. I then got an international licence (issued by the national motoring organisation) which I used to hire a vehicle back in the UK for holidays etc. The intl licence wasn't valid in Tunisia.

I did the same when I passed a driving test in Saudi Arabia.

Every country has different regulations. You'll probably find that if you have an international licence from another country, it will only be valid for the first six months in Libya. The police will know how long you have been in the country from your passport. This gives you a breathing space to get your national licence. But you need to check this with the authorities - not on a forum!

(Of course, an international licence is really designed to allow for short-term driving in overseas countries - not for long-term residence. Here's some information from the AA in UK. The regulations in Libya will be very similar since it is regulated by international treaty. http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/)

Sandman6 wrote:

National and International driving licences are worthless in Libya, even with an Arabic translation.

Hmmm Sandman, I think it's luck of the draw. I've had my UK International Driving Permit (£5 from the UK postoffice) taken from me and checked several times when stopped driving an Orange plate rental car, without a comment or checking my passport...

I also heard about needing to have the IDP validated by the British embassy, but when I contacted them they didn't seem to know what I was talking about...

As a non-resident I didn't think you could get a libyan license, but I could easily be wrong?

Maybe I'm just lucky (4 times now) ...

SeymourSunshine wrote:

But you need to check this with the authorities - not on a forum!

Yes, I agree. And I would love to inquire with the authorities once I know where to go to ask. I still did not manage to explain to the nice "intructoress" that I want to know where the office of the driving school she works for is. I just fished her out in the street trying to tell her to take me to the office, but she gave me a class, explaining that no office needed.

And on the receipt that I got from her there is just the name of the school and not address or phone no.

I'll keep trying

MoEl wrote:

*heavy cream. heavy cream. heavy cream. heavy cream.* 

Welcome back.

hi, MoEL

still interested in heavy cream? How about a deal?

Heavy cream place in exchange for a pleasant talk with the driving instructor to persuade her to show me where the d*mn driving school office is.

Sandman6 wrote:

A Libyan driving licence has one and only one benefit - to keep the cops off your ass if they stop you. Otherwise it's the most expensive and worthless slip of laminated paper in existence.

As if you have checked every county's licence and how worthy is it... be realistic.

I guess living in Nigeria is safer and much better.

Palachack, I know an English speaking woman who works as a driving instructor, she used to live in the US. if you are intersted, i will try to get you her contact No.

mancunian wrote:

Palachack, I know an English speaking woman who works as a driving instructor, she used to live in the US. if you are intersted, i will try to get you her contact No.

Thanks, mancunian

That would be great. If you don't feel like posting it here, drop me a PM. Thanks again!

Yeah, a female is far better suited for the task, Palachakh. Most Libyan women can never make eye contact with men, especially with someone as good looking and youthful as myself . So communicating with them has definitely been difficult.

Not passing on the HC place though. Will give you a hollar this week.

And again I took a class today. No official driving license for any country, only a second class here and I found myself speeding!

The "instructoress" said nothing and never used the brake...

Inshallah, she got that I am trying to learn something important from her and said that the day after tomorrow she will bring an English-speaking somebody... Fingers crossed!

Palachakh: Did you get your licence in the end?  Can you now drive?? 
Contrary to all the useful and helpful advice we received previously on this forum, we have bought a car, which now sits outside our house, unable to be used as we can't get our hands on a Libyan driving licence.  I have heard all sorts of rumours, but no use to me - I need to pay cash and get the licence.  It's all one big bureaucratic nightmare.    My British driving licence has now been sent to the British Embassy along with 96 LYD in the hope that something will happen soon
My husband works for a large international company, we have a Libyan friend working for us on this, my husband has visited many, many different offices, so as far as I can tell, i am not sure why we are stuck.  Any concrete advice most gratefully received, particularly with regard to the situation here in Benners.  Is there a record for the time limit to get a Libyan driving licence?  We are four weeks and still counting...

doyin22 wrote:

I am a British National and trying to obtain a libyan driving license.

Is it possible at all? Does anyone have any contacts?

You need to PM me, in order to give you further details in obtaining a DL for Libya.

well, I can drive now and I have the Libyan license! I have even been stopped by the street police (while on the yellow car with the instructor) and they checked it and let us go. Don't want to repeat it on my own, though. And I got a car and I drive it around tripoli, not very confident but doing my best. So, guys, if you see a little grey expat car being rather stupid on the road, please, don't get too much furious I am really doing my best. Next time I'm back home I'll bring the exclamation mark with me to attach to the rear glass of the car - in my coutry it denotes a beginner-driver telling everybody to keep safely away

Thanks for letting me know I'll watch out for that ! car. But be careful on the road especially the freeway, it could be a nightmare during winters. As a matter of fact I don't know if anyone experienced it today but the freeway had a really long traffic jam this morning, only when I reached to the point of the accident I saw like 4 cars crashed, was terrible I could only imagine that the collision probably took place between 2 cars and the other 2 cars that also collided were accidentaly involved in the collision....Oh dear oh dear!!!

Well done on passing your test! I imagine that after you have driven the highways and byways of Tripoli anywhere else that you might drive a car will not be nearly so frightening!

I still have to re-take my driving test at home this november. Hopefully I haven't got too much into local driving habits not to turn left from the right carriageway during my test.

And to be serious, I will have to take couple of hours with the instructor back home before I'll take it, for the way you have to drive here is somewhat different (as I discovered) from they way one is supposed to drive at home and especially during the driving test

cata2200 wrote:

Thanks again.

hi
if you have a dl from your country, you can try this to get a libyan dl.

1. first get it translated into arabic; hell, I dont know why a mere translation should cost as much as 60 or 150 LYD. It cost me, around 10.

2. get it attested by your embassy.

3. take it to the office of translation that is in Dehra area and get it stamped.

4. next, you have to get a further stamp at the office of external affairs.

5. Once these steps are done, you can give it to an agent and he'll get the libyan dl done for anywhere from 150-250 LYD. you need your passport copy with visa page, 4 photos, etc.

we wondered why the agent could not do the first 4 steps also for an extra fee but this is how it was and how a few friends and myself got it done.

hope this helps.

oh dear oh dear!!!!
why anyone would be mad enough to 'WANT'to drive here defies all logic!
best way to do it...buy a PS2 and practice practice practice...If you are buying a car....forget one with brakes but make sure the horn is LOUD!!!!   
Don't be afraid...pedal to the metal...drive it like you stole it!   Everyone will think you are a local!!!!

can anyone tell me how to get the Driving licance in Libya ASAP planing to buy a car by next month.

hello there

i never heard about driving school with English . but you need to understand some Arabic to pass the licence exam .

and since i have nothing to do i'm willing to teach you myself  but i have to tell you it's really hard to drive in Libya .

call me if you still willing .

****

Mouez

@Mouez > thank you for your participation but note that this thread is inactive since 2012. ;/