Businessmen offered Libya visa assistance

The Libyan-Maltese Chamber of Commerce will be helping local businessmen obtain a visa to Libya, which is required from May 1.

Chamber vice president Anthony Micallef told The Times that although it was not expected to take long to obtain the visa, the chamber was not excluding some "teething troubles".

He said the chamber was prepared to write a letter of recommendation for local businessmen and to answer questions.

"We are ready to assist people and to help speed up the transactions," he said.

Mr Micallef said an average of 20,000 trips to Libya by Maltese nationals were made annually and most of these were for business. On the other hand, about 6,000 trips by Libyans to Malta were registered every year but the majority were for a holiday.

Visas both ways were expected to be processed within three days, he said. Applications for a visa have to be made at the Libyan embassy in Mriehel.

Asked whether it was common for businessmen to need to travel on the spur of the moment, Mr Micallef said this was frequently the case.

The visa regulations state that Maltese nationals needing to go to Libya on several occasions can be issued with a multiple visa valid for 90 days.

Maltese nationals who hold a residence permit in Libya will be granted a six-month exit/re-entry visa to get in and out of the country.

The regulations also say that Maltese people needing to proceed to another country from Libya will be allowed transit without visa if they arrive and leave by air, the connection flight is confirmed and they depart within 24 hours or with the first available flight and have the proper documentation for the final destination.

Different regulations apply to members of diplomatic and consular missions.

Mr Micallef said the Foreign Affairs Ministry, together with the Libyan-Maltese Chamber of Commerce, the Malta Chamber of Commerce and the embassy will be holding a seminar to explain the procedures to businessmen.