TRIPOLI, LIBYA — Libya’s Government of National Unity announced it had issued approximately 6,000 electronic visas through the new Wafed and E-Visa systems as of June 30, 2026.

The move formalizes a digital entry process that officials said now replaces earlier electronic visa categories and airport arrival issuance.

The announcement followed a high-level meeting in Tripoli on Monday, June 29, 2026, where senior officials reviewed implementation of the electronic visa project.

Officials said the two platforms had entered full operation.

Mohamed Ben Ghalboun, Minister of State for Prime Minister and Cabinet Affairs, said the Wafed and E-Visa platforms are the “official and exclusive channels for issuing entry visas to Libya.”

Major General Youssef Murad, head of the Passports, Nationality, and Foreigners Affairs Authority, said “approximately 6,000 electronic visas have been issued through the Wafed and E-Visa platforms” since their recent launch.

The move shifts Libya away from legacy visa categories and toward a single digital process.

Officials also said all previous types and categories of electronic visas had been discontinued as part of a centralized administrative system.

Under the new structure, the E-Visa Portal handles tourists and business visitors, while Wafed focuses on foreign workers and labor market management.

That divides travel and labor entry into separate tracks under one broader digital policy.

Libya’s authorities had already tightened entry rules this month. On June 11, 2026, the Government of National Unity issued a circular dated June 9 temporarily suspending visas on arrival at all airports and air entry points.

Officials said that measure was intended to “regulate the entry of foreigners and strengthen border control” while procedures were reviewed.

The suspension means the E-Visa route now stands as the main legal channel for many air travelers entering the country.

The price and duration of the digital visa give a clearer picture of how the system is operating in practice.

The e-visa typically costs approximately $63 USD for tourists, and it is often valid for a 90-day period with a stay of up to 30 days.

Independent travel remains restricted despite the rollout. Most e-visas still require a local sponsor or an authorized tour operator.

This condition keeps Libya’s opening to visitors under close administrative control even as officials promote a more standardized process.

Authorities presented the overhaul as a security measure as much as an administrative one.

By moving applications through centralized digital channels, the government aims to prevent what it described as the “manipulation of entry procedures,” while also improving oversight of foreign nationals entering Libya.

Public pressure and security concerns helped drive the change.

Officials linked the older system to worries about document forgery and unregulated entry, concerns that have pushed the government toward stricter border management and more uniform documentation checks.

The new visa structure also fits Libya’s economic plans.

Officials have tied the digital system to efforts to attract trade, investment and tourism, citing IMF projections of 8% GDP growth for Libya in 2024-2026.

That economic pitch comes with limits.

Libya is promoting easier digital processing, but it has not opened the door to unrestricted individual tourism, and the sponsor requirement keeps a gatekeeping role for local entities in the approval process.

The Libyan government’s announcement also lands while Libyan nationals face tighter scrutiny from the United States.

Effective January 1, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security implemented Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194, placing an immediate adjudicative hold on immigration benefit applications from high-risk countries, including Libya.

A USCIS alert dated March 30, 2026 stated: “Since taking office, President Trump has prioritized national security, mandating strict screening and vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry or immigration benefits.”

The policy placed Libya within a wider U.S. screening framework rather than treating it as a stand-alone case.

Another restriction followed on February 2, 2026, when the Department of State paused immigrant visa issuances for Libyan nationals as part of a broader high-risk country review.

U.S. officials said that review centered on self-sufficiency and national security.

Part of the U.S. benefit-hold policy changed this month.

On June 5, 2026, a federal court in Dorcas Int’l Inst. v. USCIS vacated parts of the USCIS benefit-hold policy, though the underlying entry suspensions in Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998 remained in effect.

The contrast is stark.

Libya is building new digital entry channels for tourists, business visitors and foreign workers, while one of the countries most relevant to outbound migration from Libya keeps separate screening and visa restrictions in place for Libyan nationals.

Inside Libya, officials are framing the Wafed and E-Visa rollout as a test of state control as well as administrative modernization.

The government has concentrated issuance into two named systems, ended prior electronic categories and cut off visas on arrival within the same month.

That sequence leaves little room for alternate routes.

Travelers seeking short-term entry now face a system built around advance digital approval, while employers and labor intermediaries must work through Wafed for foreign workers.

The government has published the public-facing visa channel through evisa.gov.ly, and official updates on the project have also appeared through LANA News.

U.S. policy updates tied to Libya and other high-risk countries have been posted through USCIS alerts and the State Department’s Libya travel advisory.

For now, the clearest measure of the new system is the number Libyan officials chose to highlight in Tripoli: approximately 6,000 electronic visas issued through Wafed and the E-Visa systems by June 30, 2026, under rules that now make those two platforms the country’s sole digital gateways for entry.