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Libya
Africa
Lucky Nomads World Index
52.93 / 100
Global rank
#204
Corporate tax
20%
Personal tax
10%
Lucky Nomads Proprietary Indices
22 scoring dimensions scored independently using a deterministic methodology built on primary sources and structured analytical inference.
- SafetyShield Index5.3 / 10
- Affordability Index8.0 / 10
- Entry Ease Index2.2 / 10
- Tax Freedom Index8.4 / 10
- WiFi Index6.1 / 10
- Admin Ease Index2.6 / 10
- Healthcare Index7.1 / 10
- City Comfort Index7.0 / 10
- WeatherComfort Index6.9 / 10
- Banking Index2.9 / 10
- GeoStability Index1.5 / 10
- Justice & Order Index2.8 / 10
- Quality of Life Index7.4 / 10
- Open Society Index3.0 / 10
- Flight Index1.6 / 10
- Environmental Quality Index5.2 / 10
- English Index3.4 / 10
- Wealth Protection Index5.8 / 10
- AI Access Index5.2 / 10
- Economic Openness Index3.5 / 10
- Market Depth Index5.5 / 10
- ClimateShield Index7.7 / 10
Country snapshot
- Capital
- Tripoli
- Population (approx.)
- 7,000,000
- Area (km²)
- 1,759,540 km²
- Currency code (ISO 4217)
- LYD
- Currency name
- Libyan dinar
- Main airport IATA code
- MJI
- Airport name
- Mitiga International Airport
General facts
- Minimum monthly cost
- From $924/month
- Main languages
- Arabic
- Jurisdiction type
- Country
- Region
- Africa
- Web TLD
- .ly
- Phone calling code
- +218
Web TLD and phone codes are general references and can differ for territories or special numbering plans.
Tax system
- Marginal CIT (corporate income tax)
- 20%HighWorldwide
- Marginal PIT (personal income tax)
- 10%LowTerritorial
Corporate taxation basis: Worldwide. The country generally taxes worldwide income of resident companies.
Resident companies and foreign branches registered with the Ministry of Economy are taxed on worldwide income under Law No. 7 of 2010. Foreign companies operating in Libya without registration are deemed to have a permanent establishment and remain taxable on Libya-source income. The Tax Authority frequently assesses private companies on a deemed-profit turnover basis rather than declared profits, regardless of the legal worldwide framework.
Flat 20% corporate income tax under Law No. 7 of 2010 (Income Tax Law). The Jihad Tax 4% surcharge under Law No. 44 of 1970 was struck down as unconstitutional by the Libyan Supreme Court on 2 February 2025, reducing the effective combined CIT rate from 24% to 20%. Oil and gas companies face a composite rate of 65% under Petroleum Law No. 25 of 1955. Investment Law 9 of 2010 and Tourism Law 7 of 2003 grant multi-year CIT holidays.
Personal income tax basis. Territorial. The country taxes income arising in or derived from its territory. Foreign-source income is generally exempt, subject to source-based rules that may vary by income type.
Article 6 of Law No. 7 of 2010 explicitly exempts foreign-source income of Libyan citizens and foreigners residing in Libya from personal income tax. Only Libya-source employment income is taxed, confirmed by PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries. No non-dom regime, no flat-tax option, no impatriate or HNWI special regime exists in Libyan domestic law. Pensions and basic retirement income are also exempt under the same article.
Progressive PIT under Law No. 7 of 2010 with effective rates between 5% on the lowest bracket and 10% above annual income (approximately USD 1,500 at the May 2026 official rate). The 3% Jihad Tax surcharge under Law No. 44 of 1970 was abolished by Supreme Court ruling on 2 February 2025. Social security contributions add 14.5% of gross salary (10.75% employer, 3.75% employee).
Tax percentages here are editorial reference figures for comparison, not individualized tax advice.
Special tax regimes
For companies
Libyan Free Trade Zones Regime (Law No. 9 of 2000)
AvailableFree Trade Zones regime established under Law No.
Investment Law Corporate Tax Holiday (Law No. 9 of 2010)
AvailableFull corporate income tax exemption for 5 years granted under Article 11 of Law No.
Tourism Investment Corporate Tax Holiday (Law No. 7 of 2003 and Law No. 7 of 2004)
AvailableSector-specific corporate income tax holiday of up to 10 years granted to qualifying tourism investment projects licensed under the Libyan Tourism…
You either qualify for Libya's special tax regimes, or you don't. GeoCompass determines your eligibility, highlights the applicable conditions, and helps estimate your potential tax exposure.
Check my eligibilityVisa and mobility
Your access
Visa need and length of stay for Libya. Saved on your device.
Overview
- Citizenship by investment
Not currently available
- Residence by investment
Not currently available
- Remote work visa (digital nomad visa)
Not currently available
Programmes
Libya lists several residency and mobility routes across business founder routes, work (employer sponsored), and family and dependant routes. Lucky Nomads tracks these programmes as editorial reference points. Thresholds, documents, and personal eligibility are evaluated in GeoCompass against your exact profile.
3 programmes listed · 3 are marked available in our editorial review
Business founder routes
1 programmeFounder, entrepreneur, or company-linked pathways for people building a business locally.
- Available
Investment Residence Permit (Law No. 9 of 2010)
Work (employer sponsored)
1 programmeEmployer-linked permits and skilled employment passes for hired professionals.
- Available
Work Residence Visa (Law No. 6 of 1987)
Family and dependant routes
1 programmeSpouse, dependant, and family reunion style permits.
- Available
Family Joining Residence Visa
Not all residency routes are accessible. Some require minimum income, investment thresholds, local substance, or strict eligibility conditions. GeoCompass evaluates which options you can actually secure in Libya.
Evaluate my residency optionsVisa and programme labels reflect editorial research, not individualized legal advice. Thresholds, documents, and personal eligibility are evaluated in GeoCompass. Always confirm rules with official government sources before you plan a move.
Dimensions breakdown
Strongest dimensions
- Tax Freedom Index8.4 / 10Very favorable tax environment
- Affordability Index8.0 / 10Competitive cost of living
- ClimateShield Index7.7 / 10Strong climateshield index
Weakest dimensions
- GeoStability Index1.5 / 10
- Flight Index1.6 / 10
Published ranks by index
One row per leaderboard we publish (the composite index plus each proprietary dimension). A rank appears only when this country is currently in the published top 10 for that list. Open a row to see the full ranking. Hover an index name for the same short definition as elsewhere on the site.
This jurisdiction is not in the published top 10 on any of these lists right now.
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Founder, Lucky Nomads · Wealth manager
Researched from official sources, leading global indices and Lucky Nomads' own scoring.
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