Business in Libya

Libya has a formal business system, but access and implementation can vary because institutions, security conditions and administrative practices are fragmented. There is no single national one-stop office that completes every business step. The Ministry of Economy and Trade, the General Commercial Registry, the Economic Information and Documentation Center, the Tax Authority and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture each handle different parts of the process. A Commercial Register is the official record of a merchant or company and gives a registered company its legal personality when the entry is completed. Law 23/2010 on Commercial Activity recognizes individual activity, family activity, partnerships, civil and commercial companies, and public or mixed entities. Current Ministry portals support individual activity, local companies, partnerships, foreign branches, representative offices and joint ventures. An individual activity, نشاط فردي, generally follows a direct Ministry or Economic Information and Documentation Center process based on the permitted activity, an individual commercial licence, renewal, amendments, suspension and closure. Family activity is recognized by law, but a separate current procedural pathway is not clearly evidenced. A company formation commonly begins with checking and reserving the trade name. The applicant may then obtain a negative name certificate, الشهادة السلبية للاسم التجاري, prepare the memorandum and articles of association through a contract writer or notary, and submit them for Ministry or Commercial Registry approval. After registration, the company normally registers with the Chamber, obtains a Tax Authority number and secures the commercial and sector-specific licences required for its activity. Registration does not replace a sector permit, and the business may begin the relevant activity only after the competent authority has granted the required permission. Registry, notary, Chamber, tax, licence and sector fees vary and should be confirmed with the responsible office. Legal forms differ in liability, ownership, governance and capital. A limited liability company, شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة, is generally formed by two to twenty-five partners. The baseline figures in Law 23/2010 are minimum capital of LD 3,000, a minimum allocation of LD 10 and payment of at least 50 percent at formation, with the remainder due within two years. These figures are subject to the 2023 amendment and current Commercial Registry confirmation. Other available forms include joint-liability companies, limited partnerships, companies limited by shares and joint-stock companies. The suitable form depends on the number of owners, liability exposure, financing, management and whether foreign participation is planned. Merchants generally apply for registration within ten days after opening or taking possession of the shop. A company establishment declaration is due within ten days after registration. Changes to the registered activity, manager, legal form, branch data, merger, division, dissolution or liquidation also require registration or declaration within the applicable ten-day period. The registration number must appear on commercial papers. The business must keep its Commercial Register, Chamber registration, tax status and sector permissions current, maintain accounting and governance records, and comply with customs requirements when importing or exporting. The Libyan Customs Authority administers customs declarations and services including ACI, ASYCUDA processing and authorised economic operator procedures. Foreign participation is governed by specific rules rather than the ordinary local-company process alone. Decree 944/2022 covers joint ventures, foreign-company branches and representative offices. A representative office may study the market and represent the parent company but may not conduct commercial activity. The decree provides a baseline joint-venture structure with a minimum capital of LD 1,000,000 for a joint-stock company and LD 500,000 for an LLC, including at least LD 250,000 in cash for the LLC. Foreign ownership is generally limited to 75 percent, with a possible ministerial extension to 89 percent. Foreign entities also face registration, Chamber, tax and Commercial Register requirements, anti-money-laundering policies, governance rules, annual reporting and national training or replacement obligations. Fields such as wholesale and retail, import and export, catering, commercial agencies, inspection, accounting, audit, financial or legal advice, recruitment, security, non-profit activity and ground transport may be reserved or restricted. Current information about foreign branches requires special verification. An official foreign-branch portal updated on 7 May 2026 lists a parent company activity history of at least nine years, branch capital of at least LD 250,000, one branch per parent company and a five-year permit. The portal cites Decision 207/2012, while Decree 944/2022 repeals that decision. The Ministry should therefore confirm the applicable threshold, permit duration and branch conditions before an applicant relies on the portal information. The decree also refers to a temporary branch period of up to eighteen months. Investment projects may use a separate Investment Record under Law 9/2010 in addition to the Commercial Register. The investment authority covers project areas such as agriculture, industry, mining, health, education, tourism, energy, information and communications technology, infrastructure and free zones. Tax, customs and stamp incentives may apply for up to five years, with possible extensions and conditions, but they are project-specific and do not automatically apply to every company. Income tax follows Law 7/2010, while rates and exemptions depend on the activity and circumstances. A business may also need trademark registration, procurement registration, tender access or a separate authorization for commercial agency activity. Law 7/2023 adds a competition and anti-monopoly framework, with the Competition and Anti-Monopoly Council taking part in a developing oversight system. Informal activity remains economically relevant, but it does not provide the same legal personality, liability protection, access to formal contracting or protection against enforcement as a properly registered and licensed business. Business-support programs, including the 2024 private-sector mapping of more than 1,000 companies and a startup accelerator initiative in Tripoli, Benghazi and Sabha targeting 30 startups, are program-specific and do not establish a general entitlement. A company may close voluntarily or through a court process. Liquidation continues until the company is removed from the Commercial Register. The liquidator's appointment must be registered within ten days, followed by an inventory, creditor notification and publication. The liquidation target is one year, subject to reporting and possible extension. After the final liquidation balance is completed, the company applies for strike-off and retains company records for five years. Inactivity or failure to start after registration can lead to a registry notice; a further six months without activity can lead to a request for court dissolution and liquidation. A merger, division, legal-form conversion or transfer of shares does not automatically preserve every licence, so the competent authority must confirm the permits after the change.