Libya ECTN Number and Certificate

Libya is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. It also has a coastline along the Mediterranean Sea to the north. The capital and largest city is Tripoli, and the official language is Arabic. The population is around 6.8 million. Libya has a rich cultural heritage, including ancient history and monuments such as Leptis Magna and Cyrene.

As of 01/01/2021, all freights heading towards Libya require an ECTN certificate. “SCK Representation” is the only authorized agent to provide loading certificates for Libya. The goods without an ECTN will not be loaded onto the vessel. Shipments without an ECTN document are prohibited from entering Libyan ports. ECTN reference has to be indicated on the bill of lading.

ECTN for all goods destined to Libya required a valid ECTN till 2021. However, this process has been put on hold until further notice.

How can you get Libya ECTN certificate?

The following documents are required for the Libya ECTN certificate:

• Bill of Lading (Application can be made with draft copy)
• Commercial Invoice
• Freight Invoice (it is not necessary if the freight value is indicated on Commercial Invoice)
• Customs Declaration
• Certificate of Origin (Certified by the Chamber of Commerce by the exporter)
• Statistical ID Document (of the Libyan company/importer)
• For bulk shipments, weight certificate for merchandise priced based on weight (VGM) 
• For RO/RO shipments, automotive data, in terms of the date of manufacture, chassis number and weight.

To start the certification process, you should share PDF copies of the documents through [email protected]. There is no need to send hard copies for the issuance of BSC certificates. Please be sure to share the final documents, which will not have any more amendments later on in the process. A penalty fee will occur for the modifications after validating the certificates.

How long does it take to get approval?

Once you provide all the required documents, a draft of the ECTN certificate will be shared with your side. Next, we need your confirmation on the draft and payment. Afterwards, the certificate will be submitted for the approval of Libyan authorities. Depending on the number of active requests, this process usually takes a few days, but a week should be expected in planning. As there are different requirements compared to other countries and the transit period to Libya is shorter, ECTN applications should be completed rapidly.

Are there any additional requirements for the issuance of an ECTN certificate?

As indicated earlier, exporters must present the documents below with the details indicated as a full set to complete the validation process.

• Certificate of Origin must be certified by the Chamber of Commerce of exporting country.
• Statistical ID Document (of the Importer) must be presented. The document has to be issued with a valid date, or an extension letter from Libyan customs has to be obtained.
• VGM Certificate (for bulk shipments), which provides information on merchandise price based on weight, has to be presented for bulk shipments.
• Automotive Data (for RO/RO shipments), including the date of manufacture, chassis number, and vehicle weight, has to be declared for RO/RO shipments.

All these requirements mentioned above must be fulfilled to validate the certificate.

For more information and document samples, please contact our team via [email protected].