emergencies and credit cards

I have credit card and it works here , you can go to ALAMAN BANK in Gergarsh and it has almost of these kinds of cards . or u can make new libyan account and put your money in ! like Aljomhorya Bank i think it's the most ATM's that i see in the roads ! not compare with other countries for sure !!
About suddenly problems i advice u to make a good relations with friendly people that you live next and they will show you what to do if sth happen suddenly ,and by the way  but don't be afraid that much cause even with problems all people stay no one leaves !

Thank you, you are so helpful.
I am not afraid. I just want to be prepared.
I am thinking also if there is an emergency with my health or my family.
If a person has a Libyan bank account, and uses the ATM, is there a fee? How much is the fee usually?

I would approach you company and ask then if they do have a contingency plan in an emergency. 

You could consider purchasing an open ticket which is valid for 12 months so you could get out if necessary. You would need to ask the airline if the ticket can be re-validated before it expires.

In Afghanistan we had what was called a runbag. It was a backpack with a change of clothes, passport,money and other personal documentation. In the event of an emergency we were to grab this bag and get to the nearest border post, use the money to bribe our way into the next country.

That was very helpful stumpy. You are just a pillar of knowledge.
How much money do you keep in the bag to bribe?

I had no idea open tickets even existed!

Thanks again

dua dua wrote:

That was very helpful stumpy. You are just a pillar of knowledge.
How much money do you keep in the bag to bribe?

I had no idea open tickets even existed!

Thanks again

We carried $1000 in small notes and the bag was with us 24/7 as we were out in dangerous areas working. This money was given to us by our employer.

You would have to check with a travel agent or the airlines about whether they issue open tickets.

Aman bank ATM accepted all kinds of cards international i have my brother had credit from UK and it is working here on ATM machines Amab bank ..

Thank you, Adam.
I will remember this.
Do you typically have to have a bank account at those banks to use your cards?
Does your employer (for expats) usually choose your bank or is each person free to bank wherever they like?

By the way, I am thrilled and thankful for the increase in responses and activity in this forum lately.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone contributing.

ATM works but it will charge you LITTLE extra ( LITTLE with capital letters). So beware as the only way here to do any transaction is in CASH only and there is no harm using cash openly.  But as many people said, banks and atm works with international credit cards so you can use them easily.

As far as emergencies are concerned, the best way is to get in touch with your embassy. As recently few weeks back, due to uncertain law and order situation here in Misurata, airport was CLOSED... so either you have an open ticket or any other type of ticket, you just cannot fly back.. so it is always advisable to contact your embassy and keep in touch with them, at least one of their guy should remember your name personally so that he will keep on remembering just in case of emergency if you contact him.

Rest, you can find hundreds of expats here who have some very much vast experience of the revolutionary war held here in 2011. So try to discuss with them how they did at that time, that will be extremely helpful for you in order to know the back door ways to leave Libya.

Regards,
Mohsin

Thank you, Mohsin.
I can't seem to find too many expats that will share their advice.
I truly appreciate your help.

Just to point out that open tickets are useless if you dont have a visa to exit the country... and getting hold of an emergency exit visa is NOT gonna be easy in a country whete everything is slow. When people come to libya they have to be prepared to make sacrifices there will be no safe comfy everything planned life here its chaos at every level and sometime its worse than that... talk to the embassy and ask them what are their plans if they dont have any you're on your own and in an emergency thats never good

Thank you Jameela.
I didn't know exit visas were required until recently.
I certainly don't expect everything to be planned or comfy.
However, I would hope an employer would understand situations occur and a person may need to go home immediately.
Perhaps it isn't readily understood since Libyans tend to have big, close families.
Its hard for me to understand why an exit visa is even necessary.
I'm sure there are good reasons, but to wait especially if a loved one needs care and there is no one else to care for him....
I would be useless in my job anyway, if I knew my mother had an emergency and needed me.
Why don't they give exit visas when you get an entrance visa?
As far as the embassy, do I call any american embassy?
I heard there isn't one in Libya.
The website says something about a warning not to go and if you do, they cannot help you, or they are very limited in what they can do.