On January 20, 2025, the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced the issuance of new banknotes beginning January 27th in denominations of 5, 10, and 20 Libyan dinars as part of its efforts to enhance liquidity and improve the quality of cash circulation in the country. The country is continuing its switch from cotton-based banknotes to polymer banknotes.

 

According to the CBL, the newly introduced banknotes feature advanced security measures and modern designs aimed at preventing counterfeiting and ensuring ease of use. The bank emphasized that the release of these denominations aligns with its strategy to strengthen the national currency and facilitate smoother financial transactions across Libya.

 

The 5-dinar note is still polymer (printed on De La Rue's polymer substrate SAFEGUARD®) with the same design except for the new signature, the 10-dinar note is still paper (also printed by De La Rue) with the same design, but the 20-dinar banknote is a new design on polymer! The new 20-dinar banknote (previously on cotton) was printed on De La Rue's SAFEGUARD® polymer substrate. It includes an applied hologram window foil feature by De La Rue. The polymer 20 is also equipped with "SPARK Live®" (manufactured by SICPA).

 

All new banknotes bear the signature of Naji Mohamed Issa Belqasem, the new Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, who was appointed at the end of September 2024.

 

Two Libyan banknotes have previously been issued by De La Rue on its polymer substrate SAFEGUARD®: the 1-dinar and 5-dinar denominations that include De La Rue's MASK™ and GEMINI™ features. ARGENTUM silver ink is included on the 5-dinar banknote which adds more complexity and security to the SAFEGUARD® window and is visible as small highly reflective shapes in the surrounding frame.

 

The Central Bank has assured the public that the current banknotes will remain in circulation alongside the new ones, allowing for a gradual transition. Citizens and businesses are encouraged to utilize banking channels to access the new currency as it becomes available in the coming weeks.

 

In August 2023, the Central Bank of Libya returned as a unified sovereign institution, after there had been two central banks operating within the country.