Every way into Lebanon.

Nationals not eligible for visa on arrival must obtain a tourist or private-visit visa in advance, which requires prior authorisation from the General Directorate of General Security in Beirut obtained through a Lebanese embassy or consulate. Applicants from many South Asian, African and some Eastern European countries fall into this group, and women aged roughly 17 to 45 from certain countries face additional scrutiny. Applications should be lodged well ahead of travel because General Security pre-approval can take six to eight weeks, and embassies advise applying up to three months before departure. Required documents typically include the application form, passport, photo, hotel reservation or host invitation, return ticket, proof of funds and health insurance. Consular fees vary by number of entries (for example, at the London embassy roughly GBP 68 single, GBP 97 double and GBP 135 multiple entry); submitting documents does not guarantee issuance.

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

Nationals of a wide list of countries (all EU member states plus the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and many others) may obtain a free entry visa on arrival at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport or any land/sea port of entry, granted for one month and extendable for up to two further months by the General Directorate of General Security. Entry is conditioned on holding a non-refundable return or round-trip ticket, an address and telephone number in Lebanon, and a passport free of any Israeli stamp, visa or seal, which results in automatic refusal. No fee is charged for the initial one-month visa-on-arrival category. The visa is for tourism and short visits only and does not authorise work or residence. Citizens whose nationality is not on the visa-on-arrival list must obtain prior approval from General Security before travelling.

Government fee

$0

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman) and Jordanian nationals whose passport carries a National Number receive a free entry stamp on arrival for tourism, generally valid for three to six months, which General Security may extend up to one year at no cost. No prior approval and no fee apply. As with all entries, the passport must contain no Israeli stamp, visa or seal. The category is for visit and tourism and does not by itself confer work rights, though Gulf nationals frequently own property and reside in Lebanon under separate arrangements. Turkish citizens similarly receive a free three-month multiple-entry visa at the airport and border posts.

Government fee

$0

Processing time

0 days

Max stay

180 days

Validity

180 days

A short transit visa is issued for travellers passing through Lebanon en route to a third country, where the onward journey is documented. Applicants must hold a valid visa or residence permit for the country of destination when that destination is not their country of origin, plus a confirmed onward ticket. Travellers eligible for visa on arrival do not need a separate transit visa for short stops, but nationals who require prior approval must arrange the transit visa in advance through a Lebanese mission. As with all entries, an Israeli stamp, visa or seal in the passport leads to refusal. The transit category does not permit work, study or residence.

Max stay

3 days

Validity

90 days

The business or commercial entry visa covers short visits for meetings, negotiations, consultancy, training and similar commercial activity, distinct from a work visa, which requires Ministry of Labour authorisation. The visa is generally issued for one month and is renewable once. Business travellers from visa-on-arrival countries are admitted on the standard one-month entry stamp, while nationals requiring prior approval must obtain General Security authorisation in advance. Applicants document the length, purpose and address of the visit, the commercial relationship with a Lebanese company, and proof of financial solvency. The visa permits business activity but not local employment, and it does not confer residence.

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

Foreign nationals travelling to Lebanon for medical treatment apply for a sanitary visit visa, supported by a medical report and a hospital or doctor appointment confirmation. Lebanon's private hospitals attract regional medical tourists, and the visa is issued for the period needed for treatment, with renewal possible where care continues. Applicants must show sufficient funds to cover treatment and stay, and nationals outside the visa-on-arrival list must obtain prior General Security approval through a Lebanese mission. The visa is for treatment and recovery only and does not authorise work or long-term residence.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Foreign students admitted to a Lebanese university or accredited institution apply for a student entry visa supported by an official admission or enrolment certificate. After arrival the student obtains an annual residence permit from General Security tied to the studies, renewable for the duration of the programme. Applicants must show sufficient funds to finance their studies and living costs, although those holding a recognised grant or scholarship are exempt from the financial-means requirement. Nationals outside the visa-on-arrival list need prior General Security approval before travelling. The student status authorises study but not general employment; any work requires a separate Ministry of Labour permit.

• Study: Enrolment at the admitting Lebanese institution.

Validity

365 days

Migrant domestic workers enter Lebanon under an employer sponsorship arrangement (the kafala system), with a pre-approval issued by General Security, a Ministry of Labour work permit and an annual residence permit tied to the sponsoring household. The process requires a notarised work contract, a valid work permit, medical tests, insurance, photographs and family civil-registry extracts. Residence-permit fees are set in Lebanese pounds and differ by gender of the worker. The arrangement binds the worker's legal status to a single employer and has drawn sustained criticism from the UN and rights groups; reforms have been proposed but the kafala framework remains in force. The status authorises only the domestic employment named in the permit.

• Work: Limited to domestic work for the sponsoring household named in the permit.

Validity

365 days

Employment in Lebanon requires an employer-sponsored work permit from the Ministry of Labour followed by an annual residence permit from the General Directorate of General Security. Work permits fall into three categories set by the salary and role in the contract: Category I (senior managers and directors), Category II (mid-level managers and skilled specialists) and Category III (general workers), each with a different fee scale. The employer must show a need for foreign labour, and the file includes a notarised work contract, the foreigner's passport and entry visa, identity documents, foreigner insurance and medical laboratory tests. After approval the foreigner applies for residence within three months of arrival; the permit is valid one year and renewal should begin about ten days before expiry. Fees are set in Lebanese pounds and were raised sharply during the currency crisis, so the exact amount in hard currency fluctuates and is best confirmed at filing.

• Work: Work for the sponsoring employer in the permitted category; changing employer requires a new permit.
• Study: Lawful residence allows study alongside work.
• Family: Category I permit holders may sponsor residence for spouse and minor children; lower categories face restrictions.

Validity

365 days

Lebanon operates a distinct artiste category for foreign performers engaged by nightclubs, bars, super-night-clubs, spas and other touristic enterprises, administered by General Security with employer sponsorship and a short renewable permit. The category has long been criticised by anti-trafficking monitors because it has been used to bring in women whose conditions can amount to exploitation, and General Security applies specific controls, medical checks and bonded sponsorship. Entry requires prior approval, an employment arrangement with a licensed establishment, and the standard health and identity documentation. The permit authorises only the named entertainment engagement and is closely supervised.

• Work: Limited to the named entertainment engagement at the sponsoring establishment.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Lebanon has no formal golden-visa or residence-by-investment programme, but foreigners who lawfully own real estate in Lebanon, including many Gulf nationals and diaspora-linked owners, can in practice obtain an annual or courtesy residence permit from General Security on the basis of the property and adequate means. Foreign ownership of real estate is itself regulated and capped by law and generally requires a Council of Ministers decree for larger holdings, so the residence is a consequence of lawful ownership rather than a purchase-for-residency scheme. The permit is renewable annually and authorises residence but not employment, which still requires a work permit. Because there is no published investment threshold or fixed processing standard, treatment varies and should be confirmed with General Security.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Family: Dependents may apply for residence alongside the owner, subject to General Security conditions.

Validity

365 days

General Security grants a courtesy residence permit to certain foreigners with close ties to Lebanon, notably the foreign spouse of a Lebanese citizen and foreigners of Lebanese origin, allowing residence without a Ministry of Labour work permit. The foreign wife of a Lebanese man, and the foreign husband of a Lebanese woman under more limited conditions, may obtain this status on proof of a valid marriage and the spouse's Lebanese nationality, and it can be issued for multi-year validity and renewed. Lebanese nationality law passes citizenship through the father, so a foreign spouse does not automatically become Lebanese but obtains lawful residence; naturalisation of a foreign wife is possible after a period of marriage by decree. Holders may live in Lebanon and generally undertake activity without a separate permit, subject to General Security conditions.

• Work: Courtesy residence generally permits activity without a separate work permit, subject to conditions.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency: A foreign wife of a Lebanese man may be naturalised by decree after a period of marriage; otherwise renewable residence.
• Family: Children of a Lebanese father are Lebanese by descent; a foreign spouse's status is the basis here.

Validity

1,095 days

Under Law No. 41 of 24 November 2015, descendants of Lebanese emigrants who can prove that their name or that of a paternal ancestor appears in the 1921-1924 residents or immigrants registers, or the 1932 immigrants register, held by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, may apply to regain Lebanese nationality. The route is genealogical rather than a visa: it confers full Lebanese citizenship by descent rather than a residence permit, and there is no income or investment requirement. Applications are filed through Lebanese consulates with census transcripts, civil-status records and proof of the paternal line, and processing averages about a year. The original statutory window required applications before 25 November 2025; whether and how it is extended depends on further legislation, so applicants should verify the current deadline with a Lebanese consulate.

• Work: Successful applicants become Lebanese citizens with full and unrestricted work rights.
• Study: Full access to education as a citizen.
• Residency: Confers citizenship by descent directly; no residence-permit step.
• Family: Each descendant qualifies on their own paternal-line record; minor children included with a qualifying parent.

General Security issues a dedicated category for men and women of religion, missionaries, volunteers and students of religion, reflecting Lebanon's many recognised religious communities and seminaries. Entry is sponsored by a recognised religious institution or order, which provides a letter confirming the role and the period of service or study. After arrival the holder obtains an annual residence permit tied to the religious activity, renewable while the assignment continues, and prior General Security approval is required for nationalities outside the visa-on-arrival list. There is a separate sub-category for individuals affiliated with Vatican entities. The status authorises the religious or charitable role named in the sponsorship rather than open employment.

• Work: Limited to the religious or charitable role named in the sponsorship.
• Study: Permitted for students of religion under the sponsoring institution.

Validity

365 days