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Employer-sponsored; Lebanese employers must obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labour for the foreign national. Tied to the sponsoring employer; given the ongoing economic crisis, enforcement is inconsistent.
For foreign nationals who purchase property in Lebanon worth at least USD 300,000. Grants a 3-year renewable residency permit; given Lebanon ongoing currency crisis, USD pricing is strongly recommended for any transaction.
Restricted to individuals with Lebanese ancestry through the paternal line (children or grandchildren of a Lebanese father). Proof of ancestral Lebanese registration is required; maternal-line descent is generally not recognized under current law.
Lebanon's residency system has been severely disrupted by the ongoing economic and political crisis since 2019. Long-term residency is technically obtainable through work permits, investment, or residency by descent (for those with Lebanese heritage). Most Western nationals can enter Lebanon visa-free for up to 3 months, but the overall environment for expat relocation is extremely challenging given the economic collapse, currency crisis, and security concerns.
Work permits in Lebanon are issued by the Ministry of Labor and tied to a specific employer (sponsorship/kafala-like system for some categories). The economic crisis has dramatically reduced formal employment opportunities and many businesses have closed or downsized. Processing times are unpredictable in the current environment.
Dependent family members of Lebanese residents or citizens can apply for residency in Lebanon. Lebanese diaspora members and their descendants often have access to citizenship by descent, which provides a more stable pathway than dependent visa routes given the current crisis.
Lebanon uses a territorial tax system, taxing only income earned within Lebanon. Personal income tax rates range from 2% to 25%. Lebanon does not tax foreign-sourced income, which historically made it attractive for expats. The economic crisis has severely disrupted tax administration, and the real tax burden depends more on the collapsing exchange rate than official rates.
Lebanon has historically had excellent private hospitals (American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hotel-Dieu de France), but the economic crisis has caused severe healthcare deterioration due to medicine shortages and brain drain of medical professionals. International health insurance and ability to seek treatment abroad are essential.
Lebanese banks have imposed capital controls since 2019 and most depositors cannot access their funds. The banking system is effectively non-functional for normal international operations. Expats should avoid depositing savings in Lebanese banks and should rely on foreign accounts and cash transactions.
Lebanon had investor residency programs requiring relatively modest real estate or bank deposit investments (as low as USD 100,000), but the banking crisis since 2019 — in which most deposits became inaccessible — has made these programs effectively non-functional. Any financial commitment to Lebanon carries extreme risk in the current environment.