Can I build a house or a farm room on agricultural land in Lebanon?

Key facts#

Permit needed

Yes, before work starts, for any building^[1]

Who issues it

the head of the municipality, or the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas^[1]

Who signs the plans

A responsible engineer; the plans are registered with the Order of Engineers in Beirut or Tripoli^[1]

Rules for agricultural zones

Not published in any source we found; ask the municipality and the DGU

Model-design house limits

2 floors, 250 m² total, 150 m² per floor, 7.5 m high^[3]

Decision deadline

2 months on an executed road, 6 months otherwise^[1]

Permit valid for

six years, renewable once for two years^[1]

How to find out what you may build, step by step#

1. 1
   Get the official Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh). Certificates are public, so anyone may request one, in person, at the Land Registry office for the area where the plot lies^[10,11][11]. Bring the plot's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[11,12]. Legalmondo put the fee at USD 5 in June 2025. One law firm, Kallas, gave about 2 business days for a physical certificate in October 2025^[13]. According to Legalmondo, no certificate is issued while a lien or registration on the plot is still in process. Copies from the website or OMT are unofficial^{[11,12,13,14]}. Read the owner, the shares, the land type and any charges before you pay anyone.
2. 2
   See where the plot is on the ground. The Cadastre monitors the sworn surveyors and engineers who measure land^[15]. We found no published price or procedure for ordering a cadastral plan, so ask a sworn surveyor for a written quote. Here is how to get a cadastral map or survey. If the plot has not been finally surveyed, the extract does not show its area^[11,13].
3. 3
   Hire a responsible engineer. They sign the application and plans, which must be registered with the Order of Engineers in Beirut or Tripoli^[1]. Ask them, in writing: Is the plot inside a master plan? Is it zoned agricultural? What exploitation factors apply? Is it affected by a road or planning project? Can the model-design regime be used?
4. 4
   Ask the municipality and the DGU directly. Outside municipal areas, the governor or caimacam issues permits instead^[1]. Ask them the same questions and keep their answers. If the plot is in an unclassified agricultural master-plan area, ask which Higher Council of Urban Planning rules apply^[3].
5. 5
   File the application. It goes in with the signed plans and the soil-bearing study^[1]. No published schedule gives the permit fees or the cost of the soil study, so ask the municipality and your engineer for a written estimate. Within one month of registering the application, the authority must give you a certified copy of the approved estimate of the land's value, which the fees depend on. The decision is due within 2 months on an executed road, 6 months otherwise. The full process is in the building permit steps.
6. 6
   Do not pour concrete until the permit is issued. No slab or roof may be poured without a pouring permit signed by the responsible engineer^[1]. If the authority does not decide in time, the law lets you apply to it within 6 months after the deadline lapses, directly or through a notary, declaring yourself implicitly licensed and attaching the fees due. No source covers the later risks of relying on this, so ask a lawyer and your engineer first.

It depends on#

• The plot's zone. Agricultural master-plan areas fall under the Higher Council of Urban Planning's rules, which we could not read^[3]. Ask the municipality and the DGU through your engineer.
• Inside or outside a municipality. The permit comes from the head of the municipality, or the governor or caimacam outside municipal areas^[1]. Ask the municipality first which applies to your plot.
• The land type and title. Mulk, amiri, shared shares or mushaa change what you can register and do on the land. Have a lawyer read the extract, as the land purchase checklist explains.
• Whether the area is surveyed. On unsurveyed land, Kallas Law Firm says a special provisional delimitation and publication procedure applies before any new registration^[7]. Finance Ministry Circular 609/2026 on unsurveyed and mushaa land^[16] was contested as of 30 March 2026^[16,17]; ask a lawyer how it affects your plot.
• The size of the house. A small house may fit the model-design limits of 2 floors, 250 m² total, 150 m² per floor, 7.5 m high^[3], if your area qualifies. Larger buildings go through the full permit.

Common questions#