Can I buy waqf land in Lebanon?

Key facts#

Who holds waqf land

Muslim and Christian waqf institutions, per UN-Habitat (2024)^[1]

Share of private land

about 30% of private land^[1], per UN-Habitat (2024)

What waqf offers

Land concessions and rental, per UN-Habitat^[1]

Legal basis named

Islamic waqf: Decision 753 of 1922. Family waqf: a 1947 law, per UN-Habitat^[1]

Land types in the code

mulk, amiri, matrouke murfaka, matrouke mahmiya and mewat^[1,2], with waqf as a separate category

Waqf over amiri land

Void if made after the 1930 Code, according to Kallas Law Firm^[2]

Rules for selling waqf

Not published in any source we read

How to check a plot that might be waqf#

1. 1
   Get the plot's identifiers from the seller. You need the governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[4,6]. If the seller cannot or will not give them, stop there.
2. 2
   Have the official extract pulled in person. It is issued at the land registry office for the property's area^[4,7]. Copies obtained online or through OMT are unofficial and cannot be used for a transaction^[4,5,6,8]. According to Legalmondo (June 2025), anyone may request a certificate without showing an interest, so a lawyer or someone you trust can collect it for you^[4]. Legalmondo also says no certificate is issued while a lien or registration on the plot is still in process. If the office will not issue one, find out why before going further. Legalmondo gives the fee as USD 5. We could not check the official fee table, so confirm the amount with the office. Kallas Law Firm (October 2025) puts the wait at about 2 business days^[5]. In April 2025 several Mount Lebanon registry offices, including Baabda and Chouf, took new files on set days only^[9]. We found no live schedule, so ask the office for the plot which days it works before anyone travels. More on getting a Land Registry extract.
3. 3
   Read who owns it and on what right. Compare the registered owner with the person offering you the land. If the owner is a waqf, or the seller's name is not on the extract, do not pay. If you do not read Arabic well, have the extract translated before you decide.
4. 4
   Ask the waqf administration in writing. Contact the administration of the community named on the extract, Islamic or Christian. Ask the questions above and get the answer on its letterhead, signed. A broker's or relative's word is not enough.
5. 5
   Have a lawyer read the extract and the waqf's answer. Ask whether what is offered can be registered and whether you can build. A lease longer than three years^[3] binds a new owner only if it is inscribed at the Land Registry.
6. 6
   See the plot on the ground. Where the cadastral plan and the ground differ, the plan prevails^[3,10]. A sworn surveyor monitored by the Cadastre^[11] can mark out the boundaries. We found no published fee or ordering procedure, so ask the surveyor for a written quote. See cadastral maps and surveys.

It depends on#

• Which waqf holds it. Islamic and family waqf rest on different texts, and Christian waqf is held by Christian waqf institutions^[1]. Ask the administration of that community, not a general office.
• The land type on the register. Mulk, amiri and the other types carry different rights^[1,2]. Ask your lawyer to read the type on the extract before anything else.
• Your nationality, for long leases. IDAL says a foreigner holding a lease of more than 10 years^[12] needs a Council of Ministers decree, as for ownership above the licence-free limit. The rule as IDAL states it is for foreigners. A lawyer can tell you how it applies to a waqf concession.
• Whether the area is surveyed. If the plot has not been finally surveyed, the extract may not show its area^[4,5]. Ask the registry office or a sworn surveyor where the plot stands.
• The deal's paperwork. A payment before registration gives you only a personal claim against the seller, not ownership^[1,13]. Our land purchase checklist covers the other checks.

Common questions#