How do I give a power of attorney for property in Lebanon from Mexico or Latin America?

Key facts#

Apostille

Mexico and Brazil issue apostilles, but Lebanon is not on the list of parties^[5]

Two ways to sign

At a Lebanese mission, or before a local notary, then authenticated and legalised^[1,2,3,4]

Property details

the property number and location, plus a copy of the deed or a Land Registry extract^[1,3,9]

Identity details

full names, parents' names, date of birth and registry number^[4,9]

Consular fees

Set and collected in USD or EUR^[10]; no figure published for Mexico

Medical certificate

The age differs by mission: from 70 (Washington, Dubai) or 80 (Netherlands)^[1,3,11]

To sell

an express special mandate to sell^[12], according to Kallas Law Firm

Mexican route

Not published; ask the Lebanese embassy in Mexico City

How to do it from Mexico or Latin America, step by step#

1. 1
   Get the property's registry details and a recent extract. An official extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) comes from the Land Registry office for the area where the property lies^[17,22]. Legalmondo, a law firm, says (June 2025) it is issued only in person and costs USD 5^[17]; ask the registry office for the current fee. Kallas Law Firm puts a physical certificate at about 2 business days^[23], so someone in Lebanon may have to collect it for you. OMT outlets give an unofficial copy of the title register^[16,24], which is not valid for a transaction or in court^{[16,17,23,24]}. Some missions ask for the original deed or an official registry certificate when the POA is to sell^[3,9]. Here is how to check a title deed.
2. 2
   Write to the Lebanese mission that covers your country. For Mexico, that is the embassy in Mexico City. Ask which route it accepts and whether it drafts the text. Ask which documents, witnesses and medical certificate it needs, the fee and how to pay it, and whether you need an appointment. Ask what must happen to a notario's signature before it will legalise it, and which language the text must be in.
3. 3
   Have the POA drafted. Name the property by its zone, number and section, and give full names, parents' names, date of birth and registry number^[4,9] for you and your agent. Say clearly whether the agent may buy, sell or mortgage. Here is who to name as your agent.
4. 4
   Sign by the route the mission confirmed. Either sign in person at the mission, or sign before a local notary and then have the signature authenticated locally and legalised by the Lebanese mission^[1,2,3,4]. Missions ask older applicants for a medical certificate, from 70 (Washington, Dubai) or 80 (Netherlands)^[1,3,11], so check the age your mission uses.
5. 5
   Send the original to your agent and check it will be accepted. Ask the notary in Lebanon who will use it whether the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs must also stamp it. Kallas says such documents generally pass through the ministry, but no official page confirms this for a POA^[20,21].
6. 6
   Keep a record and check the extract afterwards. Keep copies of every POA you sign. Check the property's extract from time to time: it shows the owner, mortgages and restrictions^[15,25]. More in protecting your property from a forged power of attorney.

It depends on#

• The country you live in. A Lebanese embassy in one country may cover another, as Stockholm does for Danish documents^[19]. Ask the embassy in Mexico City which mission covers your country.
• Your nationality. The consulate in Dubai, for example, issues POAs only to Lebanese nationals and Palestinians with Lebanese travel documents, and sends others to a local notary^[11]. Tell the mission which passport you hold.
• What the POA must do. At US missions a special POA costs less than a general one: USD 50 special, USD 100 general^[1,2,9]. A sale needs an express special mandate, according to Kallas Law Firm^[12].
• When it will be used. Kallas Law Firm says an ordinary POA presented for registration must be no more than 5 years old^[12,18]. Ask the notary in Lebanon before relying on an older one.

Common questions#