I hold a Lebanese and another passport: am I treated as Lebanese or as a foreigner when I buy?
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Short answer
No published source settles it, so have the notary confirm before you sign. The law treats as foreign anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality[1]. No source we read applies that rule to dual nationals. It matters because the registration fee is 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese[2], and foreigners have a 3,000 m²[1,3,4] total limit without a licence. Bring proof of your Lebanese nationality and ask how it is checked.
Also asked as: “Dual citizen buy property in Lebanon” · “Do dual nationals pay the 3% or 5% registration fee?” · “Am I a foreigner under Lebanon's property law if I have two passports?” · “Lebanese with a foreign passport buying property”
We found no law text, official guidance or law firm that says how a Lebanese citizen with a second passport is treated when buying property. This page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026.
Key facts
- Who counts as foreign
- anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality[1]
- Dual nationals
- Not addressed by any source we found
- Registration fee
- 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese[2]
- What sets the rate
- The buyer's nationality only, not the use of the property, according to Kallas Law Firm (May 2026)[5]
- First document in a foreign buyer's Land Registry file
- A family civil extract less than one year old[6], authenticated by the relevant embassy in Lebanon
- Who can confirm your case
- The notary (kateb adel) or the Land Registry (السجل العقاري)
What the law says, and what it does not
Foreign ownership is governed by Legislative Decree 11614 of 1969, as amended by Law 296/2001[1,3]. Under that framework a foreigner is anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality[1] (see Can Americans buy property in Lebanon?). The definition asks whether you hold Lebanese nationality. It says nothing about holding a second one as well, and no source we read applies it to dual nationals either way.
One agency, JSK Real Estate, says Lebanese expats with valid Lebanese nationality can buy without restrictions, while non-Lebanese buy within legal limits[7]. That is an agency's statement, and it does not mention a second passport, so read it as background rather than a rule. For what being Lebanese abroad means more generally, see buying as a Lebanese living abroad.
Why it changes what you pay and what you can buy
How you are classed changes the fee, the area you can buy and the paperwork. The table sets out what the sources say for each kind of buyer.
| Lebanese buyer | Non-Lebanese buyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 3% of the value[2] | 5% of the value[2] |
| Area | Outside the foreigners' limit, which applies to non-Lebanese[1] | Up to 3,000 m²[1,3,4] in total without a licence; you, your spouse and your minor children count as one buyer[1,3] |
| Extra file | None described in our sources | A file at the Land Registry's Foreign Ownership Department and a pledge signed before a notary[6] |
| Extra fees | None described in our sources | An affidavit fee and a per-person receipt listed by the Land Registry[6] |
On the fee, Kallas Law Firm (May 2026) says the only test between 3% and 5% is nationality, Lebanese or not, and not how you will use the property[5]. The firm does not say which nationality counts when you hold two. The Land Registry lists the foreign-buyer fees as LBP 31,500,000 for the affidavit and LBP 525,000 each for the applicant, the spouse and each minor child. They are paid by fiscal stamps, or by invoice at the Ministry of Finance cash registers in Beirut governorate or at any bank in Lebanon. The page is undated, so check the amounts when you file[6]. More on the fee in the property registration fee, and on the foreigner rules in can foreigners buy property in Lebanon.
Proving your Lebanese nationality
We found no published list of the documents a notary or the Land Registry accepts as proof that you are Lebanese. We do not know whether they want a Lebanese identity card, a civil registry extract (ikhraj qayd) or something else. Before the signing day, ask the notary which document they want and how recent it must be.
We also found nothing on descendants of Lebanese who were never entered in the Lebanese civil registry. If that is your situation, ask a Lebanese lawyer or the Land Registry how your case would be handled before you agree a price.
Nationality can also matter if you sign a power of attorney abroad. The consulate in Dubai issues POAs for Lebanese nationals and Palestinians with Lebanese travel documents, and other nationals go through a UAE notary[8]. See giving a power of attorney from abroad.
How to find out before you sign
- Get a recent Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh). It shows the owner, mortgages and restrictions on the plot[9,10]. Here is how to check a title deed.
- Ask the notary how you will be treated. Bring your Lebanese papers and your other passport. Ask which rate, 3% or 5%, will apply to you, and whether the Land Registry will want the foreign-buyer file. Ask for the answer in writing.
- If you are treated as foreign, prepare the file. The Foreign Ownership Department lists a family civil extract, your spouse's passport, certificates of areas you already own, an affidavit for each property and, if someone applies for you, a power of attorney[6]. You also sign a pledge before a notary naming your spouse and minor children, and a false statement is referred to the Public Prosecution. The Land Registry's page is undated and does not say whether this file applies to the licence-free 3,000 m² route, the Council of Ministers decree route or both, or how long processing takes, so confirm with the notary or the Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
- Sign the deed and register. The sale is a notarial deed, and you own the property only once it is inscribed at the Land Registry[10]. Ask the notary when and where the registration fee is paid.
It depends on
- Whether your Lebanese nationality is registered. No source says what happens to Lebanese descendants who were never entered in the civil registry. Ask a Lebanese lawyer or the Land Registry.
- Your spouse. If you are treated as foreign, you, your spouse and your minor children count as one buyer[1,3]. The Land Registry charges the per-person receipt for a spouse, but a Lebanese spouse is not charged unless named in the pledge[6]. See the foreign spouse of a Lebanese citizen.
- Where you sign a POA. The Lebanese consulate in Dubai, for example, issues POAs only for Lebanese nationals and Palestinians with Lebanese travel documents[8]. Other missions may differ, so ask yours which passport they want to see.
Common questions
Do I pay 3% or 5% as a dual national?
No published source says. The fee is 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese[2], and the notary or the Land Registry can tell you which rate they will apply to you.
Does my foreign passport count against the 3,000 m² limit?
No source addresses this for dual nationals. The limit applies to foreigners, defined as anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality[1], so ask the notary to confirm how you are treated before you sign.
Can I buy as Lebanese if my Lebanese nationality was never registered?
We found no source on this. Ask a Lebanese lawyer or the Land Registry before you agree a price, because the answer affects both the fee and the area you can buy.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Legal Framework for Ownership of Land in Lebanon
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · March 2018 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 2.قانون الموازنة العامة لعام 2022 (القانون 10/2022) المنشور في الجريدة الرسمية
Lebanese Ministry of Finance · 15 Nov 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 4.Limitations and Restrictions for foreign investors
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · undated · read 16 Oct 2026
- 5.Real estate fees calculator
Kallas Law Firm · 24 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Foreign Ownership Department
Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (DLRC/LRC), Lebanon · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.How Expats Can Buy Property in Lebanon: A Complete Guide
JSK Real Estate · 18 Nov 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.Power Of Attorney
Consulate General of Lebanon, Dubai · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 9.The Land Registry in Lebanese Law — Part Six of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 10.How to Buy Property in Lebanon: The Legal Steps from Verification to Inscription
Kallas Law Firm · 9 Jun 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
Related questions
- Can foreigners buy property in Lebanon?Yes, within limits: up to 3,000 m² in total without a licence, more with a cabinet decree, and caps per district. What counts and how to buy.
- I am Lebanese and live abroad: can I buy property in Lebanon without restrictions?Yes: foreign-ownership limits apply only to non-Lebanese, and you pay the 3% registration fee, not 5%. What still applies and how to buy safely from abroad.
- How much is the property registration fee in Lebanon?3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for foreigners; for built property, the estimated value or the price if higher. Other charges and the 2% advance.
- How much land can a foreigner buy in Lebanon without a permit?Up to 3,000 m² in total, land and built property together, with spouse and minor children counted as one. What counts, what is disputed, how it is checked.
- How do I give a power of attorney for property in Lebanon from abroad?Sign at a Lebanese embassy or consulate, or before a local notary and then have it legalised. An apostille alone is not enough. Documents, fees, fraud risks.
- How do I check a title deed in Lebanon before buying?Get your own official Land Registry extract and read it before you pay. Where to get it, the cost, red-flag entries and what it does not show.
- Can the foreign husband or wife of a Lebanese citizen buy property in Lebanon?Yes, within foreigners' limits: we found no special rule for spouses of Lebanese. The 3,000 m² limit, 5% fee, notary pledge and what is unclear.
