How do I get a Lebanese power of attorney in the UK?

Key facts#

Apostille alone

Not enough: Lebanon is not a member of the Apostille Convention^[7]

UK route, per GOV.UK's generic guidance

FCDO Legalisation Office, then the country's embassy in London, then (per GOV.UK) the country's foreign ministry; not confirmed for Lebanon^[6]

Order of stamps

apostille, then the embassy's stamp in London^[5,6]

Certified copies of UK documents

Made by a UK-based notary^[5]

Property details

the property number and location, plus a copy of the deed or a Land Registry extract^[1,3,11]

Identity details

full names, parents' names, date of birth and registry number^[4,11]

Consular fees

Set in USD or EUR^[12] under Lebanese law; London's amounts not confirmed

London embassy rules

Fees, witnesses, in-person signing and timing not confirmed: ask the embassy

How to get a Lebanese POA in the UK, step by step#

1. 1
   Get the property's identifiers and a recent extract. Someone in Lebanon requests it at the Land Registry office for the area where the property lies^[17,22]. According to Legalmondo (June 2025), anyone may request one without showing a legal interest. No certificate is issued while a lien or registration on the plot is still in process^[17]. Legalmondo also says the official certificate is issued only in person there and costs USD 5. Kallas Law Firm (October 2025) gives about 2 business days for a physical certificate^[23]. OMT outlets give an unofficial copy^[16,24], and that copy is not valid for a transaction^{[16,17,23,24]}. Ask the embassy whether it will accept one for the POA file. Here is how to check a title deed.
2. 2
   Ask the Lebanese embassy in London before anything else. Ask whether you can sign in person, what the fees and payment method are, whether you need witnesses or a medical certificate, which property document it wants and how long it takes.
3. 3
   Have the POA drafted. A lawyer in Lebanon who will handle the deal can draft it. Name the property by its full identifiers and give each party's full names, parents' names, date of birth and registry number^[4,11]. If the agent will sell, the POA needs an express special mandate, according to Kallas Law Firm^[19].
4. 4
   Sign before a UK notary. Ask the notary beforehand which ID to bring. If the embassy wants certified copies of UK documents, such as your passport, GOV.UK says they must be made by a UK-based notary^[5].
5. 5
   Send it to the FCDO Legalisation Office for an apostille. The office checks the notary's signature and seal and attaches the apostille^[5,6]. We did not record its fee or timing, so check GOV.UK when you apply.
6. 6
   Have it stamped at the Lebanese embassy in London. For a country outside the Convention, GOV.UK says the apostilled document must next be stamped at that country's embassy in London^[5,6]. Step 7 covers whether anything more is needed.
7. 7
   Ask whether a Beirut foreign ministry stamp is needed. GOV.UK's generic chain ends with the foreign ministry^[6]. The notary or Land Registry office that will use the POA can confirm whether Lebanon requires it.
8. 8
   Send the original to your agent. Your agent signs the notarial deed and registers the sale. Ownership passes only on registration^[21]. According to Kallas Law Firm, the Land Registry accepts an ordinary POA for registration only if it is no more than 5 years old^[19,25].

It depends on#

• Whether London signs POAs in person. Missions either sign POAs themselves or legalise notarised ones^[1,2,3,4]. We could not confirm which London offers, so ask the embassy.
• Buying or selling. A sale needs an express special mandate, according to Kallas Law Firm^[19]. Have the lawyer in Lebanon confirm the wording.
• Your age. The age for the medical certificate differs by mission: from 70 (Washington, Dubai) or 80 (Netherlands)^[1,3,15]. Ask London which age it uses.
• The foreign ministry step. None of the official pages we read settles whether the POA must also pass Lebanon's foreign ministry^[13,14]. Ask the notary or Land Registry office that will use it.
• Your nationality. Some missions use a different route for non-Lebanese. In Dubai, other nationals go through a UAE notary and UAE attestation instead of signing at the consulate^[15]. If you are not Lebanese, ask London which route applies to you.

Common questions#