What is an irrevocable power of attorney in Lebanon and is it safe?

Also asked as: “Irrevocable power of attorney Lebanon” · “Is an irrevocable power of attorney to sell property in Lebanon safe?” · “Does an irrevocable power of attorney survive the owner's death?” · “Wakala ghayr qabila lil-azl”

What makes a power of attorney irrevocable#

An ordinary power of attorney (wakala) can be revoked by the owner whenever they wish, and a clause saying otherwise has no effect^[1,2]. The exception is a POA made in the interest of the agent or of a third party. That one, usually called wakala ghayr qabila lil-'azl, can be withdrawn only with the consent of the person it protects^[1].

According to Kallas Law Firm (June 2026), the content of the POA decides this, whatever its title says. A POA is irrevocable when the owner acknowledges receiving the full price, discharges the agent, or expressly names a third-party beneficiary. A POA that only gives powers to carry out a sale, with no agreed price, no acknowledgement of payment and no discharge, stays an ordinary POA that can be revoked at will^[1]. The word "irrevocable" at the top of the page does not settle it, so have a Lebanese lawyer read the wording.

Selling is an act of disposition, so the POA needs an express special mandate to sell^[1]. A general POA is not enough for a sale. More in general and special powers of attorney.

What it gives a buyer, and what it does not#

An irrevocable POA to sell is not a sale. A buyer who holds only the POA has a personal right against the seller, not ownership^[1]. Until the sale is inscribed at the Land Registry, the property stays in the seller's name and is exposed to any sale, mortgage or seizure entered before you register^[6]. Between competing rights, priority goes by the date of entry in the registry's daily journal, not the date you signed^[7]. A sale that is only signed works the same way: see bought with a contract but nothing registered.

Two time limits apply. A POA does not lapse by itself unless a term is written in^[1], but an agent registering a sale must produce a POA no more than 5 years old^[1,2], and for an ordinary POA the registrar can raise this on his own. Kallas says settled case law exempts a truly irrevocable POA from that five-year rule. The same firm reports that the buyer's right under it is still subject to a ten-year limit, which applies only if the seller invokes it. In one case the Court of Cassation upheld annulling a sale registered more than ten years after the POA was drawn up^[2].

Noting the POA on the property's folio does not stop that clock. According to Kallas, an annotation entered on the strength of a POA or an ordinary contract leaves the buyer with a personal right subject to the ten-year limit until final registration^[2]. A buyer can sue the seller or the heirs to force registration, and open, continuous possession without challenge can interrupt prescription^[1,7]. We found no source on whether notaries or the Land Registry check that the price was actually paid, or how registrars treat old irrevocable POAs in practice. Ask the notary before you rely on one.

What it means for an owner who signs one#

If you sign an irrevocable POA, you cannot take it back alone, and in Kallas's reading it survives your death and binds your heirs^[1]. Lebanese missions handle revocations, for example at AED 276 per signature in Dubai^[8,9], but withdrawing an irrevocable POA needs the beneficiary's consent. Sign one only once you have been paid, and keep a copy. Here is how to cancel a power of attorney.

The Dubai consulate lists the irrevocable POA among the types it handles and shows no separate fee for it. Its page lists AED 147 for an attested copy of a POA it organised and AED 460 per signature for an acknowledgement and pledge^[8]. Its standard POA fees are AED 184 special, AED 368 general. We found no fee for an irrevocable POA at other missions, so ask your own embassy or consulate.

Forged powers of attorney#

Forged POAs have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon, including an expatriate's property in Jounieh^[3,4,5]. In a case reported by the Internal Security Forces in July 2026, a suspect forged deeds, identity cards and POAs, used them to have notarised POAs executed before notaries, then mortgaged the properties^[4]. A notary's stamp, then, does not prove that the papers behind it were genuine. In the 2023 case, the forged non-revocable POA appeared to have no trace in official records^[5]. Here is how to check that a power of attorney is genuine.