Is there a 2026 amnesty or fee waiver for unregistered building changes in Lebanon?
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Short answer
There was, but it has closed. Article 47 of the 2026 Budget Law spared owners who had not reported building changes within the six-month period the double construction fee if they registered the changes and paid before 30/6/2026 (expired)[1,2]. We found no extension as of October 2026. A separate Beirut port-blast exemption under Law 10/2022 covers a narrower case[3].
Also asked as: “Law 40/2026 Article 47 waiver” · “Double construction fee exemption 2026 Lebanon” · “Register building changes without penalty Lebanon” · “Beirut port blast construction fee exemption”
Key facts
- Who it covered
- Owners who had not reported changes to their buildings or annexes to the assistant head of the Land Registry office within the six-month period[1,2]
- Port-blast exemption
- Law 10/2022, Art. 93: construction-registration fees on properties under construction damaged on 4 August 2020[3]
- Port-blast proof
- A Lebanese Army certificate, plus an engineer's statement instead of a renovation permit[3]
What Article 47 of the 2026 Budget Law did
If an owner changed a building or its annexes and did not report it to the assistant head of the Land Registry office within the six-month period, a double construction fee could apply. Article 47 of Law 40/2026 lifted that double fee for those owners if they applied to register the changes and paid the fees before 30 June 2026[1,2]. The ordinary fees still had to be paid; only the doubling was lifted.
We read Law 40/2026 in the Ministry of Finance's published text, not in the Official Gazette[1,2]. One law firm's fee calculator labels this waiver a Beirut port-blast exemption. The port-blast rule is in fact a different article in a different law.
The sources we read do not give the amount of the construction fee or of the doubling. Ask the Land Registry office that holds your property's records to calculate it and give it to you in writing.
The Beirut port-blast exemption is a separate rule
Article 93 of Law 10/2022 exempts properties damaged by the Beirut explosion of 4 August 2020 from construction-registration fees, but only if they were under construction or being completed at the time[3]. The owner needs a Lebanese Army certificate, and in place of a renovation permit, a statement from an engineer with more than 10 years' experience.
The text we read states no deadline for this exemption, and we did not check whether the Land Registry still applies it in 2026[3]. Ask the Land Registry office directly before you count on it.
If you missed 30 June 2026
Unless an extension is announced, the double construction fee can apply again to changes that were not reported in time[1,2]. We found no new amnesty for these changes published up to October 2026. The 2026 Budget Law has a different deadline for something else: unpaid fees on contracts entered in the daily register before 2020 can be settled at LBP 1,500 per USD until 31/12/2026. That is covered in settling fees on old pre-2020 contracts.
Registering a change at the Land Registry is a separate matter from having a building permit for it. If the change was built without a permit, read whether a building without a permit can be legalised and whether the Law 139/2019 settlement deadline is still open. If you are buying, here is how to find out whether a property has building violations.
How to find out where your property stands
- Get a recent Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh). Ask for it by plot number and real estate district, and for an apartment by section too. Compare what it records with what is actually built. Here is how to get a Land Registry extract and what it costs.
- If the damage came from the port blast, collect the proof. You need a Lebanese Army certificate and a statement from an engineer with more than 10 years' experience[3]. Ask the office whether it still applies the Article 93 exemption.
- Get the amount in writing before you pay. Keep the receipt and a copy of every paper you hand in. If you live abroad, ask the Land Registry office whether an agent with a power of attorney can file for you.
It depends on
- What caused the change. Damage from the 4 August 2020 explosion falls under Article 93 of Law 10/2022, not Article 47[3]. Ask the Land Registry office which rule it applies to your file.
- Whether the building was under construction in August 2020. The port-blast exemption covers properties under construction or being completed at the time[3]. The text we read does not mention finished buildings damaged in the blast, so ask the office.
- Whether you are selling. Sort out unreported changes before you sign a sale. Ask the notary what the Land Registry will want to see, and see registration fees for the fees due on the sale itself.
- Whether the change had a permit. The registration fee and the permit are separate questions. The municipality and an engineer can tell you whether the change needs legalising.
Common questions
Is the Article 47 waiver still open?
Is the 2026 waiver a Beirut port-blast exemption?
Does the port-blast exemption have a deadline?
The text of Article 93 of Law 10/2022 that we read states no deadline, and we did not check whether it is still applied in 2026[3]. The Land Registry office can confirm.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Annual Budget Documents and Process (Budget Law 2026 index page)
Lebanese Ministry of Finance · 10 Feb 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.Real estate fees calculator
Kallas Law Firm · 24 May 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Law 10/2022 (General Budget Law for 2022), consolidated text with amendments
Lebanese University Legal Informatics Center (legallaw.ul.edu.lb) · 15 Nov 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- Can a building built without a permit be legalised in Lebanon?Often yes, if it conforms, for a multiple of the permit fees. Whether Law 139 still takes files in 2026 is unconfirmed. Costs, sale effects, steps.
- Is the deadline to settle building violations under Law 139/2019 still open?Not confirmed. Law 139/2019's deadline articles are marked as amended in 2022 and no current window is published. What it covers, whom to ask.
- How can I find out if a property has building violations or unpaid fines before I buy it?Get an official Land Registry extract, ask the municipality for its clearance, and have an engineer check the permit. What each shows and what it misses.
- 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.
- Can I settle fees on a pre-2020 property contract at the 1,500 LBP/USD rate?Yes, if it was in the Land Registry daily register before 2020 with fees unpaid: LBP 1,500 per USD until 31/12/2026. Who qualifies, what to ask.
- How do I get a land registry extract in Lebanon and what does it cost?Ask in person at the land registry office for the property's area; one law firm says USD 5. The numbers you need, OMT and online copies, and what to check.
- What is the municipal clearance and why does a seller need it?The municipality withholds its clearance (براءة ذمة) until building-violation fines are paid. What that means for a sale and how to check first.
