What does it cost on top of the price to buy an apartment in Lebanon?

Also asked as: “What is the total cost on top of the price when buying an apartment in Lebanon?” · “Who pays the registration fee in Lebanon, the buyer or the seller?” · “How much are fees, stamp duty and notary costs when buying in Lebanon?” · “Transfer costs when buying a flat in Lebanon”

What you pay, line by line#

The biggest charge is the Land Registry transfer fee, set by Article 92 of the 2022 Budget Law at 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese^[2]. The 5.8% and 6% figures you may still see predate that law or bundle other charges. Kallas Law Firm says the 2024 and 2026 budget laws did not change the rate, so it stood at 3% and 5% as of May 2026^[1]. The full breakdown is in how much the registration fee is.

The smaller charges come on top. Several are disputed between sources, so use the table as a guide and ask the notary for the exact figure on your deed.

Some sources still quote 0.3% stamp duty. That is the pre-2017 rate; Law 64/2017 raised it to 0.4%^[1,5]. On a 3% transfer fee, Kallas's 5% municipal fee works out at about 0.15% of the value^[1,4,6,7]. Whichever figure is right, each flat registry item comes to a few US dollars^[1,3].

Why a law firm's worked example looks small#

For built property, the transfer fee is charged on the built rental value multiplied by 30, as estimated by the regional finance office (in Beirut, the built-property tax department). The Land Registry applies that estimate when it is higher than the price in the deed^[1,3]. More on this in estimated value versus declared price.

Kallas Law Firm published a worked example in May 2026 for a home with an estimated value of LBP 1 billion and puts the total at LBP 40,820,000 (Lebanese) or LBP 61,820,000 (non-Lebanese) on LBP 1bn^[1]. At Kallas's illustrative rate of LBP 90,000 per USD, that is about USD 453 for a Lebanese buyer and USD 687 for a non-Lebanese buyer. The estimate is often far below the market price, and if the price in your deed is higher, the fees follow the price. So budget from the higher of your price and your property's estimate, not from the example.

When and how the fees are paid#

A surveyed sale contract is drawn up either before a notary or before the competent assistant head of the Land Registry office, and notary fees apply only on the notary route^[4,8]. When the contract is drawn up, Law 64/2017 sets an advance on the transfer fee of 2% of the contract price, plus the municipal fee, paid to the Treasury within 15 days, with the balance paid at registration^[4,5]. Whether the advance is still collected the same way since Law 10/2022 is not confirmed, so ask the notary or the Land Registry office.

State fees are collected in Lebanese pounds^[3,9], at the Banque du Liban rate where a conversion is needed. Stamp duty on a deed the notary draws up is paid to the notary in cash or by bank cheque, or by e-stamp. The rate for converting a dollar price for stamp duty is disputed: Kallas cites the previous day's rate under Article 17 of the stamp-duty law, while PwC cites a Ministry of Finance decision requiring the Sayrafa rate^[1,5]. Ask the notary which rate applies on your signing day.

Costs outside the fees, and who pays#

Broker commission is separate. JSK Real Estate (2018) and the president of the brokers' syndicate REAL (2015) describe a custom of 2.5% of the final price from each side^[10,11]. Both are brokers describing their own trade's custom, no law sets the rate, and we found no later source. See who pays the broker.

We found no law that says whether the buyer or the seller pays the transfer fee and the other charges. Our sources do not publish lawyer fees, survey (topographic) fees or the cost of a Land Registry extract either. Ask the lawyer, the surveyor and the Land Registry office, and write down in the contract who pays each charge.