Do foreign heirs need a licence or face the 3,000 m² limit when they inherit property in Lebanon?

Key facts#

The law on foreign ownership

Legislative Decree 11614 of 1969, as amended by Law 296/2001^[4,5]

Who counts as foreign

anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality^[4]

Licence to inherit

Not needed, according to Kallas and NRC, citing Law 296/2001, Art. 3(4)^[1,2]

Condition reported

Reciprocity with the heir's own national law, according to two law firms^[1,3]

Limit for buying without a licence

3,000 m²^[4,5,6] in total

Inherited area and that limit

Not stated by any source we found

Inheritance tax

Applies to property in Lebanon whatever the deceased's nationality^[7,8]

Where the transfer is registered

the Land Registry office of the property's location^[7,9]

How a foreign heir gets inherited property registered#

1. 1
   Get a Land Registry extract for each property. It shows the owner, charges, mortgages and restrictions^[12,13]. Note the plot number and real estate district, and for an apartment the section or unit, exactly as the extract gives them, and keep copies. This page does not cover how to request the extract or what it costs; the Land Registry office of the property's location^[7,9] or a lawyer can tell you. See how to check a title deed.
2. 2
   File the estate declaration. The heirs file it with the Ministry of Finance within 90 days of the death^[8,9,14]. Heirs who were outside Lebanon at the death can ask for an extension of up to one year^[9,11], but the department grants it at its discretion and only on request. Per Kallas, deaths abroad are handled by the Ministry of Finance's transfer-fee department in Beirut.
3. 3
   Obtain the Probate Decision (qarar hasr al-irth)^[7,9,11]. This court decision, the hasr irth, names the heirs and their shares, and no property can be transferred until it exists. Which court issues it depends on the community; see which court issues the hasr irth.
4. 4
   Settle the transfer fee and get the Ministry of Finance clearance. Per Kallas, notaries and the Land Registry may not register anything on the estate until the clearance is issued^[9]. The Ministry issues it only after payment, or security for twice the maximum fee.
5. 5
   Register at the Land Registry office of the property's location^[7,9]. Bring an enforceable copy of the Probate Decision, the Ministry of Finance clearance, the title deeds and a notarised transfer deed. Ask the registrar how your nationality will be recorded and whether the area is counted against any limit.
6. 6
   Act through someone in Lebanon if you cannot travel. Kallas says heirs can give a power of attorney to a lawyer or relative that covers every step, from the declaration to the transfer or sale. To sell, the power of attorney must expressly give a special mandate for the sale; a general one is not enough, according to Kallas^[11]. See acting for an heir from abroad.

It depends on#

• Your nationality. The reported rule turns on whether your country lets Lebanese inherit^[1,3]. Ask a lawyer to check your country's law.
• The deceased's community. Non-Muslim estates fall under the Law of 23 June 1959^[7,10,11], and Kallas's reading on foreign heirs comes from that law. For a Muslim estate, ask the competent religious court or a lawyer.
• What you already own or plan to buy. Buying beyond 3,000 m²^[4,5,6] needs a licence. Whether inherited area counts toward that limit is not published, so ask the notary before you buy more.
• A Lebanese passport as well. The law treats as foreign anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality^[4]. We found no source on dual nationals, so have a notary confirm how you are treated.
• Being Palestinian or stateless. NRC and GLTN read the law differently on whether you can inherit at all^[2,5].

Common questions#