How do I apply for a BDH loan, step by step, and which documents do I need?

Also asked as: “How do I apply for a Banque de l'Habitat loan and what documents are required?” · “BDH loan application documents” · “How to apply for a BDH housing loan online” · “Banque de l'Habitat loan steps”

Check that you qualify before you apply#

You need to have held Lebanese citizenship for at least 10 years, so foreigners cannot get a BDH loan^[1,4]. You also need to be able to work until the loan is repaid: employees up to age 64, self-employed people up to 70. BDH asks for a clean judicial record and a clear credit history, with no blacklisting in the past 10 years. The full list is in the conditions for a BDH loan.

For the USD 100,000 loan, the family's income must be USD 2,500 to 5,000 a month (family net income)^[1,3,4]. Your instalment may not exceed 33% of your net income, and all your debts together may not exceed 45% of household net income^[1,4].

The home has rules too. Its area must be 150 m² at most^[1,3,4], and it must be used only as your family's home^[1,4]. If you already own a flat, the new one must be at least 25 km from the home you own. BDH allows one loan per borrower, and you can apply again 2 years after an earlier BDH loan is settled.

The documents BDH asks for#

For income, BDH asks for at least two years in the labour market and regular income, shown by an official employment certificate and regular bank statements in fresh US dollars, or any other proof of income^[1,4]. If you live abroad, BDH also counts your housing rent among your charges. The bank is open to expatriates as well as residents^[1,3,4], and BDH loans for Lebanese abroad goes into this in more detail.

For the property, Beirut.com reported in June 2025 that applicants submit documents such as the property deed, the ownership licence and a building or housing permit, depending on the loan type^[3]. A Land Registry extract shows the owner, charges, mortgages and restrictions on the plot^[5,6], so get one for the flat you want before you commit to anything.

BDH does not publish a full document checklist per loan type, its processing times or common reasons for refusal. Nor does it say which foreign payslips or statements it accepts, or whether foreign documents must be legalised^[1,4]. Ask BDH directly, in writing if you can, before you gather papers from abroad. BDH's contact channels are on its own website; this page does not list them.

How the money reaches the seller#

BDH pays the loan straight to the seller, and only after ownership is registered in your name and the bank holds the original new title deed and the first-degree mortgage certificate^[1,4]. Because a registered title is required, off-plan flats and homes without a title deed do not appear to qualify, though BDH does not say so explicitly. No source explains how buyer and seller bridge the gap before the bank pays. Agree that in writing with the seller and have a lawyer read it. When BDH pays the seller has the details.

The loan is capped at 80% of the bank's guarantee. Your down payment must be at least 20% of the value set by BDH's own technical valuation, which may differ from the price you agreed^[1,4]. If the bank values the home below the price, you pay the difference in cash. The mortgage registered for BDH carries no filing or release fee, but the Land Registry fee on the sale, 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, still applies^[7].