After I sell my property in Lebanon, can I take the money abroad?

Also asked as: “Can you send money from Lebanon to the USA?” · “Best way to send money from Lebanon to the USA” · “How much cash can I carry out of Lebanon?” · “Transferring property sale money out of Lebanon”

What the law says, and what banks have done#

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), a state body, says in its investor FAQ that Lebanon has freedom of exchange and that foreigners can import and export capital freely in any form^[1]. The FAQ is undated and written for foreign investors. It says nothing about how banks treat deposits.

Bank practice has been another matter. As of October 2023, money held in Lebanese banks from before the crisis had not moved freely: AGBI reported that since 2021 holders of pre-crisis dollar accounts, the lollar accounts, could withdraw only small amounts, often at a haircut that reached about 80% at the peak^[2]. We found no confirmed 2026 figures for withdrawal limits or rates. The legal principle and what your bank will let you do can give two different answers.

Agree how you will be paid#

We found no published rule on what happens if the buyer pays from a pre-crisis deposit, for example by bank cheque. Ask your bank before you accept one. One broker, JSK Real Estate, uses "fresh dollars" to mean cash banknotes or a bank-to-bank transfer outside Lebanon^[4]. More in paying in fresh dollars or lollars.

According to the same broker, some sellers ask to be paid into an account outside Lebanon while the buyer holds cash in Lebanon, or the reverse^[4]. It also said in 2023 that withdrawing a full sale price in cash from a Lebanese fresh-dollar account carried very high commissions, without giving a figure. Settle where and how you will be paid before you sign anything, and compare the options in cash or bank transfer for a property sale. If you are selling from abroad, put the payment terms in the instructions you give your agent; see selling from abroad with a power of attorney.

Carrying cash out of Lebanon#

Law 42/2015 requires anyone carrying cash or negotiable instruments into or out of Lebanon to declare them in writing to customs when the value is above USD 15,000^[3]. For cash leaving the country, the law says disclosure to customs on request may be enough instead of a written declaration, under implementing procedures that we could not find. Ask Lebanese Customs which applies to you before you travel. The rules for arriving are in how much cash you can bring into Lebanon.

Customs may search travellers and their bags^[3]. On a missing or false declaration, or if the cash's origin looks illicit, customs can hold it and notify the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, who decides within two days whether to keep or release it. Customs also notify the Special Investigation Commission. The fine for not declaring or declaring falsely is up to LBP 10 million, and prosecution under the anti-money-laundering law is not excluded. That LBP amount has lost most of its value since 2019.

The paper trail that follows the money#

Under Law 44/2015, brokers keep records and follow due-diligence duties, and notaries and lawyers apply them when they prepare or carry out property sales^[3]. Banks must identify and verify you from reliable documents and keep the records for at least five years. The law does not list which documents the parties must show; practice varies by notary and bank. Keep copies of the deed and every payment record so you can show where the money came from. The buyer's side of this is in proof of the source of funds.