What happens to a foreigner's ownership deadlines now that Article 46 of the 2026 budget law was annulled?
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Short answer
According to Annahar, they stay as the 1969 law set them, with no extension[1]. The Constitutional Council annulled Article 46 on 26 March 2026. The report says no settlements apply and foreigners who missed the deadlines may lose their ownership rights. No replacement law was found as of 17 October 2026, so ask a property lawyer.
Also asked as: “What did Article 46 of the budget law give foreigners?” · “Was the deadline for foreigners to build on their land extended in 2026?” · “Constitutional Council annuls Article 46 foreign ownership” · “Do foreigners lose their property if they miss the building deadline?”
This page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026. Our only source on the annulment and its effect is one Annahar news report. We did not read the Council's decision[1] or the text of Article 11 of the 1969 decree.
Key facts
- Annulled by
- The Constitutional Council, on 26 March 2026[1]
- What Article 46 would have given
- A longer run for the Article 11 deadlines and a window to regularise: 5 years; 3-month window[1]
- Did it take effect?
- No. It was annulled, so it never applied[1]
- Building deadline, licensed land
- Build within five years, renewable once[2,3,4], counted from registration
- Replacement law
- None found as of 17 October 2026[1]
What Article 46 would have done
Article 46 of the 2026 budget law dealt with foreigners' ownership deadlines. It would have extended by 5 years the deadlines in Article 11 of the 1969 foreigners' ownership law, whether they had already expired or were still running. It would also have settled applications that broke the rules, and given anyone who had needed a licence since 17 October 2019 a 3-month window to regularise[1].
A number of MPs challenged the budget law, and on 26 March 2026 the Constitutional Council annulled Article 46[1]. We have not read the decision, so we cannot tell you the Council's reasons. The extension, the settlement and the 3-month window never applied.
Where that leaves the deadlines
Annahar reads the annulment this way: the deadlines are not extended, the basic law applies without exceptions or settlements, and some foreigners may lose their right to own if they did not meet the conditions and deadlines[1]. The same report describes the law as giving a foreign buyer a set period to invest in or build on the property, after which the right to own lapses.
Other sources describe two deadlines under Law 296/2001. A licence to buy lapses if the purchase is not completed and registered within one year[2,3,4]. Land bought under a licence to build must be built on within five years, renewable once, counted from registration. According to Legal 500 (Bijjani Advocates), the land must also be used for the purpose stated in the licence application, and the five-year period can be renewed only once, by decision of the Council of Ministers[5]. For how the licence itself is obtained, see getting the Council of Ministers decree.
What is not known
We did not read Article 11 of the 1969 decree. So we cannot confirm exactly which deadlines it sets, or that they match the ones the sources above describe. We also cannot say what happens in practice when a right lapses: whether the property is sold, what the owner receives, or who decides[1].
We found no official or law-firm explainer on the annulment[1]. The people to ask are a Lebanese property lawyer and the Land Registry's Foreign Ownership Department. For the wider rules, see whether foreigners can buy property in Lebanon.
If you are a foreign owner with a deadline running
- Get a recent Land Registry extract for your plot. It shows the registered owner, charges, mortgages and restrictions[6,7]. We found no source saying whether it also shows a foreign-ownership deadline. Here is how to check a title deed.
- Compare what is on the land with the licence. Legal 500 (Bijjani) says the land must be used for the purpose stated in the application[5]. Write down what has been built, what is unfinished, and any renewal you have already had.
- Take four questions to a lawyer or the Foreign Ownership Department. Ask what your deadline is under Article 11, whether it has passed, whether a renewal is still possible, and what happens to your right if you miss it. According to Legal 500 (Bijjani), the five-year period is renewed by Council of Ministers decision, and only once[5].
It depends on
- Licensed or licence-free purchase. The building deadline is described for purchases made under a licence. The sources do not say whether it applies to smaller purchases within the licence-free 3,000 m²[2,3,4]. See the 3,000 m² limit and ask a lawyer how your case is treated.
- Whether you have used your renewal. According to Legal 500 (Bijjani), the period is renewable only once[5]. Whether you can still ask for a renewal after the deadline has passed is not published, so ask a lawyer.
- Owning since 17 October 2019 without a needed licence. Article 46 would have given this group 3 months to regularise[1]. That window never opened, so have a lawyer look at your file.
- Owning through a company. Sources disagree on when a Lebanese company counts as foreign. IDAL says when most of its capital is foreign-held; Mattar Law says unless all shares are Lebanese-held and its articles bar transfers to foreigners; Choueh says when even one share is foreign-owned[2,8,9]. See buying through a Lebanese company or friend.
- New legislation. No replacement law was found as of 17 October 2026[1]. Ask a lawyer whether Parliament has passed anything since.
Common questions
Did Article 46 of the 2026 budget law ever take effect?
No. The Constitutional Council annulled it on 26 March 2026[1], so its extension and settlements never applied.
Can a foreigner still renew the deadline to build?
According to Legal 500 (Bijjani), the project deadline is 5 years, renewable once by the Council of Ministers[5]. Whether a renewal is possible once the deadline has already passed is not published, so ask a Lebanese property lawyer.
What happens if a foreigner misses the ownership deadline?
Annahar says the right to own lapses if the set period is not met[1]. None of the sources we read say what that means in practice, such as a forced sale or what the owner receives.
Is there a new law replacing Article 46?
None was found as of 17 October 2026[1]. A Lebanese property lawyer or the Land Registry's Foreign Ownership Department can tell you whether anything has changed since.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.Lebanon's Constitutional Council annuls Article 46 of the budget law: what did it grant foreigners?
Annahar (النهار) · 26 Mar 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.Legal Framework for Ownership of Land in Lebanon
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · March 2018 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 3.Legislative and Administrative Land and Property Rights Framework. Lebanon
GLTN / UN-Habitat · May 2024 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 4.Limitations and Restrictions for foreign investors
IDAL (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon) · undated · read 16 Oct 2026
- 5.Lebanon: Project Finance – Country Comparative Guides
Legal 500 (Country Comparative Guides), contributor Bijjani Advocates · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.The Land Registry in Lebanese Law — Part Six of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 7.How to Buy Property in Lebanon: The Legal Steps from Verification to Inscription
Kallas Law Firm · 9 Jun 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 8.Foreign Investments in Lebanon
Mattar Law · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 9.Lebanese Real Estate Differences
Choueh Law Firm · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- Can foreigners buy property in Lebanon?Yes, within limits: up to 3,000 m² in total without a licence, more with a cabinet decree, and caps per district. What counts and how to buy.
- How do I get a Council of Ministers decree to buy more than 3,000 m² as a foreigner in Lebanon?You need a Council of Ministers decree, granted at its discretion with no appeal. Deadlines, Land Registry documents and fees, and what is not published.
- How much land can a foreigner buy in Lebanon without a permit?Up to 3,000 m² in total, land and built property together, with spouse and minor children counted as one. What counts, what is disputed, how it is checked.
- How do I check a title deed in Lebanon before buying?Get your own official Land Registry extract and read it before you pay. Where to get it, the cost, red-flag entries and what it does not show.
- Can a foreigner get around the limits by buying through a Lebanese company or a Lebanese friend?Not safely: a company with foreign owners can count as foreign, and a friend on the deed is the registered owner. Company tests, share tax, nominee risks.
- Can a foreign company, or a Lebanese company with foreign shareholders, buy property in Lebanon?A company set up abroad counts as foreign, and a Lebanese one may too: sources disagree on the test. The 3,000 m² limit, the 50% rule and what to check.
