Can Syrians buy property in Lebanon?

Also asked as: “Can a Syrian buy an apartment in Lebanon?” · “Can Syrian refugees own property in Lebanon?” · “Syrian nationals buying land in Lebanon” · “Property ownership rules for Syrians in Lebanon”

Syrians buy under the general foreigners' law#

Foreign ownership is governed by Legislative Decree 11614 of 1969, as amended by Law 296/2001^[1,2]. Under it, a foreigner is anyone who does not hold Lebanese nationality^[1]. None of the sources we read mentions a separate rule for any nationality, so a Syrian passport holder falls under the same rules as any other foreign buyer. You can read those rules in full in can foreigners buy property in Lebanon.

We found no source on how the Land Registry or the Council of Ministers handles Syrian applicants in practice. We also found nothing on whether refugee status changes anything, or whether any Lebanese-Syrian arrangement applies. In April 2018, Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said Syrian refugees did not need a proposed residency article in order to buy an apartment^[7,8]. That was a political remark reported in the press, not a statement of law. Before you commit, ask the Land Registry's Foreign Ownership Department how it will treat your file.

Article 1(2) of Law 296/2001 bars any real right in property for a person without the citizenship of a recognised state. It is widely read as aimed at Palestinian refugees. The Norwegian Refugee Council reads it as not covering inheritance, while a UN-Habitat/GLTN report says it bars Palestinians from acquiring by inheritance or by sale^[2,9]. No source we read applies this bar to Syrians.

The limits a Syrian buyer works within#

The 3,000 m²^[1,2,3] allowance is a running total of everything you hold in Lebanon. Each new purchase adds to it. For that total, you, your spouse and your minor children count as one buyer^[1,2]. There is more detail in how much a foreigner can buy without a permit.

If you are buying land, sources word the allowance differently. IDAL describes it as land in aggregate including built property. The law firms Choueh and Legal 500 (Bijjani) describe it as built property or property set for building^[1,10,11]. No source we read settles whether agricultural land is treated differently, so ask a Lebanese property lawyer before you buy a farm plot.

Above the limit you need a Council of Ministers decree^[1,2,3], issued on the Minister of Finance's proposal. The Council decides at its discretion and there is no appeal. A licence lapses if the purchase is not registered within one year. Foreign ownership is also capped at 3% of each district and 10% of Beirut, and once a cap is reached no further licences are granted for purchases from Lebanese sellers.

Documents and fees for the foreign-ownership file#

The Land Registry's Foreign Ownership Department lists the documents a non-Lebanese buyer files^[12]:

• a family civil extract issued less than one year ago and authenticated by the relevant embassy in Lebanon
• your spouse's passport
• official certificates of the areas you already own in Lebanon
• an affidavit for each property you are buying
• a power of attorney, if someone else applies for you

The department's page does not say whether this file applies to purchases within the licence-free allowance, to the Council of Ministers route, or to both, and it gives no processing time. You also sign a pledge before a notary declaring everything you, your spouse and your minor children own in Lebanon. A false statement is referred to the Public Prosecution^[12].

The department lists a fee of LBP 31,500,000 for the affidavit and LBP 525,000 each for you, your spouse and each minor child. A Lebanese spouse is not charged unless named in the pledge. You pay by fiscal stamps, or by invoice at Ministry of Finance cash registers in Beirut governorate or at any bank in Lebanon^[12]. The page is undated, so check these amounts when you file. They come on top of the Land Registry fee of 3% of the value for Lebanese buyers, 5% for non-Lebanese^[4]. Kallas Law Firm said in May 2026 that the buyer's nationality alone decides between the 3% and 5% rates, whatever the property is used for^[13].