Will I be compensated if the state expropriates my land or reserves part of it for a road in Lebanon?

Key facts#

Compensation in the 2016 CDR highway framework

assessed market value, case by case^[1], set by the Expropriation Commissions

Extra awards there

Fences and walls, leftover land too small to use, business loss, lost building rights^[1]

Contesting the amount there

CDR grievance mechanism, then the Appeals Committee^[1]

Older building inside a road setback

Settlement possible for violations built from 13 September 1971 to 31 December 2018^[2,3], and demolition is still possible^[2]

Building work after 2018

Outside the settlement scheme: violations after 1 January 2019 are demolished^[3]

Permit decision time

2 months on an executed road, 6 months otherwise^[4]

General expropriation law

Not confirmed in our sources; ask a lawyer

How long a road reservation lasts

Not published in our sources

How to check a plot for a road line or expropriation, step by step#

1. 1
   Get the plot's exact identifiers from the seller. You need its governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[8,9] to request the certificate. Write them down exactly as the seller gives them, in Arabic if you can.
2. 2
   Get an official Land Registry extract. You request it in person at the land registry office for the property's area^[9,10]. Legalmondo (June 2025) puts the fee at USD 5^[9]. Kallas Law Firm (October 2025) gives about 2 business days for a physical certificate, and times vary with the office's opening days^[11]. According to Legalmondo, certificates are public, so a lawyer or someone you trust can request one for you. No certificate is issued while a lien or a registration on the plot is still in process. Copies from OMT or online are unofficial and are not enough for a sale^[8,9,11,12]. In April 2025, several Mount Lebanon registry offices (Baabda, Chouf, Aley, Metn, Keserwan-Jbeil) worked on set days only^[13], so check the current schedule with the office before you go. Details are in how to get a Land Registry extract.
3. 3
   Ask the municipality about the master plan. Bring the plot identifiers and a copy of the extract. Ask in writing whether any part of the plot lies inside an approved road plan, a road-widening line or a setback, whether the road has been built, and what can be built on the rest. Ask for a written answer or a stamped plan extract. If the municipality cannot answer, put the same questions to the DGU.
4. 4
   Have a sworn surveyor place the plot on the cadastral plan. The Cadastre supervises the sworn surveyors and engineers it treats as its affiliates^[14]. Ask the surveyor to mark the plot's legal boundaries and any road line on the plan, and to measure the area that lies outside it. We found no published fee or ordering procedure, so ask for a written quote first.
5. 5
   Check any existing building against the setbacks. If a building sits inside a road setback, settling it under Law 139/2019 does not remove the risk of demolition^[2]. A building put up after 2018 is not covered by that law at all^[3]. Ask an engineer and the municipality to compare the building with the permit plans. See checking for building violations before you buy.
6. 6
   If you are abroad, act through a power of attorney. The person you name can collect papers and sign for you. Missions ask for the property number, its location and a copy of the deed or extract^[15,16,17]. See giving a power of attorney from abroad.
7. 7
   If the state is already taking land, see a lawyer before you accept any offer. In the CDR project, owners could contest through the CDR grievance mechanism and then go to the Appeals Committee^[1]. That framework provided separate awards for fences and walls, business losses and lost building rights. Photograph and list everything you would lose, and keep copies of every notice and plan you receive.

It depends on#

• Which project and which authority. The CDR rules above belong to one 2016 highway project^[1]. Ask the body running your project for its own acquisition framework, and have a lawyer read the decree that covers your plot.
• Whether the land is taken or only reserved. We found no source on payment for land that is only reserved on a plan. Ask the municipality and the DGU what the plan says, and ask a lawyer what you can claim.
• Whether there is a building on the strip, and when it went up. Under the CDR framework, a partly affected building is paid for the affected part plus repairs^[1]. A building in a setback from 1971 to 2018 can still be demolished after a Law 139/2019 settlement^[2], and work after 1 January 2019 is to be demolished^[3].
• Whether you own, rent or use the land. In the CDR project, leaseholders and people using the land without title were also eligible^[1]. Bring your lease or proof of use to any claim.
• Whether the plot is surveyed. On a plot that has not been finally surveyed, the extract may not show the area^[9,11], which makes the affected strip harder to measure. Ask a sworn surveyor and the municipality.

Common questions#