Buying Property in Lebanon: What Foreign Nationals Need
AdvisorLB Team
Foreign acquisitions in Lebanon are governed by Law No. 296 of 3 April 2001, which amended the earlier 1969 decree-law. Two thresholds are critical for non-Lebanese buyers.
The surface area caps
- A foreign individual or legal entity may acquire up to 3,000 m² of built or unbuilt land in Lebanon without prior authorization.
- Anything beyond that requires a decree issued by the Council of Ministers.
- Cumulative foreign ownership inside any one caza is capped at 3% of its total surface (10% inside the caza of Beirut).
Costs at registration
- Property registration fee — currently around 5–6% of declared value (Law 296/2001 effectively equalized the rate for foreigners and Lebanese for properties under the cap).
- Stamp duty on the contract — 0.4% of the price.
- Lawyer / notary fees — typically 1–2% of value.
- Annual municipal built-property tax thereafter.
Practical tips
Always commission a clean-title search at the Daa'irat al-Saghil al-'Aqari (Cadastre) before transferring any deposit. For larger acquisitions, structure the purchase through a single SAL holding so that the surface-area cap is calculated cleanly.