Renewing a Residency Permit at General Security: A Practical Walk-through
Foreign residency in Lebanon is governed primarily by the 1962 Law of Entry and Stay and administered by the Directorate General of General Security (DGGS). Annual residency is the default for most foreign nationals working or sponsored in Lebanon.
Validity
An annual residency permit cannot exceed the passport's validity minus six months. Renewal formalities should be initiated at least ten days before expiry; for work permits, one month before.
Standard sponsorship dossier
- Pledge of responsibility from the Lebanese sponsor, notarized at the public notary (kateb 'adl).
- Passport copy (valid > 12 months) and ID/civil extract.
- Where applicable, a notarized pledge not to work.
- Recent photo, bank receipt of the renewal fee.
The fees
- Annual sponsorship-based residency: LBP 13,000,000 as of 2024.
- Late submission (even by one day): an additional LBP 4,900,000.
- Minors and applicants over 64 enjoy specific exemptions.
Investor track
Foreign investors with a documented project may apply, after a six-month temporary stay, for a three-year renewable residency (passport must be valid three years for the long permit).
Practical tips
General Security branches outside Beirut often have shorter queues. Compile the dossier digitally first — most rejections in our experience come from missing notary stamps and stale bank receipts.
