Buying from abroad or as a foreigner

Lebanese abroad: buying through a power of attorney

You do not need to fly in to sign. A power of attorney (وكالة) made at a Lebanese embassy or consulate lets a relative or your lawyer sign the contract and register the sale for you.

Make it specific: the lot number, the price range, and what the attorney may and may not do. A broad, irrevocable power of attorney is convenient and risky.

See the home first by video, and ask for the documents on our checklist before any money moves.

Non-Lebanese buyers

Foreigners may own property in Lebanon under the law on foreign ownership (Law 296 of 2001). Up to 3,000 m² can be acquired without a special licence; more needs a decree.

The law also caps how much of each district may be foreign-owned, so in a few places a sale can be refused even under 3,000 m².

Registration costs more for non-Lebanese buyers, and some nationalities face extra conditions. A lawyer confirms both for you before you sign anything.

Money

Agree in writing how and in what currency you pay, and pay through banks you can trace. Keep every transfer record: the registry and, later, a buyer from you will ask.

Questions buyers ask

Can I buy without coming to Lebanon?

Yes. A power of attorney made at a Lebanese embassy or consulate lets someone you trust sign and register for you.

Do I have to live in Lebanon to own a home there?

Owning property does not require living in Lebanon. Your lawyer confirms what applies to your nationality.

How long does it take?

Once the papers are in order, weeks rather than months. An inheritance, a building not yet divided into units, or a licence for a foreign buyer can take longer.

Can I pay from abroad?

Yes, by bank transfer. Agree in writing on the currency and how each payment is made, and keep every record.

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Beirut?

Generally yes, within the law's limits on area and on how much of each district may be foreign-owned. A lawyer checks the district before you sign.

The documents to ask for before you buy

From viewing to keys

1See the home, and its papersView it in person or by video call, and before anything else ask for a property statement dated this week.
2Appoint a lawyer in LebanonThey read the statement, the survey, the permits and the clearances, and tell you what applies to your nationality.
3Make a power of attorneyAt a Lebanese embassy or consulate, naming who may sign for you, for this property, within a price.
4Sign the preliminary agreementPrice, dates, the deposit and what happens to it — paid by bank transfer, never in cash you cannot prove.
5Sign the sale before a notaryYour attorney signs for you. The seller brings the clearances the registry will ask for.
6Register it in your nameAt the Land Registry, where the fees are paid. The home is yours from its registration — a non-Lebanese buyer above 3,000 m² needs a decree first.
7Take it overElectricity, water and the generator in your name, the building committee told, the keys handed over.

Guidance to plan with, not legal advice. For a sale, a property lawyer checks the papers and gives today's fees. Find a property lawyer

Lebanese abroad: buying through a power of attorney

Non-Lebanese buyers

Money

Questions buyers ask

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