As is the case with other sovereign jurisdictions, Lebanon has real estate laws that must be adhered to. This is why anyone planning to acquire property should engage a Lebanese lawyer who is familiar with these laws. The lawyer will be offer guidance as to the processes of completing real estate acquisition transactions that are legally binding. This is particularly important for foreigners.

One major difference with Lebanese real estate law is the Legislative Decree Number 11614. This decree dated January 4, 1969, stipulates the laws of acquisition of real estate by foreigners. This law requires that foreigners or non-Arabs seek the approval of the Council of Ministers before acquiring real estate.

Arab nationals are allowed to acquire up to 5000 square meters of real estate and they don’t need permission to do so.

On April 3, 2001, following promulgation of the amendment of this law, the legal terms for real estate acquisition by foreigners changed. With this new rule, any person who is non-Lebanese who wants to acquire real estate needs to secure a license which is granted by decree from the Council of Ministers following the proposal of the Minister of Finance.

There is an exception to the rule where a license is not required. This is the case for non-Lebanese naturals and non-Lebanese legal persons as They are allowed to acquire real estate and carry out construction to a limit of 3,000 square meters within the country.

There are limitations with this law. Non-Lebanese naturals, legal citizens and legal non-Lebanese residents can be licensed to acquire real estate in Lebanon. However, they cannot acquire more than 3 percent of the total surface area of Lebanon.

Leave it to the experts

The precise surface area of Lebanon, where to get a license if you need one and the transactions involved in acquiring real estate are matters that are best left to real estate Lebanese law firms. An experienced attorney will take care of all the paperwork you need and work their way through the procedures and transactions. At the end of the process, you have documents that show that you are the legal owner of the real estate you have acquired in Lebanon.

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