Lebanon’s Finance and Budget Committee has approved the government’s golden residency program aimed at attracting foreign nationals and Lebanese expatriates to invest in the country.
The proposal is intended to support the Middle Eastern country’s economic recovery by stimulating new business activity, creating jobs, and increasing government revenue.
What Will The Lebanese Golden Visa Requirements Be?
Under the proposed program, non-residents who invest at least $500,000 in Lebanon would become eligible for a special residency status. Qualifying investments would be allowed across three approved sectors, while remaining subject to Lebanon’s existing foreign property ownership regulations when real estate investments are involved. Funds must be transferred from outside Lebanon and undergo compliance procedures designed to prevent money laundering.The proposed $500,000 threshold would place Lebanon roughly in line with Portugal’s fund-investment route and some higher-tier European residency programs.
The proposed residency would extend to eligible family members. Each family member included under the program would be required to pay an annual fee of at least $50,000.
If implemented, the program would place Lebanon alongside other countries using investment-based residency schemes to compete for global capital. Supporters view the proposal as one element of a broader economic recovery strategy that seeks to strengthen investor confidence, attract overseas Lebanese, and encourage international businesses to participate in rebuilding the country’s economy.
The proposal still requires further legislative and regulatory steps before becoming official.At present, no direct path to Lebanese citizenship has been announced.
The proposal comes at times when Lebanon faces active conflict, a long-term banking crisis, and international financial monitoring due to its inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list. These combined economic, security, and compliance risks have led market analysts to note that attracting the minimum investment will be challenging, particularly when competing nations in the region and abroad also offer similar programs in more stable environments.
