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(From the Official website of the General Directorate of General security)

Any person entering Lebanon, must hold a passport which is valid for a period of at least 6 months and an appropriate visa, the latter issued at the Lebanese Embassies and Consulates abroad, or by the Directorate General of Security at the Lebanese border or airport.

Entry Visas / Types Of Visas

The Transit Visa

 The Residence Visa

The Courtesy Visa

It is granted for VIPs by Lebanese embassies and delegations abroad or by the General Director of General Security.

The Collective Visa: It is granted for groups, and the fee is collected from each member of the groups.

The Work VisaIt is granted for 3 months and its fee is 50.000 LP. based on a preapproval from the Ministry of labor.

The fees of paid services
The fees of paid services are collected for every application presented at the public relations department or sent to it via the Operation Room according to the following:

• Ordinary 105.000 L.L on every individual visa whether presented by a single, individual or a collectiverequest.
• Immediate, Direct 105.000 L.L on every visa executed via the Operation Room.

 Entry Visas / The Entry of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Citizens and Jordanian citizens

The citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (Saudi Arabia - Kuwait - United Arab Emirates - Bahrain - Qatar - Oman) in addition to the citizens of the Jordanian Hashemite Kingdom holding a National Number on their passports who are coming for the purpose of tourism as well as their family members, domestic workers and drivers escorting them, are exempted from entry visas according to the following:

1. 1- The passports of the citizens of these countries as well as their family members, domestic workers and drivers accompanying them should be stamped with the expression "six months" for free, at the airport and border centers.
2. It is required that the domestic workers and drivers hold a valid residence permit in the employer's country.
3. The visas validity period can be extended up to one year for free at the General Directorate of General Security - Arabs and Foreigners department - according to the regulations.
4. The escorting domestic workers and drivers should hold a valid residence permit in the employer's country.
5. Drivers are allowed to join their employer present in Lebanon by land; provided that the car is registered in the employer's name and that the driver holds a valid residence permit in the employer's country.
6. The Jordanian citizens (Holders of passports of the national number) who are drivers of public transport, truck drivers and their assistants, can get free entry visas for six months and multiple entries at all the General Security border centers, provided they are coming on transport missions.
7. Jordanian passport should be valid for at least three months.

Entry Visas / Citizens of some foreign countries coming for tourism

A free one month valid visa renewable for three months is granted at the airport and the border centers, for the citizens of the following countries coming for tourism:

Andorra - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan - The Bahamas - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Bhutan - Brazil - Bulgaria - Canada - Chile - China Rep - Czech Republic - Costa Rica - Croatia - Cyprus - Denmark(**) - Dominican Republic - Estonia - Finland - France - Great Britain - Georgia - Germany - Greece - Hong Kong - Hungary - Iceland - Ireland - Islamic Republic of Iran - Italy - Japan - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Liechtenstein - Luxembourg - Macedonia - Macau (S A R) - Malaysia - Malta - Mexico - Moldova - Monaco - Montenegro - Netherlands (**) - New Zealand - Norway - Palau - Panama - Peru - Poland(*) - Portugal - Russia - Romania - Saint Kitts & Nevis - Samoa - San Marino - Serbia- Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - South Korea - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Tajikistan - Turkmenistan - USA - Ukraine (*) - Uzbekistan -Venezuela -Yugoslavia.

Entry visa for Turkish citizens

Turkish citizens coming for tourism - shall be granted a three months entry visa on all border departments and centers, this visa can only be renewed one month from its expiry date.

Turkish bus and truck drivers and their assistants in addition to Turkish civil airplanes and ship cabin crew are granted free three months multiple entries, entry visas that can only be renewed one month after their date of expiry.

Notes

Concerning the citizens of Thailand, they are not allowed to obtain direct entry visas at border departments and centers, except for:

1. Those that are holding diplomatic passports.
2. Those that are residing in Syria according to a yearly residence and coming for the purpose of tourism.
3. Holders of diplomatic passports, special passports and service passports, (issued by the Cypriot Authorities) are exempted from the charges of an entry visa.

The Required Documents: Passport of the traveler.

Notes

A- The visa's validity is extended within the above mentioned period upon attendance of the concerned person for that purpose to one of the regional General Security districts. It is forbidden to extend the validity for more than three months for this category. 

B- Mechanism of regulation of Arabs and Foreigners situations who violated tourism visa dispositions:

1. The situation of the Arab or foreign tourist who entered Lebanon according to a tourist visa and violated the visa validity for a period less than one month will be settled upon his departure in General Security border departments and centers. His or her passport will be duly stamped by the exit seal.
2. The Arab and foreign nationals, who entered Lebanon according to a work visa, and violated their residence regulations, are prohibited from traveling. The violating party is notified the necessity to obtain a release from the Ministry of Labor, and then to visit the department of Arabs and foreigners, or one of the regional posts of General Security to regulate his situation and to get a delay to leave.
3. Every Arab or foreign desiring to extend his stay, must submit an application to the General Directorate of General Security at least seven days before the expiry of his visa.
4. The visa according to which the foreigner entered Lebanon is only renewable for one time.

C- Any alteration concerning the address given by the passenger, whether related to the hotel reservation or the private address given will lead to the arrestment and deportation of the passenger unless he or she has previously notified the General Directorate of General Security of that alteration.

D- The entry of females who have previously worked as artists or masseuses, whatever their age or the period they stayed outside Lebanon, is subject to a preapproval from the General Directorate of General Security.

E- The following cases are exempted from all the conditions concerning the address, the round trip ticket, and the preapproval from the General Directorate of General Security:

• The wife of a Lebanese man, who didn't work previously as an artist or a masseuse, after presenting a document proving the marriage.
• The wife of a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon or a holder of a valid identity card under consideration and who didn't work previously as an artist or a masseuse, after presenting a document asserting the marriage.
• The wife of a Syrian man accompanying him and who didn't work previously as an artist or masseuse in Lebanon, provided that the marriage is registered on the husband's family register or by presenting a document proving the marriage.
• Women who didn't work previously as artists or masseuses in Lebanon, accompanying their husband, their child, one of their parents, brothers.
• The mother in law of a Lebanese man, after presenting a document asserting the kinship.
• Women coming among official delegations, or those holding private, special or diplomatic passports.
• The wife of a Lebanese man who has previously worked as an artist or a masseuse and left Lebanon for a period of more than one year, if she is accompanied by one or more of her children from this marriage after presenting the documents proving the marriage.
• The wife of a foreigner non Arabic man who has previously worked as an artist or a masseuse and had left Lebanon for a period more than one year, provided that she is in his company and that she holds a document proving the marriage.
• People entering Lebanon via direct, previous, or consulate visas are allowed to enter the Syrian territories and to return to Lebanon within the period of the visa's validity and for a duration of 5 days.

Entry Visas / Entry Visa for Arab and foreigner diplomats

A six months renewable visa is granted for free at the airport and border centers for the following:

• Arab and Foreigner diplomats.
• Domestic workers accompanying the accredited Arab and Foreigner diplomats in Lebanon who must depart with them.
• Domestic workers accompanying Lebanese families living aboard who must depart with them.

The Required Documents: Passport of the Individual.

Note

- The same procedures apply to the drivers and domestic workers accompanying the Arab and Foreigner diplomats accredited in Syria provided that they present a document proving their job and a valid residence in Syria.

- The same procedures concerning the entry of Arab and foreigner diplomats apply to:

a. Holders of United Nations transit passports and their families who are holding these passports.

b. Family members of the diplomats holding diplomatic Passports.

Residence in Lebanon / Conditions for granting residence

- That holds a work permit valid for a period of not less than six months attached to a work contract certified by a notary.

- The applicant must be residence holds Lebanese citizenship in addition to his nationality or be of Lebanese origin.

- The applicant must be residence of Lebanese parents or mother of Lebanese.

- The applicant must be residence of a Lebanese mother.

- Be a student residence wife of the Lebanese people or be a student pairs residence "for the Lebanese.

- The applicant must be an affiliate of the University of residence or diurnal Institute in Lebanon.

- The applicant must be a full-time residence cleric.

- To prove a student residence that has a monthly income of no less than three million Lebanese pounds, or to prove under passbook He's balance of at least percent a million Lebanese pounds in one of the banks operating in Lebanon frozen for more than three months attachment pledge organizer notary not carrying out any paid work in Lebanon, in addition to support rent or title.

- Be a student house wife for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon since 1948, or to the card holder being studied.

The applicant must be employees or residence with permanent or contractor for a period of not less than one year at a diplomatic mission in Lebanon.

Deadline:

The deadline annual achievement residence is one week from the date of submission of the application

SOURCE: Official website of the General Directorate of General security: http://www.general-security.gov.lb