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Lebanon · Relocation guide

Moving to Lebanon: residence, work and security planning

Lebanon remains viable only in some locations and with strong contingency planning. FCDO advises against all or all but essential travel to substantial areas. Local work needs Ministry of Labour approval and General Security residence; an embassy visa is not enough.

Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Map the exact neighbourhood and exit route

Current advice distinguishes neighbourhoods and governorates, including no-travel areas in south Beirut, the south, Beqaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Akkar and Palestinian camps. Airstrikes and armed clashes can restart without warning.

Do not move into an advised-against area. Choose housing with safe internal space, supplies, airport access and a land-border alternative.

Pair Labour approval with General Security residence

The employer-led work route involves Ministry of Labour authorisation and General Security visa or residence. Annual family and specialist residence categories do not automatically authorise work.

A tourist, business or family visit visa is not ordinary employment permission.

Pair Labour approval with General Security residence
PlanRoute to examineBoundary
Local employmentWork Visa Authorized by the Ministry of LaborLabour approval and General Security residence must align.
Join familyAnnual Residence for Family MembersSeparate residence; verify work independently.
Specialist religious, study or volunteer purposeReligious Student, Volunteer, Missionary or Clergy ResidenceUse only the approved purpose.

Complete General Security and address steps

Carry the entry visa, employer approval, lease and civil records and follow the General Security office serving the address. Keep every receipt and residence card copy.

Use a verified lease and ask how a later move must be reported; avoid large deposits while banking and security remain unstable.

Verify work, health and money access

Do not work before both authorities approve. Ask payroll to document tax and National Social Security Fund registration.

Hospitals may require payment and medicines or fuel can be disrupted. Maintain private and evacuation cover. The banking crisis makes deposits and transfers risky; confirm lawful access without assuming a local account is liquid.

Plan dependants and renewal around disruption

Each dependant needs residence, healthcare and school arrangements. Carry current travel documents; child-custody travel bans can arise and require legal advice.

Renew early and keep food, water, medicine, cash within legal limits and departure plans ready. Roads and the airport can close with little warning.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 11 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

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