Lebanon spouse residence: courtesy permit for families of Lebanese citizens

General Security lists eight groups for courtesy residence. For families of Lebanese citizens, the relevant ones are the wife of a Lebanese man who does not work, the husband of a Lebanese woman whose marriage is more than one year old, and the Arab or foreign child, natural or adopted, of a Lebanese father or mother. Lebanese citizens with a second nationality, foreigners of Lebanese origin, under-18s born in Lebanon to foreign parents who are studying there and retired diplomats who served in Lebanon are also covered.

All applicants submit an application form completed and signed in person at the authorised General Security department, a passport valid for at least three years with two photocopies, and three recent 3.5 x 4.5 cm photos. The wife of a Lebanese man adds a marriage certificate that complies with current regulations and an attestation that she does not work.

The husband of a Lebanese woman adds a compliant marriage certificate, an official document showing that the marriage is at least one year old, a lease or property title, and a certified copy of the ID card and the family civil registry extract. A child of a Lebanese parent submits a birth certificate or other proof of the parent's nationality together with the parent's ID or a recent civil status extract.

Courtesy residence is free. If you choose urgent handling through the public relations department, General Security charges a paid service fee of LBP 4,900,000 per residence permit. General Security also publishes an annual residence route for the wife of a Lebanese citizen with a passport valid for six months to a year and a notarised non-work attestation.

The form must be signed personally by the applicant at an authorised General Security department, so the application is made in Lebanon. Foreign spouses usually enter first on their own nationality rules, for many nationalities the free visa on arrival. General Security's Liban Post service table lists the courtesy codes for the spouse of a Lebanese man or woman among permits that can be collected through Liban Post.

If your passport is being renewed through your embassy, General Security can keep your file and allow a temporary arrangement for up to three months after the residence expires, without late fees, as long as you apply with the embassy receipt at least 15 days before the permit expires. The residence is then issued on the new passport.