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Individual Tourist Visa

LebanonShort stays and visits

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Lebanon Read the five questions ↓

For the relevant traveller scope, is a visa, electronic authorisation, visa on arrival or no advance visa normally required?

Tourist entry permission depends on nationality, travel document and personal circumstances. General Security lists nationalities eligible for a free one-month visa extendable to three months, including Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Other specified groups have separate conditions; nationalities not covered by the published categories require an embassy visa or prior General Security approval. The source does not support a single entry rule for every traveller.

See recorded sources
  • Second Article: Entry of citizens
    Second Article: Entry of citizens from foreign countries for tourism. Section one: The concerned countries: Andora - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria -  Azerbaijan - Bahamas - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Bhutan -Brazil - Bulgaria - Canada-Chile-China Peoples republic) – Costa Rica - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech republic - Denmark- Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Great Britain Or United Kingdom - Greece - Holland - Hong kong(SAR)China-Hungary - Iceland - Iraq - Ireland - Italy - Japan - Kirgizstan - Latvia - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Macau(SAR) - Macedonia - Malaysia - Malte - Mexico - Moldova - Monaco - Montenegro - New Zealand - Norway - Panama - Paraguay - Peru-Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russia - Samoa - San Marino - Serbia - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - S.Korea - Spain- St.Kitts & Nevis - Sweden - Switzerland - Tajikistan -Turkmenistan - Ukraine - Uruguay - U.S.A - Uzbekistan-Venezuela. The formalities required: A cost-free visa of one month extendable to 3 months is granted for Citizens from the above countries. The interested party should communicate his current address to the directorate of general security. In the event of a change of location, the latter should also be communicated. If the visa has an expiration period of 1 month, it is possible for the interested party to go to Syria in a brief period of 5 days, whether the visa is anticipated, consular, or immediately issued. N.B:
  • Eleventh Article:
    Eleventh Article: The countries not mentioned previously : Citizens that come from countries not previously mentioned require a visa delivered by one of the Lebanese embassies, or a previous authorization granted by the directorate of the general security.

What short-visit purposes does this route cover?

The individual tourist visa is for an individual tourism visit. The General Security visa list treats study, medical treatment, family visits, transit and commercial or consultancy visits as separate visit purposes; an individual tourism visa does not itself establish permission to work.

See recorded sources
  • 22- A visa for a visit:
    22- A visa for a visit: 221- Individual tourism 222- Touristic groups, student groups, or sports groups 223- Student visa 224- A student in religion, a clergy member, a volunteer or a missionary 225- Sanitary services 226- Show up at an embassy or an official entity 227- A friendship or a relationship of some sort 228- Family reasons 229 – Transit 229 bis – work (commercial, consultation, training, etc.)
  • 43- The requested documents
    43- The requested documents have to be in Arabic, French or English. 44- The visas mentioned in 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 39 bis / are not renewable. They can’t be changed into a work visa without an official decision taken by the general director.

What maximum stay, rolling-period rule, validity and entry rules apply?

Length of stay depends on nationality. General Security lists nationalities eligible for a free one-month visa extendable to three months, including Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. General Security stamps '6 months' in the passport of citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and '3 months' for Jordanian citizens, free of charge, at border posts. The official source does not state a rolling-period rule.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Stay length and validity for other nationalities, and for the individual tourist visa (item 33) issued by a Lebanese mission or on General Security prior authorization, are not stated in this citation.
  • No rolling-period rule (days within a reference period) is stated in the cited text.
  • https://www.general-security.gov.lb/en/posts/38
    The statement ‘3months’ or ‘6months’ will be stamped on their passport, the visa will be granted free of charge, at passports or any other border posts. 3months: for Jordanian Citizens. 6months: For Citizen of countries members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
  • Second Article: Entry of citizens
    Second Article: Entry of citizens from foreign countries for tourism. Section one: The concerned countries: Andora - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria -  Azerbaijan - Bahamas - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Bhutan -Brazil - Bulgaria - Canada-Chile-China Peoples republic) – Costa Rica - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech republic - Denmark- Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Great Britain Or United Kingdom - Greece - Holland - Hong kong(SAR)China-Hungary - Iceland - Iraq - Ireland - Italy - Japan - Kirgizstan - Latvia - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Macau(SAR) - Macedonia - Malaysia - Malte - Mexico - Moldova - Monaco - Montenegro - New Zealand - Norway - Panama - Paraguay - Peru-Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russia - Samoa - San Marino - Serbia - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - S.Korea - Spain- St.Kitts & Nevis - Sweden - Switzerland - Tajikistan -Turkmenistan - Ukraine - Uruguay - U.S.A - Uzbekistan-Venezuela. The formalities required: A cost-free visa of one month extendable to 3 months is granted for Citizens from the above countries. The interested party should communicate his current address to the directorate of general security. In the event of a change of location, the latter should also be communicated. If the visa has an expiration period of 1 month, it is possible for the interested party to go to Syria in a brief period of 5 days, whether the visa is anticipated, consular, or immediately issued. N.B:
  • Eleventh Article:
    Eleventh Article: The countries not mentioned previously : Citizens that come from countries not previously mentioned require a visa delivered by one of the Lebanese embassies, or a previous authorization granted by the directorate of the general security.

What important funds, accommodation, invitation, insurance, onward-travel or passport evidence may be required?

The individual-tourist checklist requires accommodation evidence showing entry and exit dates and the residence address, a plane ticket, and financial and employment evidence such as an account statement, credit card and evidence of profession and salary. Additional nationality- and travel-document-specific requirements apply; for its specified Article Eight group, the nationality page requires a return ticket, accommodation and funds equivalent to USD 2,000 or a certified bank cheque for the same amount. A separate diverse-visa checklist lists passport copies, insurance and a notarised guarantee, but the table does not establish that it applies to every individual-tourist visa.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The individual-tourist row33 does not explicitly incorporate the sibling row31 diverse-visa checklist; avoid universal passport/insurance/guarantee claims based only on that row.
  • 33- Individual touristic visit
    33- Individual touristic visit A hotel reservation that underlines the date of entry, and exit, the addressee of residency and the title deeds or leases A plane ticket -A statement of account, a credit card, an attestation of profession, and salary 34- Student visa
  • 31- Diverse visas
    31- Diverse visas -A filled visa application that is handed out by the interested party (Lebanese or foreigner) residing legally in Lebanon (with the exception of the 3 rd and 4 rth category) or by a touristic institution, or an enterprise (industrial, commercial, civil…), a legal person, or a club. -A certified copy of the ID card, the passport and the residency permit owned by the concerned citizen. If the interested party is an enterprise, a legal person, or a club, he has to hand out all the legal documents requested (commercial register, investment permit, etc.) -A certified copy of the passport that’s valid for 6months at least. -If the refugee doesn’t live in his country of origin, or doesn’t own a foreign travelling document, he has to have in hand a resident permit for 6months at least. If the refugee has a FREMMEDPAS travelling document or an Egyptian travelling document, he has to have in hand a certified copy of a return visa valid for more than 6months, as well as a certified copy of the residence permit. -      If the refugee owns a Palestinian passport, or a Jordanian passport without a national number, he has to have in hand a document authorizing his return. -A residency permit and a plane ticket A private insurance -A document that underlines the profession of the interested party An ID photo A guarantee certified by a competent notary -When it comes to visa requests made abroad by the interested party : -The new version is available at embassies, the application has to be filled out, and an id photo has to be attached to the latter 32 – Touristic group
  • Eight Article: Entry of Arab and foreign citizens for tourism.
    Eight Article: Entry of Arab and foreign citizens for tourism. 1 month visa, extendable to 3 months is granted to Citizens from the following countries : Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Comoros island, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen, Ivory coast, Ghana, and Nigeria under the following conditions: 1. A round trip airline ticket 2. A hotel reservation or an address of residency, and a phone number 3. A sum of money equivalent to 2000 USD, or a check of the same amount certified by the concerned bank Are exempted Citizens holding a visa granted abroad by Lebanese missionaries, or by the general security Section two:

Where/how is permission obtained when required, and under what important circumstances can a stay be extended or changed?

A tourist visa may be granted by a Lebanese mission abroad in line with current regulations, under the responsibility of the mission's director, who writes and signs a statement to that effect and uses the official seal. For citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan (and their family members) coming for tourism, the stay period can be extended to one year, free of cost, by General Security's Department of Arabs and Foreigners.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Extension or change of stay for other nationalities and for the generic individual tourist visa (item 33) is not stated in these citations.
  • Where and how General Security prior authorization for a tourist visa is requested is not stated in these citations.
  • https://www.general-security.gov.lb/en/posts/38
    Visa granted by Lebanese missions If a tourism visa is granted by one the Lebanese missions residing abroad, conform to current regulations, this visa is granted under the responsibility of the mission’s director: a fact that is known by the latter who will write and signs this statement. The official seal should also be used in this instance to avoid risk of fraud.
  • https://www.general-security.gov.lb/en/posts/38
    First Article: Citizen of countries members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Citizen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and their family members for tourism.
  • https://www.general-security.gov.lb/en/posts/38
    The period can be extended to one year, free of cost, by the general directorate of general security - department of Arabs and foreigners.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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