Lebanon announces plans for a “Golden Visa”: why it may be a bad decision right now

On June 22, Lebanon’s Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee approved a draft law prepared by the government. It would allow non-residents to obtain a residence permit through investments of at least $500,000. However, before the measure can take effect, it must pass a full parliamentary vote and then wait for the adoption of implementing regulations.

The bill’s sponsor, committee chair Ibrahim Kanaan, stresses that this is not a traditional “golden visa.” Instead, he describes it as a mechanism for tax residency. Kanaan explains the idea as a way to grant “golden residency” to people who need tax-resident status—provided they invest a minimum of $500,000 into three approved sectors. In spirit, he says, the concept resembles Dubai’s approach.

A key condition is that the capital must be brought in from abroad and undergo a so-called strict screening to prevent attempts at money laundering. In practice, the draft effectively places the program within Lebanon’s “fresh dollar” framework—referring to the post-2019 inflow of funds—while money deposited before 2019 remains frozen in the banking system.

For each family member seeking a similar tax status, an annual fee of at least $50,000 is proposed. Kanaan presents the project as a “door” that will create jobs, replenish the budget, and encourage investment—assuming the required conditions and requirements are met. The initiative originates with the government.

At the same time, the committee has not yet named the three sectors. It is also noted that property purchases must still comply with the existing rules on foreign ownership.

Existing options for foreigners

Today, foreign nationals can already obtain Lebanese residence permits without local employment via the route of “independent means”. If that scheme mainly requires proof that applicants can support themselves, the new mechanism is designed around large, monitored investments—while also granting tax residency. Whether the new program will complement the existing permissions or replace them remains unclear.

The logic of tax residency in Lebanon’s system may be especially appealing. Lebanon taxes on a territorial basis: income earned from activities within the country is taxed, rather than worldwide income. For a non-resident professional, a formal “tax home” in such a setup can often be more valuable than the residence permit itself.

Why the proposal is controversial

Criticism also centers on the timing. Since October 2024, Lebanon has been on the FATF grey list (Financial Action Task Force), and in June 2026 the decision was maintained at the plenary session.

Moreover, investors still cannot access the billions of frozen funds that were blocked after the 2019 crisis. Against a backdrop of political turbulence, on June 17 an America–Iran framework agreement was signed that calls for an end to military operations in Lebanon. However, Israel and Hezbollah did not sign it; Israeli forces were not withdrawn, and strikes continued—including in the days leading up to the committee meeting.

Arton Capital adviser Maria Wehbe described the project as “to some extent ambitious.” She points out that Lebanon still needs to modernize several laws—for example: women in Lebanon cannot pass citizenship to their children, and they also cannot pass it on to non-Lebanese spouses.

Still, the main criticism is commercial. Wehbe asks: who will invest $500,000 plus $50,000 per year for each family member if those funds can be directed to jurisdictions that:

• are not on the FATF grey list;
• have not experienced one of the largest bank collapses;
• have not endured financial crises involving allegations of schemes similar to “financial pyramids”;
• have not faced the fallout from billions of dollars in frozen deposits after 2019.

There are also practical concerns. According to Wehbe, if you exclude the “bank deposit route” and focus only on real estate or company investments, the question becomes: in an economy where a significant share of transactions happens in cash, how will they verify that the entire $500,000 has truly been invested and transparently transferred.

Another issue is administrative burden. “Can the General Security Directorate realistically process and efficiently manage a potentially large number of applications?” the expert asks. In her view, many questions remain unanswered.

At the same time, Wehbe does not dismiss the goal itself. She views the attempt to introduce solutions and initiatives positively, but believes “maybe this is not the right time and not the right format—in terms of investment thresholds and the mechanisms involved.” In her opinion, all of this is happening “before Lebanon’s complex internal processes, infrastructure problems, and numerous other sensitive matters are even taken into account.”

The project fits a broader trend

Some observers interpret the initiative as part of a wider, “woken-up” trend. Triple One Immigration Services founder Tony Ebraim says he sees “a sharp increase in government officials’ attention across different countries to golden visas—or even citizenship by investment (CBI)—as tools to attract high-net-worth people.”

In his view, the trend will expand: “Soon, many countries will follow suit, and now the investor will be able to choose the most beneficial option.”

What happens next depends on the next stage: first, a parliamentary vote; then, the introduction of regulations. Those regulations should define the three permitted sectors, outline the compliance process, and specify how the workload will be distributed among institutions—primarily General Security. For now, the draft text has not been published in final form; the $500,000 figure and the annual $50,000 fee still reflect statements from the committee chair’s public description rather than fixed provisions of the law.

If Lebanon is moving toward a “golden visa” model via investment-based residency / tax residency, it’s crucial to assess not only the investment threshold, but also source-of-funds rules, compliance checks, and the timeline for implementation. Digital Nomad can help you evaluate the program requirements and shape a plan based on your situation—budget, family members, and next steps. Learn more: https://digital-nomad.gr/en/goldenvisa

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr