Lebanon Visa Requirements You Ought To Know – Visa Reservation

Lebanon is a country that revels in its urban modernity while invoking a nostalgia of this ancient civilization’s glorious history. It is a place where family, tradition, and hospitality is valued the most. While Lebanon visa requirements have become a bit stringent lately, you can still obtain a visa to visit this breathtakingly beautiful country, as long as you have all the required documents ready.

The Lebanese cuisine is world famous, so is the glamorous city of Beirut and the vivid landscape of the country. The land is blessed with magnificent ancient ruins that stand tall and proud over the desert landscape and the green mountain vistas that spread as far as your eyes could see. Not to mention, the sexy beaches in Lebanon is a tourist attraction in itself. Lebanon is a highly influential country in the Arab world due to its immense wealth & prosperity — now you know, it’s not called the ‘Switzerland of the East’ and the ‘Paris of the Middle East’ for no reasons!

HOW TO APPLY FOR A LEBANESE VISA?

If you’re planning to visit Lebanon, the first thing you need to do is get your Lebanon visa requirements ready and apply for a visa. In addition to a visa, you might also need to get an approval from the Immigration Department of the General Directorate of General Security. There are two ways you can apply for a visa from India:

1. If you know any Lebanese citizen, they can apply for your visa at the Lebanese Immigration Department. While the approval will be sent to you in Arabic, you can get the approval translated to English from the Lebanese Embassy in India.
2. The second way is how you would normally apply for a visa at the Lebanese Embassy in India after submitting the set of Lebanon visa requirements provided in the sections below.

NOTE: Due to the long-standing conflicts between Israel and Lebanon, the applicants with an Israeli visa stamped in the passport will not get a visa approval. Even if you get the visa approval by any chance, the visa will be rendered invalid, if there is an Israeli visa stamped in your passport. In such an instance, what you can do is, get a renewed passport.

MANDATORY LEBANON VISA REQUIREMENTS

The following mandatory Lebanon visa requirements are common for all visa types:

1. Two Visa Application Form: While applying for a Lebanese visa, you’ll need to submit two visa application forms. The application form can be downloaded from the Lebanese Embassy in your country or obtained from the Lebanese Embassy itself. Once you fill the form, ensure that you sign in the required fields on both the separate copies of the visa application form.
2. Two Passport-sized photographs: Since you have two visa application forms, you’ll need to have one passport-sized photograph for each of the forms. The photos should be recently taken and should be in color.
3. Passport: The passport is one of the most important Lebanon visa requirement, and one of the most important travel documents you’ll need to have when you’re travelling abroad. Ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of your return from Lebanon and that there are at least 2 blank pages to stamp your entry and exit visas. You might also be asked to provide a copy of the front and back pages of your passport.
4. Personal Covering letter: A covering letter should be typed on your company letterhead (if you’re an employee). The covering letter should contain elaborate details about your travel plans, the purpose of visit, dates of arrival and departure from Lebanon, flight numbers, and the places and people you’ll be visiting. If you are applying for a Tourist visa, you need to attach a detailed travel itinerary along with the covering letter.
5. Proof of stay: Your hotel accommodation should be booked prior to applying for the visa. As a proof, you can give the receipt for the hotel booking. However, if you’re invited by a sponsor, relative, or friend to stay in their residence, you need to provide a letter of invitation, along with the proof of their Lebanese Identity or proof of permanent residency.
6. Confirmed flight tickets: The flight tickets for your return journey to your home country is a mandatory Lebanon visa requirement. In case you have a tentative schedule, you can also choose to provide a flight itinerary from an authorized travel agency such as Visa Reservation. The flight itinerary for visa reservation should include your currently scheduled date of return as well as the flight number. This is a risk-free way to prevent a huge loss, in case you need to prepone or postpone your trip.
7. Bank statement: The bank statement is very important for getting a Lebanese visa. You need to provide your last 3 months’ bank statement which shows a minimum balance of USD 9000. In case you’re not able to provide the bank statement, you can also provide a proof of sufficient funds, which clearly states that you have enough funds to complete a round-trip to Lebanon, including your stay and all the other necessary expenses.

ADDITIONAL LEBANON VISA REQUIREMENTS BASED ON THE VISA TYPE

Along with the Lebanon visa requirements mentioned above, there are certain other documents that need to be submitted, if you’re planning to obtain any type of visa, other than the tourist visa. These are:

Business Visa: If you’re planning to visit Lebanon for business purposes, these are the important Lebanon visa requirements you’ll need to additionally fulfill:

1. Brief statement about the company in India and its line of products
2. Letter from the Indian Chamber of Commerce
3. Copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the company issued by the state government

Work Visa: If you are going to pursue your career in Lebanon or indulge in any activity that pays you in salary or remuneration, you must get a work visa. Here are the important requirements for a Lebanese work visa:

1. Work Permit
2. Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour & Employment
3. Appointment letter from the company in Lebanon

Student Visa: For students who wish to continue their studies in Lebanon, a student visa is mandatory. In addition to the documents mentioned in the previous section, you’ll also need the following documents for a student visa:

1. An enrollment certificate from the school, college, or university in Lebanon
2. A transfer certificate from your previous institution
3. The proof of your previous educational qualifications

Since you have read everything you need to know about applying for a Lebanese visa, you can start collecting those important Lebanon visa requirements that are relevant to your purpose of visit. In case you need any assistance while applying for the visa or collecting the documents, you can always approach us at Visa Reservation. We offer exceptional service in arranging for the mandatory documents such as your flight itinerary for visa application or your hotel reservation for visa. All the packages and services are completely personalized to suit your specific requirements. So, you just need to contact us and sit back, while we’ll handle the rest for you!