Relocation intelligence

🇱🇧 Moving to Lebanon: tax, residency and cost of living

Lebanon levies progressive payroll tax rising to 25%, plus about 3% NSSF contribution. The effective burden on an income worth roughly EUR 54,000 is around 27%. Corporate tax is 17% and VAT 11%. Since 2019 the country has been in a severe financial and currency crisis, with a collapsed pound and a wide gap between bank rates and the free market. The culture is rich and the climate pleasant, but institutions and services are heavily damaged.

Thinking of moving to Lebanon? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.

Key facts

Top income tax
25%
Corporate tax
17%
Capital gains
15%
Wealth tax
No
Inheritance tax
Yes
Cost of living index
40
Safety
2/10
Internet quality
3/10
Visa-free destinations
39
Foreigners can own property
Yes
Residency in
6 months
Citizenship in
5 years

Taxes

Progressive payroll tax up to 25% plus about 3% NSSF, effectively around 27% at EUR 54,000. Corporate tax 17%, VAT 11%.

Residency and visas

Residence and work are accessible, but the financial crisis and instability make settling risky.

Property ownership

Foreigners can acquire property under conditions and with a permit, with limits on area.

Cost of living and quality of life

Lebanon has a rich culture and pleasant climate, but faces a severe financial crisis, power shortages and political instability.

Passport and mobility

The Lebanese passport is weak, with visa-free access to about 39 destinations.

Why people move to Lebanon

  • Relatively low top rate

    Payroll tax rises to 25% and corporate tax is 17%, low by Western standards.

  • Rich culture and location

    Lebanon has a vibrant culture, Mediterranean climate and a strategic location on the eastern Mediterranean coast.

Honest trade-offs

  • Libanon verkeert sinds 2019 in een zware financiele en muntcrisis, met stroomtekorten, bankbeperkingen en politieke instabiliteit.
  • De pond is ingestort en er bestaat een grote kloof tussen bankkoersen en de vrije markt; de effectieve waarde van inkomen is onzeker.
  • Buitenlanders hebben voor vastgoedaankopen een vergunning nodig en er gelden beperkingen op de oppervlakte.

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Sources

Other destinations