How to Get Lebanon CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 5 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- No criminal record condition in the law
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in Lebanon, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
- Residence
- 5 years
Person has lived in country for 5 consecutive years. May be granted by Head of State.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- No criminal record condition in the law
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
This route covers people married to a citizen of Lebanon, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is foreign man and marries a Lebanese woman and has been living in the Lebanese territories for one consecutive year as of the date of this marriage; Person is the wife of a male citizen and she has lived in the country for 5 years.
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in Lebanon. Under the law of Lebanon, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Lebanon to a male citizen. (In Lebanon, there is a problem with individuals who are born [to a Lebanese mother] out of wedlock not being able to have their birth registered. Lack of birth registration may result in problems with not being considered a citizen. This can be resolved in court, but this is not a simple process. We are not aware of any legal provisions that allow access to citizenship by mother if illegitimate, and on the ground we have never seen cases where this takes place.)
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a male citizen. (In Lebanon, there is a problem with individuals who are born out of wedlock not being able to have their birth registered. Lack of birth registration may result in problems with not being considered a citizen. This can be resolved in court, but this is not a simple process. We are not aware of any legal provisions that allow access to citizenship by mother if illegitimate, and on the ground we have never seen cases where this takes place.)
Child of a new citizen
For children whose parent becomes a citizen of Lebanon, the rules below set out what applies.
Person is a minor child of a male person who acquires citizenship.
Person is a major child of a male person who acquires citizenship (application required).
Other family members of citizens
For certain relatives of citizens, former citizens or new citizens of Lebanon, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is the wife of a male person who acquires citizenship.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
For former citizens of Lebanon, the rules below show when citizenship can be reacquired. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is a woman who lost citizenship as a result of marriage with a foreigner. She may, upon her request, recover citizenship after the dissolution of her marriage.
Person is of Lebanese origin and resettles in Lebanon
Stateless persons
This route covers stateless people and children who would otherwise be stateless, subject to the conditions below. Under the law of Lebanon, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Foundlings
Person born in Lebanon to unknown parents.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person is born in Lebanon and does not acquire any other citizenship at birth.
Special achievements
Special achievements, or a national interest in granting citizenship, are the basis of this route in Lebanon. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person has offered Lebanon highly significant services
Public or military service
For people with public or military service for Lebanon, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
A 1934 addition to Art 3 states that effective military service for more than two years may be taken into consideration when granting Lebanese citizenship to a foreigner by the Head of State.
Not available in Lebanon: Birth in the country, Adoption, Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is accepted in Lebanon for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Lebanon requires 5 years, the most common requirement across Western Asia.
Check where Lebanon sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Armenia | 3 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Azerbaijan | 5 years | Test or certificate | New citizens only |
 Jordan | 4 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
 Saudi Arabia | 5 years | None | Not accepted |
 Syria | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Türkiye | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 3.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Lebanon Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/lebanon/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/lebanon/">How to Get Lebanon Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Lebanese citizen?
Ordinary naturalisation in Lebanon requires 5 years of residence, plus the other conditions in the law.
Does Lebanon allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Lebanon accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Lebanese citizenship?
No, Lebanese citizenship does not require a language test.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Lebanese citizenship?
No civic knowledge test is required for Lebanese citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Lebanese citizenship?
You are not required to renounce your current citizenship to get Lebanese citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Lebanon citizenship by marriage?
Yes. Marriage to a citizen is a route to citizenship in Lebanon. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Lebanon citizenship by descent?
Yes, Lebanon has a descent route. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Lebanon citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for Lebanon.
Related pages
Also see: Lebanon passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.