Lebanon is preparing to offer investors a "golden visa" in exchange for investments of $500,000, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post. The programme would mark the country's entry into the global residency-by-investment market, joining dozens of states that trade immigration status for capital inflows.

Under the proposed scheme, foreign nationals who commit $500,000 in investment would receive long-term residency rights in Lebanon. The plan arrives as Beirut seeks new sources of foreign currency after years of financial collapse that began in 2019.

What we know so far

The headline figure is clear: $500,000. That threshold places Lebanon's proposed programme at the lower end of comparable European schemes but well above several Caribbean citizenship-by-investment options, where contributions can start near $100,000.

Key details remain unconfirmed at this stage. The report does not yet specify:

• Which asset classes qualify — real estate, government bonds, business investment, or bank deposits
• The exact duration of the residency permit on offer
• Whether the visa leads to citizenship or remains a residency-only status
• Any due-diligence fees, application costs, or minimum stay requirements
• A launch date or the government body that will administer the programme

Investors should treat the $500,000 figure as the only confirmed parameter and wait for official regulations before committing funds.

Who would be affected

The programme targets high-net-worth individuals seeking a residency foothold in the Levant. Lebanon's diaspora — estimated at several times the domestic population and heavily concentrated in the Gulf, West Africa, Europe and the Americas — represents the most likely first wave of applicants.

Regional investors from Gulf states, who have historic commercial ties to Beirut's banking and property sectors, form a second natural pool. Lebanon's real estate market, priced in a stabilised post-crisis currency environment, could absorb significant inflows if property purchases become a qualifying route.

Why Lebanon is acting now

The country's financial system collapsed in 2019, wiping out most dollar-denominated deposits and defaulting on sovereign debt in 2020. The currency lost more than 95% of its value. Foreign direct investment has remained depressed since.

A golden visa programme fits a pattern seen across crisis-hit economies: Portugal, Greece and Turkey have all used residency-for-investment schemes to attract capital when conventional financing dried up. Greece's programme, for example, launched in 2013 at a €250,000 real-estate threshold and drew billions in property purchases.

Lebanon would offer investors a strategic location — a bridge between Arab markets and the Mediterranean — plus historically strong sectors in banking, trade and tourism.

What applicants should watch

Golden visa programmes carry risks that go beyond the headline investment amount. Lebanon's political instability, banking restrictions and ongoing economic fragility mean that capital repatriation, property title certainty and the durability of any residency guarantee all require careful scrutiny.

Prospective applicants should monitor announcements from official Lebanese government channels and the General Directorate of General Security, which controls entry and residency permits, for the binding terms of the scheme. No application process exists until the government publishes implementing regulations.

International advisory firms typically recommend that investors verify three things before applying to any residency-by-investment programme: the legal basis of the status granted, the exit conditions for recovering the investment, and the tax obligations the new residency triggers.

The $500,000 proposal signals Lebanon's intent to compete for global mobile capital. Whether it attracts that capital depends on the fine print — and on Beirut's ability to deliver the legal certainty investors demand.