Lebanon has put forward a proposal for a "golden visa" programme that would grant residency to foreign investors in exchange for a $1 million investment, according to a report by the Financial Times. The scheme, which remains at the proposal stage, links long-term residence rights to a low-tax regime for participants.

The headline figure is $1 million. That is the investment threshold Beirut is floating for foreign nationals seeking Lebanese residency under the new route. In return, participants would benefit from low-tax residency status, a structure familiar from comparable programmes elsewhere.

Who would be affected

The proposal targets high-net-worth individuals rather than ordinary migrants. Applicants would need to commit the $1 million investment to qualify, and successful participants would gain residency rights alongside reduced tax exposure. The Financial Times report does not specify the permitted investment categories, processing timelines, or whether family members would be included in a single application.

For Lebanon, the scheme represents an attempt to attract foreign capital. For prospective applicants, it offers a residency option in a jurisdiction proposing favourable tax treatment — the core trade-off that defines golden visa programmes worldwide.

What a golden visa typically involves

Lebanon's proposal follows a model already operating in several countries. Golden visa schemes generally exchange a qualifying investment — in real estate, government bonds, business creation, or deposits — for temporary residency, often renewable and sometimes leading to longer-term status.

The $1 million threshold proposed by Lebanon sits at the upper end of comparable global programmes, several of which set entry points between roughly €250,000 and €1 million depending on the investment route and the strength of the residence rights on offer.

The "low-tax residency" element signals that the Lebanese proposal is framed partly as a tax-planning instrument, not only as an investment-for-residence swap. Applicants would presumably need to satisfy both the investment condition and whatever residency or presence requirements the final rules set — details that have not yet been published.

Status: proposal, not law

No effective date has been announced. The programme exists as a government proposal reported by the Financial Times, and key parameters remain undefined: the exact qualifying investments, due-diligence screening, renewal conditions, any physical-presence minimums, and the specific tax benefits attached to residency.

Investors should treat the $1 million figure as the opening framework rather than final law. Until Lebanon's government adopts enabling legislation and publishes implementing rules, no applications can be filed and no rights accrue under the scheme.

What to watch next

Several decisions will determine whether the programme becomes operational:

• Formal approval of the proposal by the Lebanese government
• Publication of eligible investment categories and their minimum values
• Clarification of the tax treatment granted to resident investors
• Any caps, quotas, or sunset clauses attached to the scheme

Passport File will track the proposal's progress. Readers should rely on official Lebanese government announcements for eligibility criteria and application procedures, and consult licensed advisers on how any future programme might apply to their circumstances.