Lebanese Passport Prices Increase, Again

A freshly minted 10 year Lebanese passport is now set to cost applicants 10 million L.L or the equivalent of $109 at the current market rate (91,000-$1). Earlier this year, Lebanon had finally exited its almost two year-long passport crises, with the announcement that General Security had solved its passport shortage in February. However, general hiccups and delays have been exacerbated by this newly announced increase in passport prices.

Things you can do with your lebanese passport: pic.twitter.com/tCCu8ypL2u

— Sery Serhal (@Seryserhal_) March 3, 2021

As reported by L’Orient Today, the price of all services at General Security are set to increase. This follows a decree issued by the caretaker cabinet on June 23 regarding the directorate’s fees. This decree has proven controversial, as some have argued it oversteps the government’s powers and and trespasses on parliament’s right to set taxes and levies.

The new prices are set to be as follows:

– 10 year passport: 10 million L.L ($109)
– 5 year passport: 6 million L.L ($66)
– Express passport services (on top of passport fee): 4.2 million L.L ($46)

General Security has promised that passports would be issued 1 month after your application is submitted, and within 1 week if you use their express service.

In comparison, a Spanish passport costs $33, a Jordanian $70, and a Slovakian is $35.

For expats, the situation is even bleaker, with Lebanese embassies and consulates charging hundreds of dollars for passport renewals abroad. According to L’Orient Today, in May these figures stood at “600 dollars in the United States for a ten-year passport, 528 euros in France, 720 Canadian dollars in Canada, 429 pounds sterling in Great Britain, 2210 dirhams in the United Arab Emirates, and 818 Australian dollars in Australia.” Before the crisis, a Lebanese passport would cost you $40 for 1 year or $200 for 5 years if you were renewing in Lebanon.

The Lebanese passport is historically one of the weakest in the world, often listing at the bottom of worldwide rankings. According to Passport Index, the Lebanese passport currently entitles holders to visa free entry to just 14 countries, with another 41 issuing visas on arrival. It is listed at joint 84th on their rankings, alongside Kosovo and Myanmar.