Why Lebanese Nationals Are Seeking a Second Citizenship
Lebanon's financial crisis, which began in 2019, has left the banking sector insolvent, with losses estimated at more than US$72 billion, and the Lebanese pound has lost roughly 98% of its value against the US dollar. Lebanese banks have applied informal withdrawal limits on depositors' own savings since 2019, and Lebanon has still not adopted formal capital controls legislation as of 2026 - leaving the rules governing access to bank deposits inconsistent from one bank, and sometimes one branch, to the next.
Alongside the banking crisis, Lebanon's passport ranked 90th globally in the 2026 Henley Passport Index - though it gained six places compared to 2025 - with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only around 43 countries and territories, among the more limited passports in the region. Combined, these two factors explain why Lebanese nationals are consistently reported as the most active Middle Eastern nationality applying for Caribbean citizenship by investment, and why Antigua and Barbuda alone reports that Lebanese nationals make up roughly 5% of its total applications.
A second citizenship does not resolve a client's exposure to Lebanon's banking system on its own, but it does provide a lawful, permanent travel and residence alternative that does not depend on how or when Lebanon's economic situation is resolved.
Are Lebanese Nationals Eligible for Citizenship by Investment?
Yes. Lebanon does not appear on the restricted or banned nationality list of any of the five established Caribbean citizenship by investment programs. Restricted lists across the region generally focus on a specific, narrow set of countries:
- St Kitts and Nevis bars six nationalities outright: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Russia, and Belarus
- Antigua and Barbuda applies restrictions - not an outright ban - to Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Russia, and Belarus, generally requiring 10 or more years of residence in an approved country to proceed
- Dominica, Grenada, and St Lucia apply their own case-by-case restrictions, generally focused on the same small group of sanctioned or high-risk jurisdictions
Lebanon is not on any of these lists, so Lebanese nationals apply under the same standard process, fees, and timelines as any other eligible nationality. That said, enhanced due diligence - closer scrutiny of source of funds, politically exposed person checks, and international sanctions screening - is standard practice for applicants from the wider Middle East region on every program, and should be expected regardless of nationality restrictions.
Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Programs Open to Lebanese Nationals
All five established programs are open to Lebanese applicants. Figures are 2026 minimums and are confirmed at the time of application:
| Country | From (USD) | Processing | Notable for Lebanese Applicants |
|---|
| Dominica | 200,000 | 5-7 months | Lowest entry cost of the five |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 230,000 | 4-6 months | Established track record with Lebanese applicants - around 5% of total applications |
| Grenada | 235,000 | 6-9 months | US E-2 investor treaty access, useful for Lebanese business owners targeting US markets |
| St Lucia | 240,000 | Approximately 90 days | Fastest realistic timeline among the five |
| St Kitts and Nevis | 250,000 | 4-6 months | Longest track record and largest volume of processed applications globally |
For the full detail behind each program, see our dedicated pages on Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment, or our full Caribbean citizenship by investment comparison.
The Source-of-Funds Challenge for Lebanese Applicants
Every citizenship by investment program requires applicants to demonstrate, with documentation, exactly where their qualifying investment came from. This is generally straightforward for applicants with standard bank statements and salary records - it is genuinely harder for Lebanese nationals, and this is the single area where preparation matters most.
Since 2019, Lebanese banks have applied informal, inconsistent withdrawal limits on US dollar deposits, and dollars held in Lebanese bank accounts before the crisis are widely distinguished in practice from dollars earned or held abroad - often described informally as "lollars" versus "fresh dollars." A due diligence reviewer at a Citizenship by Investment Unit will generally expect clean, traceable, verifiable funds, which pre-crisis Lebanese bank deposits frequently cannot produce in the standard format international due diligence firms expect.
In practice, this means Lebanese applicants are usually better positioned when their qualifying investment is funded from one or more of the following:
- Salary or business income earned and held outside Lebanon, including in the UAE or elsewhere in the GCC
- Proceeds from property or assets located outside Lebanon
- Funds already transferred out of the Lebanese banking system before the account restrictions tightened, with a documented paper trail
- Business ownership or investment income generated by a company registered and operating outside Lebanon
Where a client's available funds are genuinely tied up in a Lebanese bank account, we assess this honestly rather than assuming it will pass review - it may require additional documentation, a longer preparation phase, or a different funding source altogether. This is exactly the kind of issue that is fixable if it is caught before submission, and very difficult to resolve once a government due-diligence team has already raised it.
Which Program Fits Lebanese Applicants Best?
- Lowest entry cost: Dominica, from US$200,000
- Fastest realistic timeline: St Lucia, commonly around 90 days
- Established familiarity with Lebanese applicants: Antigua and Barbuda, which reports Lebanese nationals among its most consistent applicant groups
- Business owners targeting US market access: Grenada, the only Caribbean program with a US E-2 investor treaty pathway
- Largest families (6 or more members): Antigua and Barbuda, via its University of West Indies Fund route
Documents Lebanese Applicants Typically Need
- Valid passport with at least 6 months' remaining validity, plus a recent passport-size photograph
- Lebanese civil registry extract (Ikhraj Qaid) and family registry documents, translated and attested where required
- Police clearance certificates from Lebanon and every other country of residence over the past 10 years
- Bank statements and supporting evidence for every source of the qualifying investment, structured to explain any pre-crisis Lebanese bank holdings clearly
- UAE or GCC residence visa, salary certificate, or trade licence, where relevant to the source-of-funds picture
- Medical certificate and, on most programs, a mandatory interview for the main applicant and dependents aged 16 or older
Foreign-issued documents generally require translation and attestation before submission. Our document attestation team handles this in parallel with the citizenship application to avoid delays.
Why Choose Takween Advisory for Lebanese Nationals Seeking Second Citizenship
Takween Advisory is a UAE-based business consultancy advising high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and families across the GCC on citizenship by investment and the wider structuring that surrounds a second passport. Being based in Dubai puts us in daily contact with the Lebanese business community across the UAE, and we understand the specific source-of-funds documentation gap that Lebanon's banking crisis has created for CBI applicants - because we see it in almost every Lebanese file we prepare.
Every Caribbean program requires applications to be filed through a government-authorised local agent - we work alongside your Authorised Representative to prepare a complete, accurate file, address the source-of-funds question honestly from the outset, and manage the process through to passport issuance.
For a confidential assessment of your eligibility and the most realistic route for your situation, contact our team today.
