Living in Lebanon as a French National: Cities, Residence Permit, Schooling, Cost of Living and Practical Advice

Lebanon covers 10,452 km² and brings together, within a few dozen kilometres, the Mediterranean coast, the mountains and the Bekaa valley. Beirut is the capital; Tripoli, Sidon, Tyre and Zahlé are among its main cities (France Diplomatie, country presentation sheet). Arabic is the official language, and French has a special status: a language of administration, it draws on a wide network of French-speaking schools and universities. Lebanese Arabic, French and English are the common languages.

• Advantages: a daily life in which French remains very present, an extensive French school network, a large French and Franco-Lebanese community, varied landscapes and a renowned cuisine.
• Points of caution: a security context that France Diplomatie describes as uncertain and volatile, an economic and financial crisis under way since 2019, care to be paid for on the spot and a road network that is often degraded.

The World Bank describes, since 2019, “the most severe economic and financial collapse” in the country’s history: the Lebanese pound has lost 98% of its value and the banking sector remains weakened (World Bank, country overview, consulted on 04/10/2026). These elements weigh on the choice of housing, bank and insurance. Up-to-date economic indicators appear in the “Economic benchmarks” block above.

France Diplomatie regularly updates its travel advice for Lebanon. The notice of 10 September 2026 indicates that, despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the security situation remains uncertain and volatile across the whole territory. Travel remains formally advised against in most of the territory, except in the orange zones of the security map, where it remains advised against except for compelling reasons. Depending on the situation, airspace closures and flight cancellations may occur.

French nationals in Lebanon are invited to follow the instructions of the local authorities, to keep themselves informed regularly, to consult the website of the French consulate general in Beirut and to register on Fil d’Ariane to receive alerts. The map in the “Safety” section is authoritative for each zone: it distinguishes zones formally advised against (in red) from those advised against except for compelling reasons (in orange).

• Daily life: France Diplomatie notes a rise in petty crime, notably in the evening in the districts frequented by expats, and recommends choosing taxis identified with a company name.
• Road: about 1,000 deaths a year, four times the European average relative to population. Take care at the wheel, especially at night.
• Earthquakes: the country faces seismic risk, linked notably to the Levant fault. The reflexes to adopt are described in the France Diplomatie “Earthquakes” sheet.
• Customs: photographing military installations or guarded buildings is prohibited. Local legislation (drugs, behaviour in public) is detailed in the “Useful information” section.

The choice of city is made first from the France Diplomatie security map, then according to the children’s schooling, work and proximity to a hospital. The French schools accredited by the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad) give a good idea of how the French community is spread: the agency’s list counts 23 schools in Beirut and its districts, 6 in Jounieh, 2 in Tripoli, 2 in Sidon, 2 in Nabatieh and one each in Jbeil (Byblos), Zahlé and Tyre, the rest being spread across the localities of Mount Lebanon.

• Beirut: capital and seat of the French embassy and consulate general (Espace des Lettres, Damascus street). It concentrates the administration, the universities and most of the large hospitals.
• Jounieh: coastal city of Mount Lebanon, north of the capital, with a General Security port centre and several French schools.
• Byblos (Jbeil): coastal town of Mount Lebanon where the AEFE lists one French school.
• Tripoli: large city in the North, with two French schools. The France Diplomatie “Safety” section details the level of vigilance applicable to the city and its districts.
• Zahlé: large city in the Bekaa, with a French school and a General Security centre; the security map specifies the level of vigilance applicable in the region.

Sidon and Tyre, on the southern coast, also have French schools. The France Diplomatie notices concerning the south of the country should be re-read before any project in that region.

Entry: a visa is compulsory for French nationals. A short-stay visa of one month, renewable, is issued free of charge on arrival on presentation of a passport valid for at least six months after the date of entry. General Security specifies that it can be renewed up to three months. For any stay of more than two months, France Diplomatie recommends filing the application in France with the competent Lebanese consulate, as regularisations on site are not systematic. A passport bearing an Israeli visa or stamp leads to refusal of entry, which the French embassy cannot contest.

Work, internship, mission: even for a short period, including in an NGO, a long-stay multiple-entry visa is requested before departure from the Lebanese embassy in Paris or the Lebanese consulate general in Marseille. Interns who arrived without a visa at Beirut airport were turned back (France Diplomatie). Details of work permits and residences are in the page on working in Lebanon.

Residence: General Security issues residence cards (annual residence, three-year permanent residence, courtesy residence). A free courtesy residence is provided for several situations linked to nationality, parentage or marriage to a Lebanese person, notably for a Lebanese person holding a second nationality; it is obtained on presentation of civil status documents, a passport valid for at least three years and three photographs. For other situations, conditions and fees vary by category (work, study, self-employment income). Procedures are carried out in the regional General Security centres (Beirut, Jounieh, Tripoli, Zahlé and others). The page on retiring in Lebanon details the residences available without professional activity.

On the French side: registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is free and valid for five years. It is strongly recommended for any stay of more than six months and is done online on service-public.fr, with French identity papers, proof of residence in Lebanon and a photograph.

The official exchange rate stayed at 89,500 Lebanese pounds per US dollar in 2024 and 2025, after 1,507.5 pounds until 2022 and an annual average of 13,875.63 in 2023 (World Bank, official rate, annual averages). France Diplomatie recommends checking that prices are quoted in dollars, including at hotels, because of the gap between the official rate used for card payments and the rate used day to day.

• Budget: to be built in dollars and reviewed with each change of circumstances. Official price statistics are published by the Central Administration of Statistics (cas.gov.lb), which releases the consumer price index.
• Transport: there is neither a rail network nor a domestic air service; coaches and taxis serve the whole country. The car remains the most common way of getting around.
• Housing: General Security asks for a lease or title deed for several types of residence. No average rent is published by an official source: local listings and estate agencies give the market price at the time of the search.

The Lebanese banking sector has been weakened since 2019 (World Bank): before opening an account or locking an amount in it, it is prudent to ask the bank and the Banque du Liban (bdl.gov.lb) about the conditions for withdrawals and transfers.

Lebanon’s French school network is very dense: the AEFE list of 04/10/2026 counts 68 accredited schools, of which 9 under agreement and 59 partners. The schools under agreement include the Abdel-Kader lycée, the Franco-Lebanese Verdun lycée and the Grand lycée franco-libanais in Beirut, the Franco-Lebanese Nahr-Ibrahim lycée in Jounieh, the Franco-Lebanese Alphonse-de-Lamartine lycée in Tripoli and the Marcel-Pagnol international French lycée in Zouk Mosbeh.

Accreditation, issued and monitored by the French Ministry of National Education, guarantees educational continuity with France. Families whose children of French nationality attend a school accredited by the AEFE or by the Mission laïque française can apply for a school grant, under conditions, through the consulate.

Enrolment calendars and school fees vary from one school to another: the safest approach is to contact the schools directly several months before arrival. Children’s health cover is prepared at the same time, see children’s cover abroad.

France Diplomatie considers it essential to hold an assistance policy or insurance covering medical costs, surgery, hospitalisation and medical repatriation: these costs are never covered by the embassy, and healthcare facilities check patients’ ability to pay before undertaking treatment. The guide to the Lebanese healthcare system presents how care is organised, and the page on healthcare reimbursement in Lebanon details who pays depending on your status. The Lebanon expat health insurance page brings together the insurance obligations by type of stay.

The climate is Mediterranean on the coast, cooler in the mountains: France Diplomatie advises protecting yourself from heat and sun, and from cold or altitude depending on the destination. On vaccines, it recommends being up to date with the French schedule, in particular against measles (an alert about rising cases was published on 16/07/2026), with, depending on the case, hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies and hepatitis B. For the procedures of the first months, see the checklist for the first 90 days. Expavy helps you compare health contracts according to your situation and budget.