Visa Requirements
You can apply for a visa on arrival at your port of entry. Visa requirements are subject to change, so you may wish to contact the nearest Lebanese Embassy for further information. Overstaying without the proper authority is considered to be a serious matter. You may be refused permission to leave until a fine has been paid. If your passport contains Israeli stamps you will be refused entry to Lebanon, even if you hold a valid Lebanese visa.

You should carry original identity documents at all times. Anyone travelling outside Beirut may encounter either Lebanese Police/Army checkpoints. Photocopies of passports etc may not be accepted as proof of identity.

Driving (Left/Right)
Right

Road Safety
Driving standards are poor and the accident rate high. Traffic lights are not always observed. Self-drive hire is best left to the experienced. Taxis are not always in good condition; hotels can advise on firms with cars which are well maintained. Night driving should be avoided if possible, especially outside well-lit urban areas. Should you choose to drive your own car to Lebanon you should be aware that vehicles with diesel engines are now banned. Anyone attempting to enter the country in a diesel car will be required to leave the vehicle at the Syrian border.

Air Safety
The EU has published a list of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the community. You should check the following link to see whether this will affect your travel: http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/air/safety/flywell_en.htm

Local Travel
Direct transit to Syria by main roads and authorised border crossings is normally trouble free.

Unexploded mines and ordnance pose a danger to travellers throughout the country, especially in that part of South Lebanon occupied by Israel until May 2000. You should seek local advice before venturing off well-worn tracks. Photographing military sites may result in your arrest.

Natural Disasters

There have been no major earth tremors in recent years, but Lebanon is in an earthquake zone.

Health

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling to Lebanon. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for activities you want to undertake.

Medical supplies and facilities
Medical treatment can be expensive. Most hospitals are well equipped. Doctors are generally well qualified though nursing standards vary. The majority of medical staff speak French and English.

Landmines

From the beginning of the civil war in 1975 until the end of the Israeli occupation in 2000, mines and other ordnance were used extensively, leaving behind a legacy of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) including cluster bomblets. Mine/UXO contamination is found virtually throughout the country, with the heaviest concentration of mined areas in the south, in territory formerly occupied by Israeli forces. As of 2005, Lebanon’s border with Israel continues to be a potential flashpoint.

An estimated 75 percent of the more than 400,000 suspected landmines still in the ground are in the immediate area of the UN delineated “blue line,” affecting more than 90,000 inhabitants. The remaining 100,000 mines are littered throughout the remainder of the country.

The impact of mines and UXO remains significant, especially in areas where it impedes the return of displaced people, such as in the provinces of South Lebanon and Mount Lebanon. Mines and UXO also continue to contaminate certain areas of shoreline in Beirut, Tabarja, Tripoli and the province of South Lebanon.

Most of the 2,500 remaining minefields in Lebanon are not marked to international standards.