(LEBANON) — Lebanon’s Finance and Budget Committee approved a government draft law on June 22, 2026 to create a golden visa, or “golden residency,” program for investors who put at least $500,000 into the country.

The proposal would grant special residency status to foreign investors, foreign nationals, and Lebanese living abroad who invest or deposit at least $500,000 in Lebanon.

Lawmakers are framing the measure as a way to attract foreign capital and boost inflows into Lebanon. The draft law cleared the committee on Monday, placing it at an early legislative stage rather than making it an active nationwide residency program.

That distinction matters in procedural terms. The measure has committee approval, but it is not yet final and is not yet in force across the country.

Under the draft now approved by the Finance and Budget Committee, the qualifying threshold stands at $500,000. The reported requirement applies both to investors who place funds into Lebanon and to those who make deposits at that level.

Eligibility, as described so far, stretches beyond foreign passport holders alone. The proposal would also cover Lebanese living abroad, widening the pool of potential applicants to include members of the diaspora alongside foreign nationals and other investors.

The timing reflects a fresh parliamentary step. Coverage published on June 22 and June 23, 2026 described the initiative as newly approved by the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee.

Lebanon’s proposal centers on a familiar formula used in many countries that market residency through investment, though the current draft uses the term “golden residency.” In public discussion, the measure has also been described as a golden visa tied to $500,000 investments.

At this stage, the text that has emerged publicly is narrow. It sets out the minimum investment level, identifies the groups that could qualify, and presents the program as an effort to draw capital into Lebanon.

No lower threshold has been reported. The committee-backed draft sets the bar at $500,000, making that figure the central test for entry into the proposed residency track.

The inclusion of deposits is one of the few concrete operational details available so far. Investors would not be limited only to one type of financial commitment, as the proposal refers to people who “invest or deposit” at least $500,000.

Foreign investors are the clearest target. Foreign nationals are explicitly included as potential beneficiaries, alongside Lebanese citizens living abroad who meet the same threshold.

That structure suggests a broad capital-raising pitch rather than a narrowly defined migration route for one class of applicant. The measure is being presented as a way to pull money into Lebanon, with residency serving as the incentive.

The Finance and Budget Committee’s approval gives the draft law political visibility, but not final legal effect. Lebanon has not yet established the proposal as a nationwide residency program in force.

The committee action on June 22, 2026 therefore marks a legislative opening rather than a completed policy launch. Anyone tracking the measure would need to distinguish between a committee-approved draft and a residency scheme already available for application.

Within the terms reported so far, the proposal sets one clear condition across all eligible groups: a minimum commitment of $500,000. That same figure applies whether the applicant is a foreign investor, another foreign national, or a Lebanese national living abroad.

Lebanon’s use of a high entry threshold also defines the character of the plan. This is not described as a broad residency program for ordinary applicants; it is aimed at people able to make $500,000 investments or deposits.

The phrase “golden visa” has become the shorthand around the proposal, but the draft itself has been described as creating a “golden residency” program. In either form, the idea remains tied to special residency status in exchange for capital placed in Lebanon.

The available details leave the investment amount and the policy goal as the draft’s two fixed points. One is numeric: $500,000. The other is economic: attracting foreign investment and boosting inflows into Lebanon.

Lebanese living abroad occupy a notable place in that design. By extending eligibility to the diaspora as well as to foreign investors and foreign nationals, the proposal reaches beyond purely external capital and also seeks funds from Lebanese outside the country.

Committee approval does not settle the fate of the measure, but it does place the proposal firmly on Lebanon’s legislative agenda. Until further action follows, the golden visa remains a draft law approved by the Finance and Budget Committee, built around $500,000 investments and a stated push to attract capital into Lebanon.