Lebanese passport

Lebanese passport
The front cover of the contemporary Lebanese biometric passport
Type	Passport
Issued by	Lebanon
First issued	1944 (First Lebanese Travel Document; Black Cover) 1990 (Lebanese Non-machine Readable Passport; Burgundy Red Cover) April 12, 2003 (Lebanese Machine Readable Passport; Navy Blue Cover) August 1, 2016 (Lebanese Biometric Passport; Navy Blue Cover)[1]
Purpose	Identification
Valid in	All countries except State of Israel
Eligibility	Lebanese citizenship
Expiration	5 years or 10 years after acquisition.
Cost	£L6,000,000 for 5 years £L10,000,000 for 10 years.[2]

The Lebanese passport (Arabic: جواز سفر الجمهورية اللبنانية, romanized: Jawāz Safar Al-Jumhūrīyah Al-Lubnānīyah) is a passport issued to the citizens of the Republic of Lebanon to enable them to travel outside the Republic of Lebanon and entitles the bearer to the protection from the diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Lebanon if necessary. It is issued exclusively by the Lebanese Directorate General of General Security (DGGS), and can also be issued at various Lebanese diplomatic missions and/or consulates outside the Republic of Lebanon. It allows the bearer a freedom of living in the Republic of Lebanon without any immigration requirements, participate in the Lebanese political system, entry to and exit from the Republic of Lebanon through any port, travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements, facilitates the process of securing consular assistance abroad from the diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Lebanon if necessary, and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.

Lebanese passport booklets are valid for travel by Lebanese citizens anywhere in the world to countries with which the government of the Republic of Lebanon maintains diplomatic ties although travel to certain countries and/or for certain purposes may require a visa and the Republic of Lebanon itself restricts its citizens from traveling to or engaging in commercial transactions in certain countries against the internal and external safety of the republic. They conform with recommended standards (i.e., size, composition, layout, technology) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).^[3][4]

By law, a valid unexpired Lebanese passport or identity card (Arabic: بطاقة الهوية, romanized: Bitakat Al Hawiya) is conclusive (and not just prima facie) proof of Lebanese citizenship, and has the same force and effect as proof of Lebanese citizenship as certificates of naturalization or of citizenship, if issued to a Lebanese citizen for the full period allowed by law. The Lebanese law does not prohibit Lebanese citizens from holding passports of other countries, though they are required to use their Lebanese passport to enter and leave the country. The Republic of Lebanon law permits dual nationality. An expired Lebanese passport can still be used to return to the Republic of Lebanon at any port and port personnel are obliged by law to allow the passage of the bearer without any delay or hindrance. Lebanese passports are property of the Republic of Lebanon and must be returned to the Lebanese Government upon demand.

The French state-run printing firm, Imprimerie Nationale carries on the official printing works of both the Lebanese and French governments.^[4]

As of January 10, 2016, The Lebanese Directorate General of General Security (DGGS) has stopped renewing passports with handwritten notes and started issuing new ones instead. This move is intended for the introduction of the new Lebanese Biometric Passport on August 1, 2016.^[5][6][7] As of August 1, 2016 all passports being issued by the Lebanese Directorate General of General Security (DGGS) are Biometric and hold the biometric passport symbol . Non-biometric passports are valid until their expiry dates.