Why more Lebanese are seeking a second citizenship

A growing number of Lebanese are investing their most precious resources, time, family history, and fortunes, for the chance to own a document that fits in the palm of a hand.

Its value lies not in the booklet itself, but in the life it can unlock: another border to cross, another opportunity to seize, another place to turn if home can no longer provide certainty.

As crises have accumulated, from economic collapse and political paralysis to war and shrinking global mobility, a second citizenship has quietly evolved from a privilege into a strategy. It is no longer sought simply to travel more easily, but to study, build businesses, secure opportunities for future generations, and, above all, to ensure that one crisis does not determine the course of an entire life.

Why one passport is no longer enough

While no official figures exist on how many Lebanese hold a second citizenship, immigration specialists, investment migration firms, and legal experts all describe the same shift: demand has risen sharply in recent years as more Lebanese seek greater mobility, security, and access to opportunities beyond their borders.

Much of that demand stems from the limitations of the Lebanese passport itself.

According to the latest 2026 global rankings, the Lebanese passport ranks 163rd in the world, with a mobility score of 55. It grants visa-free access to just 16 countries and territories, while another 39 destinations are accessible through a visa on arrival, an electronic visa (eVisa), or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).

For the remaining 143 countries, including the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and most Gulf states, Lebanese travelers must secure a visa before departure, often navigating lengthy application processes, financial documentation, embassy appointments, and the uncertainty of approval.

The new passport market

One legal route to holding dual citizenship is through citizenship by investment, a program that allows eligible applicants to acquire citizenship by making a qualifying financial contribution to a country's economy. While only a handful of countries offer such schemes, they have become an increasingly popular option among some Lebanese in recent years.

First introduced in 1984, these government-run programs allow eligible applicants to acquire a second nationality by making a qualifying investment in a country's economy.

According to Taher Shehab, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen Consultants, applicants generally have two options. They can either make a non-refundable contribution of a few hundred thousand dollars to a government development fund or invest in government-approved real estate projects.

Successful applicants can obtain citizenship in approximately seven months to one year, subject to extensive due diligence and background checks.

Shehab said demand from Lebanese clients began rising after 2020, following Lebanon's financial collapse, and increased further during the recent conflict. Lebanese now account for 38–39% of his firm's regional client base, with most applicants coming from Lebanese communities living in Gulf countries rather than from Lebanon itself.

Before, we would receive three or four Lebanese clients every two or three months. Today, we receive around four Lebanese applicants every month.

The advantages extend beyond visa-free travel. For business owners and professionals, a second passport can simplify international operations by allowing them to travel at short notice for meetings, negotiate commercial deals without lengthy visa procedures, register companies abroad, and open bank accounts in jurisdictions where Lebanese nationals may face additional scrutiny. According to Taher, “these practical considerations are among the main reasons many Gulf-based Lebanese seek a second nationality”.

Families, meanwhile, are often motivated by long-term opportunities for their children.

Some Caribbean citizenship programs provide access to scholarships and educational opportunities through agreements with universities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and other countries.

He adds that parents also value the greater mobility a second passport can provide for studying, working, and travelling abroad.

Applicants, however, must satisfy strict eligibility requirements. They are subject to extensive background and due diligence checks and must demonstrate a clean criminal record, no ongoing legal proceedings, and sufficient financial resources to complete the investment. Politically exposed persons may also face additional scrutiny before an application is approved.

Different programs, different rights

Not all investment migration programs offer the same outcome. While the Caribbean programs in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia grant successful applicants full citizenship and a passport, European schemes generally offer residency instead.

Greece's Golden Visa grants investors and their immediate family members a renewable residence permit through a qualifying real estate investment, allowing them to live in Greece and travel throughout the Schengen Area. Cyprus, by contrast, offers permanent residency through investment, but because it is not part of the Schengen Area, the permit does not provide visa-free access to other Schengen countries. Neither program automatically leads to citizenship, which remains subject to each country's naturalization laws and residency requirements.

According to Taher Shehab, the choice ultimately depends on each applicant's objectives. While many Lebanese living in the Gulf seek a second passport to facilitate business and international mobility, applicants residing in Lebanon are often more interested in securing European residency as part of a long-term relocation plan for themselves and their families.

Between identity and opportunity

Not every Lebanese seeking a second nationality can choose the quickest or most straightforward path. For many, the journey is shaped by difficult sacrifices rather than personal preference. Some spend years tracing family records in the hope that an ancestor will unlock another passport. Others leave home in their twenties to study or work in countries where they know no one, building a life from scratch in the hope that years of residence will eventually lead to citizenship. Some expectant mothers travel abroad to give birth so their children can acquire another nationality, sometimes facing labor and the first days of motherhood far from their families and support systems.

Whether through ancestry, naturalization, education, marriage, birth or financial investment, every path demands time, uncertainty and resilience. Acquiring a second passport is not about replacing the first. It does not erase a Lebanese person's memories, identity or attachment to the country they still call home. Rather, it reflects a painful reality: that love for one's homeland is not always enough to guarantee opportunity, stability or security.

A second citizenship often represents not the future people dreamed of, but the one they felt obliged to prepare for. They may carry another passport in their pocket, but Lebanon remains the place that shaped them, the place they return to, the place they continue to hope for, and the place they wish future generations could one day choose to stay, rather than feel compelled to leave.