Before you start

A valid residence permit for a Lebanese licence
Your original foreign licence, plus an international driving permit for the interim period
A vehicle with compulsory insurance if you intend to drive your own
Realistic expectations about traffic and road condition

Step-by-step

1
Carry an international driving permit for your first period
An international driving permit alongside your national licence covers the initial period for a visitor. Obtain it before you leave home — it cannot be issued to you in Lebanon against a foreign licence.
In personWho: You, before travellingBefore departureSmall, in your home country
2
Confirm the conversion procedure directly once resident
Requirements for converting a foreign licence to a Lebanese one are not well published in English and have been affected by administrative disruption. Confirm the current procedure with the traffic authority or through a lawyer rather than relying on a blog. This guide deliberately does not state fees or timelines it cannot source.
In personWho: You, ideally with local helpVerify locallyVerify locally
3
Arrange compulsory insurance before you drive anything
Third-party motor insurance is compulsory in Lebanon. Given road conditions and the frequency of minor collisions in Beirut traffic, understand exactly what your policy covers and whether the insurer is one that pays.
In personWho: YouBefore drivingVaries
4
Learn the service system, because it is Beirut's real transport
Hail a shared taxi, say your destination through the window, and the driver either accepts at the shared 'service' rate or drives off. Saying 'taxi' instead means a private hire at a much higher fare. Two services ('servicein') means a longer trip at double the rate. Learning this saves you a great deal of money and is the fastest way to feel competent here.
In personWho: YouFirst weekA fraction of a private taxi
5
Use ride-hailing when you need certainty
Ride-hailing apps operate in Beirut and give fixed pricing, a route record and a map pin instead of an address — useful when you cannot yet describe where you live in Arabic. For evenings, unfamiliar districts and airport runs, the certainty is worth the premium over a service.
Mobile appWho: YouAs neededMore than a service, less than a negotiated taxi
6
Factor fuel supply and cost into any car decision
Fuel prices in Lebanon are set in a schedule that has moved sharply with the currency and import situation, and supply has been disrupted in the past. Running a car in Beirut is a meaningful monthly cost, and for many residents in the walkable districts it is not obviously worth it.
In personWho: YouBefore buying a carVerify current fuel pricing

Documents you’ll need

Residence permit
Original foreign licence and international driving permit
Compulsory third-party insurance certificate
Vehicle registration if you own a car

Things most newcomers don’t know

The word you say through the car window decides what you pay.

Beirut's shared taxis and private taxis are frequently the same vehicles. Calling out your destination and the word 'service' asks for the shared rate on a shared route; saying 'taxi' asks for a private hire at several times the price. A longer cross-city trip may be 'servicein' — two shares. Newcomers routinely pay taxi rates for service journeys for months without realising there was a choice. Learn the three words in your first week.

Source: Local transport practice

Beirut is one of the few Arab capitals where you can genuinely live without a car.

Hamra, Achrafieh, Gemmayzeh, Badaro and the Corniche are compact, dense and walkable, and the service system plus ride-hailing covers the rest. Given fuel costs, parking scarcity, road surfaces and traffic, a large number of residents — including well-paid ones — simply do not own a car. If you are choosing where to live, choosing a walkable district and skipping the car is a legitimate strategy here in a way it is not in Kuwait City or Muscat.

Source: Local practice; Beirut urban form

This guide states less than the others because Lebanon's published procedure is thin.

Licensing fees, conversion criteria and processing times for foreign licences in Lebanon are not reliably documented in English, and administrative disruption since 2019 has affected how consistently procedures are applied. Publishing a confident-sounding process here would be inventing one. Confirm with the traffic authority directly, or through a Lebanese lawyer, and treat any blog that gives you a precise fee with scepticism.

Source: Absence of authoritative English-language source

Road conditions are a real cost, not a complaint.

Beirut's road surfaces, street lighting and traffic signalling have deteriorated, and street lighting in particular depends on a power situation that is itself unreliable. That means higher wear on a vehicle, more minor collisions, and genuinely reduced visibility at night in some districts. Factor repair costs into car ownership, and factor lighting into how you choose to move around after dark.

Source: Local conditions

Common mistakes to avoid

Saying 'taxi' when you meant 'service', and paying several times the fare for months.
Buying a car before establishing whether your district is walkable enough not to need one.
Relying on an online blog's stated licence conversion fee or timeline.
Driving without confirming exactly what your compulsory insurance actually covers.
Assuming street lighting will be working on your route home.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.