Different Lebanese business entities

Lebanon LLC setup Healy Consultants will assist our Clients with setting up the optimal type of Lebanon company for their business activities. There are several ways of starting a business in Lebanon, the most common being the setup of a Lebanon limited liability company. Alternatively, foreign companies can also setup their business in Lebanon through the establishment of a public limited company, an offshore company, a holding company, a branch office or a representative office.

The Lebanese limited liability company (SARL)

  • The Lebanese LLC is commonly used to setup a small business in Lebanon. Minimum paid-up share capital of US$3,400 and 3 shareholders will be required to complete business setup in Lebanon. An LLC must also appoint at least 1 director, who can be a foreigner. Please note that corporate directorship is only permitted if the corporate is also a shareholder;
  • A Lebanese limited liability company is not required to go through an annual audit if i) its share capital is less than US$20,000 and ii) its annual turnover is less than US$500,000. Like a Lebanese PLC, it must however appoint a company attorney and pay him at least the minimum yearly retainer fee fixed by the Beirut Bar Association.

The Lebanese publicly limited company (SAL)

  • The Lebanese public limited company requires a minimum capital of US$20,000 for setup and at least 3 shareholders, whom can be of any nationality. Its Board of Directors must be comprised of at least 3 members and a majority of these members are required to i) be of Lebanese citizenship and ii) hold at least 1, symbolic, “guarantee” share;
  • A Lebanese public limited company is required to go through an annual audit and needs to designate a registered Lebanese auditor for that purpose, while another independent auditor will be designated by the Court of Commerce. A Lebanese PLC must also appoint an attorney, to be paid at least the minimum yearly retainer fee fixed by the Beirut Bar Association;
  • It is possible -but not mandatory –to list the PLC to list on the Beirut Stock Exchange. To give your company a marketing edge, Healy Consultants recommends our Clients willing to proceed with Lebanon business setup to establish a Lebanese PLC instead of an LLC.

The Lebanese offshore company (Entreprise offshore)

  • This business entity is only allowed to conduct operations and sign contracts with entities based i) abroad or ii) in Lebanese Free Trade Zones. Like a PLC, a Lebanese Offshore company requires a minimum capital of US$20,000 for setup and at least 3 shareholders, whom can be of any nationality. Its Board of Directors must also be composed of at least 3 members, whom can also all be foreign nationals;
  • A Lebanese offshore company must appoint at least one auditor but, unlike other Lebanese entities, does not need to appoint a lawyer provided its share capital is less than US$34,000. It is furthermore entitled to several tax advantages including i) a flat corporate tax of US$700 ii) payroll tax exemption and iii) reduced visa requirements for its employees.

The Lebanese holding company (Holding SAL)

  • The Lebanese holding company is only allowed to hold and transfer shares of other Lebanese and foreign companies. It cannot conduct commercial and productive operations. Like the Lebanese PLC, this business entity requires a minimum share capital of US$20,000 for setup and at least 3 shareholders, whom can be of any nationality. It will also be subject to standard audit and company attorney requirements;

The Branch Office (Succursale)

  • Lebanese Corporate law stipulates that a branch office can be 100% foreign owned. The scope of operations for this entity will be defined by the parent company. Also, the branch office will have an independent management team and corporate bank account based in Lebanon;
  • Healy Consultants recommends our Clients to upgrade their Lebanese Branch to a PLC or an offshore company, as branches need to obtain a work permit for their resident foreign manager and are subject to i) corporate tax and ii) a specific branch tax, resulting altogether in a 25% tax rate on earnings.

The Representative office (bureau de liaison)

While the Lebanese representative office can be 100% foreign owned, it is not allowed to pursue production-related or commercial activities. Consequently, this entity can only engage in i) market research and ii) promoting the business of the parent company. Please note that the representative office is required to get its account audited.

Table of comparison between Lebanon entities

LLC JSC Offshore company Branch Rep office
Also known as: SARL SAL Entreprise Offshore Succursale Bureau de liaison
How long to set the company up? 2 weeks 5 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 3 weeks
How long to open company bank account? 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks
Legal liability? Limited Limited Limited Unlimited Unlimited
Wholly foreign owned? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Minimum share capital? US$3,400 US$20,000 US$20,000 US$0 US$0
File annual tax return? Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Corporate bank account? Byblos Bank Banque Franco-Libanaise Arab Bank Bank of Beirut HSBC
Does our Client need to travel? No No No No No
Resident director required? No Yes No Yes Yes
Lebanese shareholder required? No Yes No No No
Minimum directors allowed? 1 3 3 1 1
Minimum shareholders? 3 3 3 1 1
Lebanese resident company secretary required? No No No No Yes
Corporate shareholders allowed? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Corporate director(s) allowed? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lebanon corporate tax rate? 15% 15% US$700 25% 0%
Lebanese lawyer required? Yes Yes Yes No No
Annual financial statements required? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Statutory audit required? No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Allowed to issue sales invoices in Lebanon? Yes Yes No Yes No
Allowed to sign contracts with Lebanese entities? Yes Yes No Yes No
Allowed to import and export goods? Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Can rent an office in Lebanon? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Can buy Lebanon property? Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Can own equity in other Lebanese companies? Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Total Lebanon business setup costs in Yr. 1 US$17,860 US$19,860 US$11,830 US$20,360 US$21,360
Subsequent annual costs (excl. accounting and tax fee) US$8,800 US$11,750 US$4,500 US$12,000 US$12,000
Sample engagement fee invoice View invoice PDF View invoice PDF View invoice PDF View invoice PDF View invoice PDF

Frequently asked questions

Contact us

For additional information on our business setup services in Lebanon, please contact our in-house country expert, Ms. Yekaterina Li, directly:
Consultant at HC - katya