What you need to enter Lebanon with a South Korean passport
South Korean citizens need a visa for Lebanon, but they can get it on arrival at the border.
- Minimum passport validity
- Valid (6 months recommended)
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 23 September 2026
Verified practical details
You can get your visa on arrival in Lebanon, but it's worth preparing the paperwork ahead of time:
Authorisation system
Free General Security entry stamp or embassy visa
For anyone travelling anyway there are two routes: apply for a visa at a Lebanese embassy or receive on arrival at Beirut's Rafic Hariri airport the General Security entry stamp, which is free and valid for one month.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Required documents
- Valid passport, ideally with six months' validity from entry, with no Israeli visas or stamps: entry is refused with them, and travellers whose ticket includes Israel in the itinerary can also be turned away.
- Return ticket, except for residents.
- Proof of sufficient funds for the stay.
- Hotel booking or proof of accommodation; for a private address, the name and phone number of the host.
- Travel insurance covering the whole stay and repatriation.
Transit rules
Stays beyond one month, or beyond the visa, are extended at the General Security Passports and Immigration Department. Visas obtained at land crossings, for instance from Syria, are generally valid for no more than 48 hours. On entry every traveller's name is checked against the list of people banned from entering and the database of those wanted or convicted in Lebanon: a match can lead to detention or the passport being held until it is cleared, so carry documents that allow parents' names to be checked, such as a birth certificate.
More Lebanon rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Lebanon page:
Official portal: https://www.general-security.gov.lb/. Destination data verified on 23 September 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation for Lebanon, updated 31 March 2026: advice against travel, passport and Israeli stamps, embassy visa or free one-month stamp, documents required on arrival, travel insurance, extension, fine for illegal stay, land border visas, entry checks); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/lebanon (UK Government: fine paid in Lebanese pounds, name checks); general-security.gov.lb (General Security); who.int (WHO) and sanidad.gob.es (Spain's Ministry of Health, "Listado de países"): yellow fever; data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 23 September 2026.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Lebanon need an electronic visa to enter South Korea. See the Lebanon → South Korea page.
Of the 8 passports from Eastern Asia that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Lebanon 5 need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival and 3 need a visa. Same result as South Korea: China, Hong Kong, Japan and Macao.
With a passport from South Korea, in the rest of Western Asia you can enter Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria; you need a visa for Yemen.
A passport from South Korea ranks 2 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 163 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do South Korean citizens need a visa for Lebanon?
Yes, but you can obtain it directly upon arrival at Lebanon's entry point.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Valid passport, ideally with six months' validity from entry, with no Israeli visas or stamps: entry is refused with them, and travellers whose ticket includes Israel in the itinerary can also be turned away.
What currency is used in Lebanon?
Lebanese Pound (LBP).
What do South Korean passport holders need for the countries near Lebanon?
With a passport from South Korea, in the rest of Western Asia you can enter Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria; you need a visa for Yemen.
Related pages
See Lebanon requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.