Can I go inside Lebanon during a long transit?

I have a flight from Dubai to Cairo with more than 9 hours transit in Lebanon with MEA airlines. Can I go out and discover the country during that time (getting a temporary visa) or should I remain in the airport?

I'm an Egyptian passport holder and a UAE resident.

Best Answer

In order to get a visa on arrival at Beirut for Egyptian citizens, you will need:

at least $2,000 USD in cash (not a fee, just proof of funds, but needs to be cash)
a non-refundable air ticket (round-trip or onward)
Copy of a hotel reservation for a 3-5 star hotel, or name, address, and telephone number of a private citizen in Lebanon

Source: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/LB-Lebanon-passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm

If you don't have the cash, I'd recommend just staying in the airport. But if you do have the cash, I'd make a refundable reservation at a hotel, or find a Lebanese friend who'd be OK with your listing their information.

Also, I think they'll be fine with other currencies' equivalent of U.S. $2,000, I don't think they're looking specifically for USD.

Note: For others who may stumble across this answer, do keep in mind that not every nationality has to bring in cash. Only certain nationalities do, and Egypt is one of them.

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Can you enter a country during transit?

ESTA is required in all cases of entering the U.S. Travelers must apply for and receive ESTA even when transiting in the U.S. to a third country without a visa. You must apply for ESTA in any of the following cases: transit, transfer, or stopover (layover).

Do I need a PCR to enter Lebanon?

All passengers arriving to Lebanon must hold PCR negative test result from one of the certified laboratories by local authorities, negative PCR test result validity must not exceed 48 hours between the sampling date and boarding the flight from country of origin.

Do I need transit visa for Beirut?

Transit Visa A Transit Without Visa (TWOV) applies if the traveler is passing through an international transit area of at Beirut International Airport in order to board a connecting or to proceed by the same flight to an international destination, without entering the country (i.e. clearing immigration).

Which countries can enter Lebanon?

Citizens holding a passport with a national number from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries \u2013 Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and United Arab of Emirates \u2013 as well as nationals of Jordan can visit Lebanon without a visa.

MEA - Middle East Airlines and Lebanon - Can They Survive?

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