Lebanon is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. A U.S. document going to Lebanon needs legalization instead: certification by the state that issued it, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and then legalization by Lebanon’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S.
All U.S. documents for Lebanon are legalized at the Embassy of Lebanon in Washington, D.C., whichever state they come from.
The embassy legalizes documents, usually in two to five days.
At a glance
Which mission takes your document
| Mission | States it covers |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. Embassy of Lebanon |
Not published; we confirm per document |
Checked October 2026. Where a mission does not publish its district, we confirm before submitting. For federal documents such as an FBI check, we confirm the mission before submitting.
Documents we legalize most for Lebanon
| Document | Usually for |
|---|---|
| Marriage, birth and death certificates | Civil registration and inheritance |
| Diploma and transcripts | Equivalency and employment |
| Commercial certificates | Export and trade |
Things worth knowing
- The embassy in Washington handles legalization; we confirm before submitting whether a consulate should take yours instead.
- School documents have been free to legalize since March 2026.
How it works
Step 1
Notarize if needed
Private documents only. Vital records and court records skip this.
Step 2
State certification
By the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents skip this.
Step 3
U.S. Department of State
Federal authentication in Washington, D.C.
Step 4
Lebanon embassy or consulate
The mission in Washington, D.C..
Lebanon Embassy Legalization: common questions
Can I get an apostille for Lebanon instead?
No. Lebanon is not in the Apostille Convention, so it needs the legalization chain ending at its embassy or consulate.
Does it matter which consulate I use?
No. There is one mission for the whole U.S.
How long does it take?
The state and federal stages take one to three weeks together, and the embassy stage adds its own time, which varies. Plan for several weeks in total, and longer around holidays.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
Lebanon mission in the U.S.
Ready to get started?
Tell us the document and its state, and we will run the whole chain to the right Lebanon mission.
Related: Embassy legalization · Non-Hague countries · Country checker · Translation requirements