Lebanon enables biometric passport fingerprinting outside the country for the first time

Report by Lea Fayad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Congratulations to every Lebanese expatriate: You can now apply for a biometric passport from abroad without having to fly back to Lebanon just to provide your fingerprints.

Instead, you can visit the Lebanese embassy or consulate in your country of residence, submit your application, and complete the fingerprinting process there.

But don't celebrate too soon. Even if you no longer have to travel, your application still does.

After your fingerprints are taken, your application is sent back to Lebanon for verification by the Lebanese General Security and passport printing before the passport is returned through the diplomatic pouch. 

That means applicants should expect to wait between one and three months. A 10-year biometric passport costs about $300, making it more expensive than those issued by many other countries.

The service was first launched at the Lebanese Embassy in Kuwait and will gradually expand to other embassies and consulates.

The move raises several questions. Why was it delayed for so many years? What were the main obstacles? Why was Kuwait chosen as the first country despite larger Lebanese communities elsewhere? How much does a biometric passport cost if it is issued abroad, compared with obtaining one in Lebanon? Is the passport valid for 10 years, and why does the process still take up to three months? Finally, how will this step benefit Lebanon?

The rollout comes as biometric passports have become essential. According to the General Security agency, older non-biometric passports will no longer be accepted for travel from Lebanon starting Oct. 1.