VISAS, ENTRY RULES, CUSTOMS REGULATIONS in Lebanon
Citizens of Russia do not need to apply for a visa in advance to enter Lebanon for up to 30 days. It is issued at the airport upon arrival or at any border point in Lebanon. You must have a passport with a validity of at least 6 months, in some cases you may need to confirm a hotel reservation or a travel voucher. Unmarried women under 40 are advised to obtain a Lebanese visa in advance in Russia. Spouses with different surnames must submit a copy of the marriage certificate. Children under 15 must have their own passport or be entered in the passport of the accompanying parent. Entry into the country of tourists who have marks in their passports about visiting the State of Israel is prohibited.
Import and export of local or foreign currency is not limited. Persons over 18 years of age can import duty-free up to 800 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 1 kg of tobacco, up to 2 liters of champagne, up to 4 liters of strong alcoholic drinks, up to 1 liter of cologne and 100 grams of perfume, medicines for personal use – within the specified in the quantity prescription, personal belongings and valuables in an amount not exceeding 2 million Lebanese pounds in value. Tobacco and alcohol are prohibited for persons under 18 years of age, and the import of other items indicated above is not taxed if their number does not exceed half of the above norms.
The import and export of weapons and drugs is prohibited; when exporting antiques, you must provide a receipt issued by the store where the purchase was made.
Embassy in Lebanon
Lebanon, embassy in Moscow
Metro station “Tsvetnoy Bulvar”, st. Sadovaya-Samotechnaya, 14.
Tel.: 694-13-20, 694-20-83.
Fax: 694-32-22.
Lebanon, Russian Embassy in the country:
Beirut, El-Tina district, Mar-Elias street, POBox 5220.
Tel.: (961-1) 30-00-41, 30-00-42.
Fax: (961-1) 30-38-37.
Communication in Lebanon
On the streets of large cities in Lebanon there are pay phones from which you can make calls not only within the country, but also to other countries. Phones – automatic machines work on cards. Phone cards can be purchased at post offices, tobacconists and newsstands. You can also call to another country from the hotel. It is worth noting that international calls are quite expensive, so it is better to use cell phones in Lebanon.
In order to call from Russia to Lebanon, you need to dial 8 – 10 – 961 (Lebanese code) – area code – subscriber number. The telephone code for Beirut is 1, Northern Lebanon – 6, Nabatiyah and Southern Lebanon – 7, Beqaa – 8, Mount Lebanon – 9. If you are calling from one region of the country to another, you must dial 0 before dialing the area code, that is, for example, the Beirut code for calls within the country will be 01.
In order to call from Lebanon to Russia, you need to dial 00 – 7 (Russian code) – area code – subscriber number.
Emergency Phones in Lebanon
Emergency – 112
HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS
January 1 – New Year ‘s Day
February 9 – St. Maroon’s Day
May 1 – Labor Day
May 6 – Martyrs’ Day
May 25 – Resistance and Liberation Day
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
November 22 – Independence Day
December 25 – Christmas
Muslim holidays are observed on lunar calendar, their dates vary.
The most interesting festivals of the country are festivals held on the ruins of ancient cities: the festival of folk and classical music in Baalbek and the festival of folk performers of the Mediterranean in Sura, which are held in July-August, as well as the international Byblos festival in Jebel (late August-early September).
USEFUL THINGS Bordering
with Israel, the southern regions of the country are considered an area unsafe to visit. Here, armed conflicts can occur between groups of the Hezbollah movement and detachments of the Israeli army.
STORES
According to ehuzhou, shops are usually open on weekdays from 9:00 to 19:00, large supermarkets do not close until 22:00. Small private shops and souvenir shops have their own schedules.
Beirut is a great place for shopping. Here you will find any product: from handmade souvenirs in small shops to clothes of the world’s most famous fashion houses in chic boutiques. Be sure to go to the ancient cities of Tripoli, Sur and Saida, where oriental bazaars open daily on huge squares.
TIPS
In restaurants, it is customary to leave a tip of 5-10% of the amount indicated on the bill, even if it is already included in the bill. You can also leave “tip” to taxi drivers, porters and maids.
ELECTRICITY
230V, 50Hz;
HEALTH
It is recommended to take out health insurance and vaccinations against hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and typhoid before traveling to Lebanon. In Beirut and other major cities in the country, tap water is considered safe for drinking. However, it is better for foreigners to drink and make ice using bottled water.
