FR-MKT · LEBANON · 21 Oct 2026
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Documents to import a used US car to Lebanon: a checklist
Sources checked 21 October 2026. Requirements change; confirm locally.
A US auction car going to Lebanon needs three sets of papers: the US export papers, the Lebanese customs file, and the papers the Traffic Law adds for used cars. After customs, registration needs its own list. This page is the checklist; each section links to the guide with the detail. It isn't legal or customs advice.
1. Before you bid: papers to look at
- The title. Read the title words; Art. 348 refers to "Salvage" and "Reconstructed" US registration documents (Art. 348, checked 21 Oct 2026). See US salvage title types.
- Steering on the left. Traffic Law Art. 92 requires left-hand drive; moving the wheel needs prior approval and an inspection (Art. 92, checked 21 Oct 2026).
- Model year against the trade.gov age warning above.
2. US export papers
- Original title (or a certified copy) plus two copies, presented with the car to CBP at least 72 hours before export by ship (CBP; 19 CFR 192.2, checked 21 Oct 2026).
- AES filing (electronic export information) for any used vehicle, regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2, checked 21 Oct 2026).
- Lienholder letter if the car is leased or financed (CBP, checked 21 Oct 2026).
Costs and transit times: Shipping a car from the USA to Lebanon.
3. Lebanese customs file
The Ministry of Economy and Trade, summarising Lebanese Customs' rules, says imports are declared through an authorised customs clearance agent on the Single Customs Declaration, with (MoET, checked 21 Oct 2026):
- the Single Customs Declaration form;
- the bill of lading (or a substitute document);
- a packing list, if the invoice doesn't itemise;
- the original purchase invoice;
- any other document the law requires, for example proof of payment or a statement of value elements;
- a certificate of origin where the Customs Act or a treaty requires one.
This is the ministry's list for any import, not a car-specific list. Keep the auction invoice, the buyer-fee receipt and your payment record together; how Customs values the car is for your clearing agent. Duty, excise and VAT: Lebanon car import tax.
4. Traffic Law papers for a used car (Art. 348)
Source note: the Art. 348 text on this page comes from lebaneselegislation.com, an unofficial compilation of Lebanese laws. Its current status isn't confirmed against the Official Gazette. Confirm with a customs broker or Lebanese Customs before you buy.
Until inspection centres are set up at the ports, the importer of a used car shows Customs (Art. 348 ¶3, checked 21 Oct 2026; our translation):
- the car's registration document, and
- an inspection certificate from the export country, dated no more than two months before shipping, saying it's roadworthy;
- for US cars, the article refers to the registration document when it carries "Salvage" or "Reconstructed".
If the car turns out not to match the manufacturer's specifications or the data is wrong, ¶4 says the importer must re-export it at their own cost. What the article bans, and how it's enforced: Importing a damaged car to Lebanon.
5. After customs: registration
The registration authority's list starts with the customs certificate and the bill of lading (TMO, checked 20 Oct 2026). The rest of the list (IDs, residence certificate, compulsory insurance, sale deed, and the car itself), the fees and the branches are in Registering an imported car in Lebanon.
Put the costs into the free calculator
The live max bid calculator is a free USD worksheet with no account: max bid = resale − repair − buyer fee − transport − title and registration − target profit. It doesn't check documents. Put clearing-agent and port fees in Transport, and duty, VAT and registration in Title and registration. For the whole cost from hammer to plates: Landed cost in Beirut.
Want this inside the browser? The FlipRadar Chrome extension version with Market Profiles adds USD-first amounts with LBP alongside, landed cost at your port, a walk-away line, stop-flags for structural, flood and fire damage, and a warning for the 8-year age limit. It's in private beta and not in the Chrome Web Store. The private beta is free. To try it, email hello@theflipradar.com and ask for the private-beta extension.
FlipRadar is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any auction company, CBP, Lebanese Customs or any Lebanese ministry. FlipRadar isn't a broker or clearing agent, and this isn't legal advice.
Related guides: Importing a damaged car to Lebanon · Shipping a car from the USA to Lebanon · Lebanon car import tax · Registering an imported car in Lebanon · Landed cost in Beirut · Lebanon import rules · all guides.
FAQ
What documents do you need to import a car to Lebanon?
Lebanon's Ministry of Economy and Trade, citing Lebanese Customs, lists for any import: the Single Customs Declaration, the bill of lading, a packing list, the original purchase invoice, any other document the law requires (such as proof of payment or a statement of value elements) and a certificate of origin where a treaty needs one (checked 21 Oct 2026). For a used car, Traffic Law Art. 348 adds the registration document and an inspection certificate. Confirm locally.
Who files the customs declaration for an imported car in Lebanon?
An authorised customs clearance agent, on the Single Customs Declaration. That's the Ministry of Economy and Trade's summary of Lebanese Customs' rules (checked 21 Oct 2026); in limited cases an individual can declare in their own name. Most importers of used cars use a clearing agent.
What does Traffic Law Art. 348 ask for at Lebanese customs?
Until inspection centres are set up at the ports, the importer of a used car shows Customs the car's registration document and an inspection certificate from the export country, dated no more than two months before shipping. For US cars the article refers to the registration document when it carries the words "Salvage" or "Reconstructed" (lebaneselegislation.com, an unofficial compilation, checked 21 Oct 2026; our translation). Confirm locally.
Which US papers do you need to export a car to Lebanon?
US Customs and Border Protection wants the original title or a certified copy plus two copies, presented with the car at least 72 hours before export by ship, and an electronic export filing (AES) for any used vehicle regardless of value (cbp.gov and eCFR, checked 21 Oct 2026). A leased or financed car also needs a lienholder letter.
Is the auction invoice enough to prove the value at Lebanese customs?
The ministry's list asks for the original purchase invoice and, where the law requires, proof of payment and a statement of value elements (checked 21 Oct 2026). How Customs values a particular used car isn't published on that page. Keep the auction invoice, the buyer-fee receipt and your payment record, and ask your clearing agent.
What paperwork do you need after customs to register the car?
The registration authority's list starts with the customs certificate and the bill of lading, then IDs, a residence certificate, compulsory insurance and a sale deed, and the car must be brought (tmo.gov.lb, checked 20 Oct 2026). The full list, fees and branches are in our Lebanon car registration guide.
Is there an age limit on cars imported to Lebanon?
The US government's trade.gov Lebanon page lists passenger vehicles older than eight years as a prohibited import (checked 21 Oct 2026). We couldn't find the Lebanese legal text for it. Treat it as a warning and check with Lebanese Customs or your clearing agent before you bid.
Where do document costs go in the FlipRadar calculator?
In Transport (clearing agent and port fees) and Title and registration (duty, VAT and registration). The free max bid calculator is a USD worksheet with no customs fields; it doesn't check documents.
Sources
- Ministry of Economy and Trade, import/export requirements: https://www.economy.gov.lb/en/services/support-to-smes/international-trade-for-smes (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Traffic Law Art. 348 (unofficial compilation): https://lebaneselegislation.com/law/246455/article/348/ (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Official Gazette (texts behind login; not used): https://jo.pcm.gov.lb/ (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Traffic Law Art. 92 (unofficial compilation): https://lebaneselegislation.com/law/246455/article/92/ (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- CBP, Exporting a Motor Vehicle: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/export-docs/motor-vehicle (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- 19 CFR 192.2: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-192/section-192.2 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- 15 CFR 30.2: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-30/subpart-A/section-30.2 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- TMO, imported used car registration: https://tmo.gov.lb/web/panel/info/service-types/3 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- trade.gov, Lebanon prohibited and restricted imports: https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/lebanon-prohibited-restricted-imports (checked 21 Oct 2026)