Lebanon has taken a new step towards electronic signature, but not all approaches have become feasible remotely. On 22 October 2026, the Ministries of Justice and Technology announced the approval of a draft decree on electronic official documents. Eight years after the law of 2018, the issue is its implementation in the administrations. Understanding this difference avoids confusing legal reform with the effective opening of a service.
A recognition that already dates back to 2018
The formula « Lebanon has just approved electronic signatures after eight years » requires clarification. Law No.81 of 10 October 2018 already recognized the writing and electronic signature. Article 4 gives them the same legal effects as their paper equivalents, subject to conditions. It is necessary to be able to identify the author and ensure the integrity of the document when it is created and preserved.
Article 7 deals with the probative value of the electronic document. Article 9 requires a safe process for identifying the signatory and linking his signature to the act concerned. On the other hand, Article 8 reserves a special regime for electronic official documents. Their legal effectiveness depends on a decree adopted by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of Justice.
The announcement of 22 October concerns precisely this administrative yard. It is therefore neither a first general recognition of electronic signature nor a new decision taken on 14 November. The full text of the new decree and its reference to publication in the Official Journal could not be confirmed in the documents consulted. The approval announced by both departments is documented.
An electronic signature is not just a drawing
Signing means identifying the author of a commitment and expressing his agreement. In a digital environment, this function does not necessarily rely on a visible handwritten trait. An electronic signature may consist of data associated with a document. The digital signature refers more precisely to a cryptographic technique to verify its origin and integrity.
In a certificate-based system, it links an identity to verification data. The signatory uses a protected private key; the recipient has a means of controlling the signature. A later modification of the document becomes detectable. It is this technical connection, and not the beauty of an initial on screen, that brings the desired guarantee.
Gluing a photograph of his signature in a PDF does not, therefore, provide the same assurances. It can be copied. It does not automatically prove who validated the file or whether its content has changed. Legal value depends on the process used, available evidence and applicable rules.
What is the purpose of the new administrative framework?
The ministerial communiqué describes a progressive deployment, adapted to the preparation of each administration. He announced the replacement of Decrees 14115/2024 and 14555/2025. It provides a framework to begin without delay the completion of all the national accreditation infrastructure.
The ministries cite the technical standards of the European eIDAS Regulation and the maintenance in Lebanon of the essential components of trust services. They also present traceability, verification and archiving mechanisms. The aim is to create, sign, exchange and maintain reliable administrative acts, reducing travel and delays.
In concrete terms, an official document could circulate between services without having to be printed and stamped at each stage, when the corresponding procedure is operational. The consignee must be able to check its origin. The record will also keep track of the operations. These are uses made possible by the announced framework, not a list of benefits already opened everywhere.
What documents can actually be requested online?
As at 14 November, the official pages consulted do not provide a national catalogue of new documents available under this decree. They do not make it possible to assert that an extract of civil status, a notarial act, a power of attorney or land title can now be obtained and signed in full at a distance in all cases.
However, there are already digital services, particularly in finance. Their presence does not prove that they are the result of the 22 October reform. The tax portal presents forms, returns and real estate applications. Here is what was checked on its public pages:
- Tax returns:the portal provides a file for forms R5, R6 and R7, convertible to XML for electronic transmission.
- Exemption from tax on built property:an online application procedure includes information from the applicant, the property and its owners, and the filing of the documents.
- Other real estate applications:in particular, the menu presents the declaration of vacancy, the request for rental value and the disputes related to that value.
- Legal fees:a payment page requests a receipt number and the amount to be paid.
This check covers interfaces and instructions, not the completion of a user approach. It does not guarantee the continued availability of the service or the immediate issuance of an electronically signed document. The real estate tax consultation also referred, during the check, to an expired session page.
Filing an application does not mean receiving the act
The tax release illustrates the distinction. The form requires, among other things, a copy of the title to the property or an admitted land document, as well as a municipal certificate of occupation or vacancy, or municipal receipts. A notarized power of attorney may be required when the applicant acts for the taxpayer.
The page specifies that, after filing, the information is sent by email and that the competent department contacts for follow-up. It does not promise automatic delivery. This allows an administration to scan the receipt of the file while maintaining humane processing and documentary checks.
For individuals and businesses, the right question remains: which document, with which administration, how to identify and what final evidence? A downloadable form, an online payment and an authenticated act are three different services. Before initiating a procedure, the parts, access conditions and delivery method indicated by the organisation concerned must be checked.
The next concrete step will be the announcement, administration by administration, of the acts actually issued under this new regime. It is this operational timetable, with its procedures and means of verification, that will measure what the reform is really changing for users in Lebanon and abroad.
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