Lebanese biometric passports can now be requested from the United States without any prior return to Lebanon. Washington and Detroit have the equipment to take biometric data. However, the procedures remain linked to the place of residence, an appointment and the rooms required by each performance. In Washington, even renewal now imposes a physical presence.
The American deployment began on September 21, 2026. The General Security Service equipped the Lebanese Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Detroit, and then trained the officers concerned. This opening brings the filing of the users’ request closer. It does not mean the immediate issuance of the document or the fully feasible procedure from a computer.
The practical information below was verified on 6 November 2026 on the official notices available. One point deserves particular attention: old pages remain accessible. Recent announcements about appointments and biometrics should therefore be distinguished from previous instructions still displayed.
Biometric passports: check your electoral district
An applicant does not automatically choose Washington or Detroit according to the first appointment found. The State of residence shall determine the competent representation. The United States has one Lebanese embassy and three consulates general, each covering one constituency.
Washington includes residents of Maryland, Virginia, the two Carolines, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. Its jurisdiction also includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and the District of Columbia.
Detroit covers Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, both Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Missouri and Kansas. Other residents must verify their connection to the consulates in New York or Los Angeles. Washington State, on the west coast, is not confused with Washington, D.C.
In Washington, the presence also concerns renewal
The announcement published on October 2, applicable since October 1, opens the first application for a biometric passport at the embassy. It also states that holders of a biometric passport must present themselves to renew it. Biometric data and photography are taken on site.
The appointment can be found at passports@lebanonembassyus.org or +1 202 939-6306. The reception without appointment depends on the possibilities of the service. It is therefore not a solution to be considered as acquired prior to displacement.
For a first biometric application, the notice requests, in addition to the usual file, a Lebanese identity card issued for less than ten years or an individual civil status extract dated less than three years. It requires the originals of these documents. A photocopy alone does not meet this requirement.
Preparing an online file and getting a niche are two distinct steps. The appointment is used to organize the passage to the counter; it does not exempt from collecting evidence. Prior to a trip, the applicant must have the record of his or her situation specified, in particular for a child or a lost document.
In Detroit, three days reserved for applications
A notice from the Consulate dated 26 September reserves Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for biometric passport applications. The service works by appointment. Users can contact +1 248 810 7730 during working hours or write to biometricpass.lebconsulatedtw@gmail.com.
This e-mail address appears on the official notice, even if it uses a general public messaging domain. In order to avoid an error of recipient, it should be copied from the announcement of the consulate and followed by its instructions. No private intermediary is required to request this appointment.
The Consulate General, commonly known as the Detroit Consulate, is located in Southfield: 1000 Southfield Town Center, Suite 2450, Michigan 48075. Biometric schedules should not be interpreted as those of all consular services.
The documents are not limited to the old passport
The Washington section asks for the form, the original passport and copies, proof of Lebanese identity and an American document. For minors, it also mentions family marital status and parental consent. Details depend on the type of demand; a loss of passport requires additional elements.
Detroit issues a special notice, dated September 22, for the first issue. It provides for an individual administrative document prepared with the Mission, a recent certified photograph and identification documents. It distinguishes one route with a recent family extract and another with a Lebanese identity card under the age of 10, accompanied by a proof of residence or a foreign passport.
These lists must not be merged into a single file valid everywhere. An excerpt requested from Washington does not necessarily have the same title or maximum seniority as that quoted in Detroit. The competent department shall confirm the applicable combination before the original shipment.
Costs and time limits: do not repeat the old amounts
Washington announced a reduction in several consular fees on March 1, 2026. The chart displays $150 for a five-year biometric passport and $300 for ten years. The authorized duration depends on the applicant’s category. These amounts do not necessarily include the shipping expenses chosen for the file.
The Detroit passport page still displays fares as applicable on January 1, 2025. They do not constitute confirmation of the amount to be paid in November 2026. The current rate and method of payment should be requested from the consulate, rather than preparing a payment from this former heading.
Washington recommends that demand be anticipated three months before expiry. His page distinguishes diplomatic routing from a paid express option. The durations contained therein remain indicative and do not constitute a surrender obligation on a given date. The launch of the biometric socket in the United States does not prove that the printing and return of the document becomes immediate.
Finally, the new provisions in Washington target Lebanese citizens. The Embassy states that they do not, at this stage, change the travel document regime of the Palestinian refugees from Lebanon. Before booking a trip, each user must obtain from the competent service the conditions corresponding to his or her document and check when he or she can actually recover it.
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