If you are looking for a shipping company from UAE to Lebanon, here is the short answer: Al Basmah International Shipping collects from any emirate — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Al Ain — and delivers to Beirut and every region of Lebanon in one of three ways: by road in transit through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria in about 8 to 14 days, by sea in a container to Beirut port in about 3 to 4 weeks, or by air to Beirut airport in 2 to 4 days for urgent items. We ship household furniture, cars, commercial goods, generators and solar panels, and we handle the packing, paperwork, clearance and delivery to the address.
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This guide is for anyone preparing to move back to Lebanon after years in the UAE, and for anyone sending goods to a shop or to family there. It compares the three ways side by side, explains what Lebanese customs ask of citizens returning for good, shows what decides the price, and covers delivery to older Beirut buildings and mountain villages.
Before shipping to Lebanon
- Three ways: road in transit (about 8–14 days), sea by container (about 3–4 weeks), air for urgent items (about 2–4 days).
- A citizen returning for good after roughly three or more years abroad can usually bring used household goods in duty-free once, if the papers are complete — the team checks your case.
- New items and commercial goods pay customs duty plus VAT (the standard rate is 11%).
- Lebanon runs on 220–230 V like the UAE, so your appliances work without converters.
- Pricing depends on volume, method and region: send the details on WhatsApp and you will get the price.
Collection
From your home or warehouse in all seven emirates and Al Ain. Branches: Dubai – Deira – Port Saeed Street, and Sharjah – Industrial Area 18.
Delivery
Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the North, the South and the Bekaa, to the door of the home or shop.
Updates
The team sends you WhatsApp updates at loading, at each border, on arrival and at delivery.
What does Al Basmah ship from the UAE to Lebanon?
We ship whatever a home or business in Lebanon needs, from a full house move to a few cartons. The most common requests:
- Household furniture and final moves: bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, appliances, books and clothes, packed for a long journey.
- Personal belongings and cartons: for students, workers and travellers, by shared (groupage) shipping when the volume is small.
- Cars: family cars, 4x4s and luxury cars, after checking Lebanon’s conditions for your vehicle.
- Commercial goods: clothing, sealed perfumes, spare parts, building materials, household goods and packaged food.
- Generators, solar panels and inverters: among the most requested shipments to Lebanon, with special handling for batteries.
- Restaurant, workshop and office equipment: ovens, display fridges, machines and office furniture.
Each type has a method that suits it. A full home usually goes in a sea container or a closed truck, a few cartons join a shared load, and urgent documents or small parts fly. The team recommends the right method at booking once it knows the volume and the destination in Lebanon.
Where do we collect in the UAE?
We come to your address in any emirate with closed vehicles and a packing crew, then consolidate the shipment at our warehouse before loading. Areas we collect from regularly:
| Emirate | Collection areas |
|---|---|
| Dubai | Deira, Bur Dubai, Al Barsha, JLT, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, Mirdif, Al Quoz, Jebel Ali Free Zone |
| Abu Dhabi | Khalifa City, Al Reem Island, Mussafah, Al Raha, Al Shamkha, Mohammed Bin Zayed City |
| Sharjah | Al Nahda, Al Majaz, Al Khan, Al Qasimia, the industrial areas, SAIF Zone, Hamriyah |
| Ajman | Al Nuaimiya, Al Rashidiya, Al Jurf, Ajman Free Zone |
| Ras Al Khaimah | Al Nakheel, Al Hamra, Al Mairid, the economic zone |
| Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Al Ain | City districts and industrial areas, Fujairah port, and farms around Al Ain |
Each emirate has its own detailed guide, such as shipping company from Dubai to Lebanon, shipping from Abu Dhabi to Lebanon and shipping from Sharjah to Lebanon; if you live in the east of the country, see shipping from Al Ain to Lebanon.
What are the ways to ship from the UAE to Lebanon?
There are three, and none is best for everyone. Road is faster than sea but crosses several countries and needs complete papers; sea is the economical choice for large loads and cars; air is only for light, urgent items. The table sums up the difference:
| Method | Approximate time | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road in transit | 8–14 days door to door | Medium loads, goods and furniture when the route suits | Crosses Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria; needs complete documents, and the team confirms it suits your load before booking |
| Sea by container | About 3–4 weeks including clearance | Full homes, cars and large commercial loads | 20 ft or 40 ft container or groupage, from Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port to Beirut or Tripoli |
| Air | About 2–4 days | Urgent parcels, documents and small parts | Not for furniture; lithium batteries, liquids and perfumes are restricted; charged by actual or volumetric weight |
Many families combine two methods: furniture in a sea container, and a bag of important papers, the laptop and clothes for the first weeks by air or in their luggage. That way the new home in Lebanon is not empty while the container is on its way.
Road freight from the UAE to Lebanon: route and timing
The truck leaves the UAE through Al Ghuwaifat to the Saudi Al Batha crossing, crosses Saudi Arabia under sealed transit without unloading, enters Jordan at Al Omari, crosses Syria in transit via the Jaber – Nasib crossing, and enters Lebanon at the Al Masnaa border in the Bekaa, then continues to Beirut or any region. The distance from Dubai is roughly 2,900 to 3,200 km, and door to door usually takes 8 to 14 days depending on clearance at the borders.
| Stage | Crossing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving the UAE | Al Ghuwaifat | Export clearance and stamping of documents |
| Crossing Saudi Arabia | Al Batha | Sealed transit entry, the load is not opened for distribution |
| Entering Jordan | Al Omari | Transit northwards |
| Crossing Syria | Jaber – Nasib | Transit to the Lebanese border |
| Entering Lebanon | Al Masnaa | Lebanese customs clearance, then on to the address |
Road loads travel in closed trailers of 12 to 13.6 metres for large volumes, or in dynas for smaller loads inside the UAE before consolidation. Because the route crosses more than one country, any missing document or a vague contents list means the truck waits at the border. So the team reviews your list before loading and tells you whether road is the right choice for your load or whether sea suits it better.
The first part of this route is the same as the road to Jordan, so if you also have a shipment for Amman or Irbid, read shipping from the UAE to Jordan.
Sea freight from the UAE to Beirut port
Sea freight is the usual choice for a full home, a car or a large commercial load. The container is loaded at Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi and sails through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to Beirut port, or to Tripoli port in the north. The total time is about 3 to 4 weeks including sailing and clearance, shorter or longer depending on the shipping line and transshipment.
- 20 ft container: usually fits a two- to three-bedroom flat with its furniture and appliances.
- 40 ft container: for villas and large homes, or furniture plus a car.
- Groupage: for volumes that do not fill a container; you pay only for the space you use, and it takes a little longer while the container fills.
You can choose door to door, where we handle everything up to your home in Lebanon; door to port, where you collect from Beirut yourself; or port to port, for those who have their own clearing agent in Lebanon. Door to door is the easiest if you do not know the port procedures; the other two can suit traders. A practical tip: book your flight close to the container’s arrival, because a container left uncollected at the port runs up storage and demurrage charges.
Air freight from the UAE to Lebanon
Air freight leaves Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah airport for Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, usually 2 to 4 days door to door including clearance. It is the right choice for documents, permitted personal medicines, gifts, urgent spare parts and small electronics — not for furniture.
- How it is charged: by actual weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher; volumetric = length × width × height in cm ÷ 6000.
- Example: a 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton has a volumetric weight of 16 kg, so if it actually weighs 9 kg it is charged at 16.
- Restricted: loose lithium batteries, liquids, perfumes and flammables cannot fly as general cargo.
- Tip: cut the empty space in your cartons — you pay for the air inside them.
Car shipping from the UAE to Lebanon
Cars usually go by sea, either secured inside a container or on a RoRo vessel, where the car is driven on board. Inside the UAE we move the car to the port on an enclosed car carrier. Lebanon charges customs duty and other fees based on the car’s value and type, and sets conditions on age and specifications; these change from time to time, so the team checks your car’s conditions and the expected costs before shipping so there are no surprises on arrival.
Documents for the car:
- Ownership registration in the shipper’s name.
- UAE export certificate and plate cancellation.
- A copy of the owner’s passport.
- The car must be empty of personal belongings — the cabin is not a place for cartons.
Lebanese customs and the returning-citizen exemption
The first question returnees ask: will I pay duty on my furniture? The answer: the used household goods of a Lebanese citizen returning for good after living abroad, usually for at least three years, can enter duty-free once, provided they arrive within a short period of the owner (around three months) and the papers are complete. That is what usually happens, but the decision belongs to customs, so the team checks your case before shipping and does not promise an exemption in advance.
Typical papers for the exemption file:
- Original Lebanese passport showing the last entry date.
- A letter from the Lebanese embassy or consulate in the UAE confirming residence abroad and permanent return.
- A detailed contents list authenticated by the consulate.
- Proof of address in Lebanon, such as a lease or a residence certificate from the mukhtar, and a family civil-registry extract.
- The original bill of lading.
New, unused items and commercial goods pay customs duty according to their type, then VAT at Lebanon’s standard rate of 11%, and some items carry extra fees. New furniture with invoices inside a return shipment may be treated as commercial goods, so do not mix it with used items without telling the team.
Commercial goods need a commercial invoice, a packing list, a certificate of origin and the Lebanese importer’s details. Goods of Arab origin can benefit from the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) duty exemption if the certificate of origin is correct.
Warning: The contents list is the most important paper in the shipment. Describe every carton by what is really in it — a list that says “miscellaneous items” delays clearance at the border and the port.
Prohibited and restricted items for Lebanon
- Prohibited: narcotics, weapons and ammunition without a permit, counterfeit goods and gambling equipment.
- Prior permit needed: drones, some medicines and wireless communication equipment.
- Special transport rules: batteries, especially lithium, flammable liquids and gas.
- Travels badly: plants and unpackaged food, leather without ventilation, and mattresses without tight wrapping.
Generators, solar panels and batteries
Electricity in Lebanon is 220 to 230 V at 50 Hz, exactly like the UAE, so your fridge, washing machine and air conditioner work there without converters. That is why many people ship complete power systems: generators, solar panels, inverters and batteries. Panels need wooden corner protection so the glass does not crack, and generators are drained of fuel before shipping. Batteries, especially lithium, have special transport rules and cannot fly as general cargo, so they go by road or sea with their specifications declared.
Packing for a long journey
A shipment to Lebanon is loaded and unloaded more than once and may be carried by hand up a narrow staircase at the end, so packing is not a detail:
- Bedrooms and wardrobes are dismantled, pieces numbered, and screws bagged and labelled with the piece name.
- Wood is wrapped in bubble wrap and then heavy cardboard; glass and mirrors go in wooden crates.
- Fridges and washing machines are emptied and dried two days before packing so they do not grow mould.
- Cartons of similar sizes are labelled with the room and contents, which speeds up the customs inventory and unpacking.
- Paintings and antiques go in crates built to their size.
Delivery inside Lebanon: regions and access
We deliver to every Lebanese governorate. Delivery inside Lebanon after clearance is usually one or two days depending on the area, and access varies a lot between the coast and the mountains:
| Region | Main places | Delivery notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beirut | Achrafieh, Hamra, Verdun, Ras Beirut, Mar Mikhael, Badaro | Older buildings with narrow stairs and small lifts, busy streets that need a set time |
| Mount Lebanon | Baabda, Jounieh, Jbeil/Byblos, Aley, Broummana, the Metn, the Chouf | Steep, winding mountain roads; often a smaller truck for the last leg |
| The North | Tripoli, Batroun, Zgharta | Tripoli port is an option for sea freight to the north |
| The South | Sidon/Saida, Tyre/Sour, Nabatieh | A relatively easy coastal road from Beirut |
| The Bekaa | Zahle, Chtaura, Baalbek | Closest region to the Al Masnaa land border; cold winters and snow at altitude |
Many Beirut buildings are old, with narrow stairs and a lift too small for a sofa or a wardrobe, and mountain villages have narrow roads that a full-size trailer cannot enter. So the load is usually moved to a smaller truck for the final leg and the furniture is carried by hand, sometimes with a furniture hoist from the balcony. The team contacts the receiver before the appointment to ask about the floor, the lift, the street width and parking. Lebanese winters are rainy, with snow in the mountains, so we cover the furniture well during unloading and plan the date around road conditions.
How much does shipping from the UAE to Lebanon cost?
There is no single price for every shipment: moving a flat to Achrafieh by container is a completely different job from three cartons by air to Zahle. For every service, send the details on WhatsApp and you will get the price. This table shows what decides the price:
| Factor | How it affects the price |
|---|---|
| Shipping method | Air costs the most per kilo, sea is the most economical for large volumes, road sits between |
| Volume or weight | Cubic metres for furniture; actual or volumetric weight for air |
| Container size | A full 20 ft or 40 ft container, or space in a groupage load |
| City and access | Beirut or a mountain village, the floor, whether there is a lift, a smaller truck or a hoist |
| Packing | Standard cartons or wooden crates for glass and antiques |
| Documents and clearance | A returnee exemption file, or commercial clearance with duty and VAT |
| Car value and type | Sets the fees in Lebanon and the method (container or RoRo) |
Send photos or a list of your items on WhatsApp, with the area in Lebanon and the floor, and you will get the price and a loading date. You can also fill in the quote request form.
What to ask before choosing a shipping company to Lebanon
Before you hand over the contents of your home, ask clear questions so you know exactly what you are paying for. We answer these before you ask, but they are useful in any case:
- Is the price door to door or only to the port? Does it include clearance in Lebanon and delivery up to the floor?
- What does the price not include? For example customs duty and VAT where due, or port storage if collection is late.
- Who packs and dismantles the furniture, and does the crew reassemble it in Lebanon?
- Which documents does your case need — returnee, trader or car shipper?
- How will you hear about the shipment on the way, and who is your contact?
- Is optional insurance available, and what does it cover?
Clear answers before loading save you surprises on arrival. At Al Basmah we write what the price includes and excludes in a single WhatsApp message, so everything is in front of you before the packing crew arrives.
What happens when the shipment reaches Lebanon?
When the truck reaches Al Masnaa or the container reaches the port, the file is submitted to Lebanese customs with the contents list. Some cartons may be opened for inspection and matched against the list — a normal step. Once clearance is done and anything due is paid, the shipment moves to the address. If you are travelling after the shipment, leave a power of attorney or the details of someone to receive it for you, and give the team their name and number in advance.
How to ship from the UAE to Lebanon, step by step
- Send on WhatsApp what you want to ship, the emirate we collect from and the area in Lebanon.
- The team recommends the right method (road, sea or air) and sends the price.
- Prepare the papers: passport and consulate letter for returnees, invoices for goods, or the car documents.
- The packing crew arrives on time, dismantles and wraps the furniture and writes the list with you.
- The shipment is loaded and you get a WhatsApp message, then updates at the borders or at sailing.
- Clearance is completed in Lebanon and the team contacts the receiver to set the delivery time.
- Delivery to the home and reassembly of any dismantled furniture.
Tips before you ship to Lebanon
- Start preparing at least a month before you travel, especially if you need the consulate letter.
- Get rid of things not worth shipping; every cubic metre less means a lower price.
- Travel before or with the shipment — the returnee exemption is tied to your entry date.
- Do not put cash, gold or original official papers in the cartons; carry them with you.
- Ask the team about optional insurance if the shipment includes valuable pieces.
- Photograph valuable furniture and the car before loading to record their condition.
Warning: Do not rely on a promise of customs exemption before your papers are reviewed. The returnee exemption can be used once, and it has conditions on time spent abroad and on when the shipment arrives.
If you have a few things you need the moment you land, fly them or carry them with you, and leave the rest for the container. That way you can wait for the furniture calmly without missing anything in the first days.
Frequently asked questions about shipping from the UAE to Lebanon
How long does shipping from the UAE to Lebanon take?
Roughly 8 to 14 days by road, 3 to 4 weeks by sea including clearance, and 2 to 4 days by air. The actual time depends on clearance and sailing dates, and the team gives it to you at booking.
Is there road freight from Dubai to Beirut?
Yes, via Al Ghuwaifat, then Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria in transit to the Lebanese Al Masnaa border. It needs complete documents, and the team confirms it suits your load before booking.
Do I pay duty on my used furniture when I return to Lebanon?
Usually not: a citizen returning for good after about three or more years abroad can bring used furniture in duty-free once, if it arrives within about three months of the owner and the papers are complete. The team checks your case before shipping.
What is the VAT rate in Lebanon?
The standard rate is 11%, charged on new and commercial goods after customs duty; some items carry extra fees.
Can I ship a car from the UAE to Lebanon?
Yes, by sea in a container or on a RoRo vessel. Lebanon sets conditions on the car’s age and specifications and fees based on its value, so the team checks your car before shipping.
Will my UAE appliances work in Lebanon?
Yes. Both countries use 220–230 V at 50 Hz, so you do not need converters.
Do you deliver to mountain villages?
Yes, to Mount Lebanon, the Chouf, the Metn and elsewhere, usually with a smaller truck for the last leg after agreeing the road and floor with the receiver.
How do I know where my shipment is?
The team sends WhatsApp updates at loading, at the borders or sailing, on arrival and at delivery, and you can ask at any time.
Ready to ship to Lebanon?
Send your list of items and your area in Lebanon, and we will reply with the right method and the price.
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