New Hires

New Hires Newsletter

Pre-Work Visa / Work Permit / Residency Requirements for Working Staff

  • A clear copy of a passport valid for 16 months from arrival to Lebanon showing passport number, picture and name, with at least one blank visa page available for visa stamp(s).

  • A colored copy of passport.

  • Colored copy of the highest degree.

  • Mother's name and Father's name.

  • In order to apply for the yearly residency, each person has to go in person to the security with the school assistance; the trip takes approximately 2 hours.

  • Medical tests (will be scheduled and communicated after your arrival to Beirut with the assistance of the School Nurse and the Expat / Ministry Affairs Coordinator).

  • Photos (will be scheduled and communicated after your arrival to Beirut with the assistance of the Expat / Ministry Affairs Coordinator).

  • Other legal documents (will be provided by the school with the assistance of the Expat / Ministry Affairs Coordinator).

* Prior to arrival to Beirut, new hires should be sure that their passport shows no Israeli visas or stamps.

* Passports showing Israeli visas or stamps will be confiscated at the airport, and you will not be allowed to enter the country.

Visa / Residency Requirements for accompanying dependents and nonworking wife

  • A clear copy of a passport valid for 16 months from arrival to Lebanon showing passport number, picture and name, with at least one blank visa page available for visa stamp(s).

  • Original marriage certificate.

  • A free of charge tourist visa is offered upon arrival to Lebanon at Beirut International Airport to the following nationalities: Americans, British, Canadian, Europeans, and some others.

  • As accompanying person nonworking wife and dependents will apply for the yearly residency upon granting the residency to the guarantor husband / father.

  • In order to apply for the yearly residency, each person has to go in person to the security with the school assistance; the trip takes approximately 2 hours.

* Please note that the entry is not granted to Lebanon for passports showing Israeli visas or stamps.

Travel Arrangements

To facilitate your transition, kindly advise your departure city (home city) and specify the airport name to the HR Department in order for them to reserve and book your flight to Beirut.

Reservation Guidelines

  • Arrival date to Beirut should be around August 18-19. Keep in mind that orientation begins August 20.

  • The HR Director will send your flight information and will arrange for a member of our Welcoming Committee to meet you at the airport.

  • If you will be traveling with a spouse/dependent, the HR will need a copy of their passport.

  • If you are traveling with a pet, please inform the HR Department ASAP so they can choose an airline that is pet friendly.

What if you have a serious delay of your flight? A missed connection? A sudden change of plans?

If you experience a flight delay or missed connection in another city, or if you cannot find an ACS representative after passing through customs at Beirut International Airport, you can call 03-459154 [Jocelyne].

Arrival Guidelines

  • During your flight, you will receive an arrival card to be filled out before arrival in Lebanon. One of the questions in this card requires your address in Beirut. Use the following address: ACS Beirut, 67 Nigeria Street, Jal El-Bahr, Beirut, 01-374370.
  • Arriving ACS employees do not need and should not accept a tourist visa upon arrival at the airport. Instead, present a copy of your work visa, which you will receive from the ACS Human Resources Office before departure. Members of the family not employed by ACS will be given tourist visas.

Shipping

We recommend that you bring your belongings with you on the airplane as extra luggage. Please check with the airline in regards to luggage allowance before departure. However, if you must ship your belongings, we recommend the following shipping companies.

Whether you ship with the suggested companies or any other shipping agencies, we urge you to insist on a written quotation or sign a clear itemized contract describing clearly the services and related charges you are getting before releasing your belongings, this is the best way to avoid surprises later.

Do not include in your shipment CDs/DVDs/Video Tapes, prescription or over the counter drugs. Include such items in your travel luggage. Please note that a door-to-door service does not include Lebanese custom duties charges if any.

Clearing a shipment through Lebanese customs could take up to three weeks from the time it arrives to Beirut. You have to be present in Beirut for the shipment to clear; the shipping/clearing agent will need your passport to do the job.

We recommend you ship your belongings three weeks before your departure if you are shipping by air, eight weeks before departure if you are shipping by sea, so it may arrive to Beirut around the same time you do. In any case, consult with your shipping agent on when to ship and ask them questions about custom duties. Based on your packing list, they should be able to tell you what is subject to custom duties and what is not, and give you an approximate figure of your custom bill and your total bill for shipping and clearing charges. From past experience, custom duties on personal effects were not significant, but it all depends on what you are bringing in.

Education for your Children

Please be sure to bring full documentation, including school transcripts and enrollment certificates for each of your children. A transcript for the last three years needs to be certified by the Lebanese Embassy or Consulate nearest to your place of residency.

Application, medical, and recommendation forms may be obtained here.

Dependent Children of ACS Employees

Within the context of the educational benefits program, the following requirements for dependency must be met:

  • The student must be a natural, adopted, or step child of the employee.
  • Student must be listed as a child dependent on the employee’s form 1040 U.S. individual Income Tax Return for the calendar year most applicable to the academic term for which the employee is joining the school.
  • Waiver of tuition fee and Capital Development fee does not imply acceptance of a son or daughter into ACS, but it’s offered with the understanding that the child must be accepted through the normal admission process, taking note that the standards for admission to ACS Beirut have become increasingly competitive.

General Terms and Conditions

Tuition fees issued by ACS are subject to review, adjustment, or cancelation for any of the following reasons:

  • Change of student status
  • Academic withdrawal or discontinuation from ACS
  • Change in employment status

A Few More Notes

  • Dependent child may attend any other school in Lebanon.
  • Educational benefit covers tuition fees and Capital Development fee only. All other expenses / fees are the responsibility of the employee.

Salaries, Banking & Taxes

Salaries

Salaries are paid in local currency, Lira (LBP), on the last working day of each month (September through August) except for June (date to be announced). Salaries are credited to individual or family accounts at BLOM, AUDI, or BANKMED banks.

Please be informed that the first salary will be paid at the end of the first month of employment (September); therefore, be sure to bring with you sufficient funds to tide you over until the first payment. During the orientation week, you will receive your shipping allowance as per your contract. A salary advance is available upon request from the Business Office if you need funds before the end of September.

Banks

Foreign and national banks abound in Beirut. ACS has accounts with the following banks in the vicinity of the campus.

  • BLOM Bank
  • Banque Audi
  • BankMed

Current and savings accounts can be opened easily in either Lebanese pounds or any other currency. Banking hours are 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. depending on the bank, Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturdays. 

Bank representatives will be present during orientation to give you more details about their services.

Many US or Canadian banks require that you sign a document if you plan on using your US debit or credit card in Lebanon. A visit to your bank may be helpful to avoid any surprises when you get here. Also, if you are planning on making wire transfers back to the States, please get complete routing information from your bank before you leave.

Currency

The national currency of Lebanon, the Lebanese Pound, also called the lira, is freely convertible and transferable. The exchange rate at present is about LL 1,500 to the 1 U.S. dollar. Common notes are LL 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000. Coins are in amounts of LL 100, 250, and 500. U.S. dollars notes are readily accepted in Lebanon, but U.S. coins are not used.

Lebanese Tax

  • Income Tax - Lebanese and non-Lebanese personnel are subject to Lebanese income tax. You will find that tax rates are much lower than in the US or other countries. If you need more details, you can contact the Business Office.
  • National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Tax - Lebanese and non-Lebanese Personnel are subject to NSSF medical tax up to LL 75,000 ($ 50) on their monthly pay.

U.S. FICA Tax

All U.S. citizens will be enrolled in the U.S. FICA Tax, calculated based on their annual gross salary. A W-4 needs to be completed and submitted before the end of September. A W-2 will be issued in January following the end of the calendar year.

New Employee Handbook

Read / Download the New Employee Handbook.

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