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Booking a U.S. Visa Appointment in Lebanon
Applicants in Lebanon book through USTravelDocs, not AIS, and there is one post — the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Nothing can be booked until the DS-160 is submitted and the visa fee has activated. The general sequence is on how to book a U.S. visa appointment; this page covers what Lebanon publishes and does not repeat elsewhere.
We read the Lebanon USTravelDocs pages on 18 September 2026.
Beirut is the clearest post on who may come with you
Most posts say nothing about companions, or a sentence at most. Beirut publishes a policy, and it answers the question applicants actually ask.
Two people may be requested, each case-by-case:
- An interpreter — one, if you "do not speak English or Arabic well enough to participate in an interview." Note the two languages. An applicant comfortable in Arabic is not entitled to an interpreter here.
- A special needs helper — one person, if you are elderly or disabled, or if the applicant is a minor child applying for a visa.
Both are requests reviewed case-by-case, not entitlements.
Everyone else waits outside. The embassy gives its reason — waiting room size, volume of applicants, screening time — and is specific about who this means:
Drivers, friends, and extra relatives must wait outside or return to meet the applicant after the interview has been completed. The sole exception to this rule is applicants with minor children under the age of 18.
Professionals need prior approval:
Attorneys, agents, accountants, or employers accompanying applicants will not be permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or at their interviews without prior approval.
If you have engaged a lawyer expecting them to sit with you in Beirut, that has to be arranged in advance, and the embassy does not promise it.
A permitted list, which is rarer than it sounds
Beirut tells you what you may carry, and the list is short enough to memorise:
- Small bags to carry necessary documents
- Passport and relevant documents
- Wallet / small purse
- Newspapers and books in printed form only — "no Kindles, iPads or other e-readers"
- Writing materials
- Car and house keys
That last one has a trap next to it. Keys are permitted; keyless remotes are prohibited. If your car key is a fob, the embassy's own list puts it on the wrong side of the line.
The purse has a measurement
Backpacks, bags, luggage and large purses are prohibited, with an exception given in centimetres:
purses 15 cm x 10 cm and smaller will be permitted
That is a small clutch, not a handbag. Beirut is one of the few posts to publish a number rather than leaving "large" to the guard's judgement — Sri Lanka does the same for umbrellas, and Poland uses an A-4 page as its yardstick.
Four prohibited categories most posts do not name
Alongside the usual electronics, food, fire-lighting equipment and sharp objects, Beirut's list includes:
- Mace or pepper spray, named explicitly under weapons
- Any oils, aerosols or pump sprays, liquids, lotions and powders
- Thumb drives, pagers, keyless remotes and e-readers such as iPads or Kindles, all under electronic or recording equipment
- Helmets of any type — which matters in a city where a great many people arrive by scooter
The list is explicitly not all-inclusive, and the embassy reserves the right to refuse anything it considers suspicious.
There is no storage. The embassy tells you where to leave things instead: "at your home, your hotel, or in your vehicle."
Screening is not optional
Beirut states the consequence of declining twice on the same page:
Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be prohibited from entering the Embassy grounds.
All visitors pass a walk-through and hand-held metal detector, and all personal items are x-rayed.
If you are asked for more documents afterwards
A refusal under 221(g) means something is missing or the case needs further processing. In Lebanon, documents requested under a 221(g) letter go to SLS Embassy Services, which delivers them to the embassy.
Why no slots appear
- The fee has not activated. Check the method you used on the Lebanon fee guide.
- There is genuinely no availability. With one post there is nowhere else in the country to look.
- You created a profile on AIS instead of USTravelDocs. It will never show Lebanese appointments — see which appointment site is yours.
- The DS-160 was saved but never submitted, so no confirmation number exists.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring an interpreter to my interview in Beirut?
You may request one interpreter if you do not speak English or Arabic well enough to participate. The request is reviewed case-by-case.
Can my husband, mother or driver wait with me?
No. Drivers, friends and extra relatives wait outside. The only stated exception is an applicant with minor children under 18.
Can my lawyer attend?
Only with prior approval. Attorneys, agents, accountants and employers are otherwise not admitted to the waiting room or the interview.
How big a bag can I carry?
A small bag for documents. Purses are permitted at 15 cm x 10 cm and smaller.
Can I bring my car key?
A key, yes. A keyless remote is on the prohibited list.
Can I bring a book to read while waiting?
Yes, in printed form. E-readers, Kindles and iPads are prohibited.
Will they hold my phone?
No. Beirut has no storage facilities, and says to leave prohibited items at home, at your hotel or in your vehicle.
Official sources
- USTravelDocs Lebanon — scheduling and interview pages, read 18 September 2026
- U.S. Embassy in Lebanon