Syria Visa Policy

Visa policy for Syria

The Syria visa policy states the requirements in terms of travel documents for someone who wishes to enter the Arab country. The kind of travel documents someone will require to access the country will vary according to various circumstances such as nationality, duration length and trip’s purpose.

Since 2014, citizens from most countries require a visa for visiting and transiting Syria. They must obtain theirs at one of the Syrian diplomatic missions. It is not clear which nationalities are exempted from this measure. However, for sure, citizens from Lebanon and Jordan do not require a Syrian visa.

According to the Syria visa policy, visas are the only travel document available for foreigners to access the country, and there are two types of them: entry and transit visas. Travellers can get their entry visas for six months (for one or multiple trips) and three months (for a single trip). They can also get transit visas for single or multiple trips.

If the traveller plans to stay more than fifteen days in Syria, they need to extend their visa or apply for a residence permit. Travellers can do this at the immigration office in Damascus or any of its branches in the provinces.

Travelers holding an Israeli visa or stamp on their passports won’t be able to enter the country. They wouldn’t even get the chance to get a visa.

The Syrian government is changing these policies daily, so it is important to check if something has changed for your travel.

Below you can read a complete list of current regulations and measures around the Syria visa policy:

Tourist Visa for Syria

According to the Syria visa policy, there is only one kind of tourist or entry visa for Syria. Most nationalities will require to apply for this visa before arriving in the country since only Lebanese and Jordan nationals won’t need one to access the country.

Travellers from all other nationalities will need to get their tourist (entry) visa through one of the available mechanisms: the first one is through direct application via a Syrian embassy or consulate, and the second is through a tour operator or travel agency, which won’t issue the visa but will do the security clearance (a background check), required at customs to get the Syrian visa.

Travellers can get a tourist visa for a valid time of three months with a single entry or a tourist visa valid for six months with a single or multiple entries. Some of the requirements to get this visa are a valid passport for at least six months, a certificate of occupation and photos. It is important to remark that these requirements may vary depending on the available mechanism implemented to obtain the traveller’s visa.

Next, you can find more detailed information about the two available methods to obtain the Syria visa:

Tourist visa through Syrian Embassy or Consulate

The Syrian government established a law in 2014 that every foreign national (except Lebanese and Jordans) requires a visa, which can be obtained at the Syrian embassy or consulate, despite the length and purpose of their stay.

The Syria visa policy demands that travellers present their passport valid for six months, two photos, their employment certification letter (determining what the traveller is doing for a living), and pay for a visa fee.

Despite its validity time, foreign nationals can only stay up to fifteen days in the country. Otherwise, they will have to extend their visas or face the consequences that include paying fines.

The requirements for the Syrian visa can differ from embassy/consulate to embassy/consulate, so travellers should check their local terms before sending their documents or making their appointments if needed.

Be aware that tourists may need to book a tour operator because they are not allowed to be alone within the country.

Tourist visa for Syria through a tour operator or travel agency

The first lesson about this topic is simple: neither tour operators nor travel agencies can issue these travel documents according to the Syria visa policy. Instead, they do a security clearance or background check that travellers must show to immigration officials at the borders to get their visas.

Travellers won’t be able to go inside the country without this security check, which embassies or consulates usually do. For these cases, the security check price is usually included in the travel plan of the tourist’s choice.

The processing time for the security clearance can differ according to the passengers' nationality. For instance, it may take up to several weeks for US passport holders to get this ready, while for others foreigners can take from ten to fifteen days. Moreover, once the tour operator or travel agency has done the traveller’s security clearance, the traveller will have ninety valid days to travel to Syria (starting from the day it arrived) to obtain the visa.

Keep in mind: since the Syrian banking system is blocked, especially for international transactions, in most cases, you will need to send the money via Western Union.

Other visa information for Syria

In case the travel is for business purposes, the applicant will need to apply directly to the consulate or embassy, to add another letter from the company where the person works, besides the previous requirement already listed. This letter must explain the company’s services and the traveller’s job description. It will also need to contain the company’s name and contact in Syria. In case the traveller applies for a multiple entry visa, they must attach a letter of invitation from the company in Syria.

The process of obtaining a Syrian transit visa is the same as getting an entry or tourist visa, except that travellers must apply directly to the embassy or consulate.