How to get to Syria

There are two ways in: by air, or through a land crossing. The rules differ, and both have changed several times in the last two years; every line below comes with a step to confirm it.

By air

Damascus International Airport and Aleppo International Airport are open to scheduled international flights. Routes grew quickly through 2026: Turkish Airlines resumed Damascus on 1 May 2026, Qatar Airways flies daily, Etihad opened Abu Dhabi–Damascus on 12 June 2026 with four flights a week, and Air Arabia and flydubai run regional services. Connections are mostly built through Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Getting into the city is by taxi; agree the fare before you get in, as meters are not in use. Damascus airport is about twenty-five kilometres from the centre.

By land

The crossings open to foreign visitors are on the Lebanese and Jordanian sides. The main road from Beirut runs through Masnaa–Jdeidet Yabous and takes two to three hours to Damascus. From Jordan the crossing is Nasib–Jaber, about a hundred kilometres north of Amman. Arida, on the coast from northern Lebanon, is the shortest way to Tartus. The Iraqi crossing at Bukamal–Al-Qaim is open, but the eastern route calls for its own risk assessment.

The Turkish border

The Turkey–Syria crossings are not open to third-country tourists; passage is limited to Syrian nationals, Turkish citizens and dual nationals. Turkish citizens can cross at gates such as Cilvegozu on a passport. The visa rule on that side has changed several times since 2025 — confirm with a Syrian consulate and with your own foreign ministry before you set off.

What to settle in advance

Your passport has to be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. The visa fee is paid in cash and cards are not accepted; the detail is on the visa page. Once you are in the country cards and ATMs do not work, so the cash you carry in is the money you have.