Money, cash and the Syrian pound
Two zeros came off the pound in January 2026. Cards and ATMs do not work for visitors: the cash you carry in is all the money you have in the country.
Syria runs on cash. In practice that means foreign cards are not accepted, ATMs will not pay out on a foreign card, and there is no paying online. The cash you bring in is all the money you have while you are there.
One exception is opening up. In May 2026 the Central Bank allowed licensed banks to work with Visa and Mastercard; the first international card payment went through in Damascus that same month, and commercial use started in August. The target is 50000 point-of-sale devices before the end of 2026. But the rollout is phased: a shop that takes a card is the exception today, not the rule. Plan on cash, and treat a working card as luck.
The new pound
The new Syrian pound took effect on 1 January 2026, the new notes reached the public on 3 January, and two zeros came off the currency: 100 old pounds became 1 new pound. The new notes are 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 pounds. Old and new notes were first meant to circulate together for 90 days; the period was extended to 30 July 2026, when the exchange of old notes at banks and authorised centres closed.
What that means for a reader: older prices online look a hundred times today’s. A 2024 article saying “fifteen thousand pounds” is talking about 150 pounds today.
The rate
On 28 August 2026 the market rate stood at about 131 pounds to the US dollar and about 152 to the euro; the central bank’s official rate runs some 8 percent below that. The rate moves; the figure on this page gives a sense of scale, not a basis for arithmetic. The day’s rate is published at sp-today.com — look there before you change anything.
What to bring
US dollars or euros, clean and untorn. Worn notes or older series dollars may be refused. Small denominations make life easier: in a market, in a taxi and for tips, change for a large note often is not there. Work out the whole budget in advance against the number of days you are staying — drawing more money halfway through is not an option.
Changing money
Change at licensed exchange offices and banks. If a rate offered on the street looks better than the office rate, there is a reason for it; counterfeit notes and short counts are a real risk. Ask for the receipt on every amount you change.
Prices
No record on this site carries a fixed price; they say “variable — ask on site”. This page is the reason. On a rate that moves twice a year, a written price becomes wrong information within months.
Tips
- Cards and ATMs do not work for visitors; bring the whole budget in cash
- Bring clean, untorn US dollars or euros; worn notes can be refused
- Carry small denominations — change for a large note is often not there
- Two zeros came off in January 2026: old prices online look 100x today's
- Do not change money on the street; use a licensed office and keep the receipt
Transparency
- How this was chosen
- This page carries the fastest-ageing information on the site: visa rules, exchange rates, border crossings and SIM prices change several times a year. The verification date above says when the facts were last put through their sources; for anything later, check your own foreign ministry travel advice and a Syrian consulate. No figure that is not known for certain is written here.
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026