Syria visa and entry rules
For most nationalities the visa is issued on arrival and paid in cash. The fee follows your nationality, an Israeli stamp blocks entry, and rules move often.
The arrangement in force since January 2025 is this: for most nationalities the visa is not obtained in advance but issued at the point of entry. It is a practice rather than a settled regulation, and it has changed several times in two years — which is why every figure on this page comes with a line telling you to confirm it.
Where the visa is issued
At Damascus and Aleppo airports and at the land crossings open to foreigners — Masnaa and Arida on the Lebanese side, Nasib on the Jordanian side. The stay granted is usually thirty days. Some nationalities are asked for prior approval before boarding for the airports; approval can take up to a week, and longer for restricted nationalities. Ask a Syrian consulate which group your passport falls into; the lists circulating online go stale.
The fee
The fee follows the principle of reciprocity — what your country charges a Syrian traveller. Figures reported in mid-2025 were around 75 US dollars for EU countries, 100 for Canada, 150 for the United Kingdom and Australia, and 200 for the United States. Do not budget on those numbers without confirming them. Payment is cash, US dollars or euros; cards are not taken and changing money at the gate is not dependable, so keep the exact amount aside.
What blocks entry
If your passport carries a stamp from a land crossing between Israel and Egypt or Jordan, the visa is refused. Israeli citizens cannot enter or transit. In practice every gate wants a passport valid for more than six months.
Turkish citizens
Turkish citizens can cross the land gates on a passport; Cilvegozu is the most used. The visa practice on that side has changed several times since 2025 and guidance requiring a consular application is also in circulation. Ask a Syrian consulate and read your own foreign ministry’s advice before setting off.
After you are in
Keep the entry stamp: hotel registration and buying a phone line both ask for it. Overstaying carries a fine; extensions are handled at the immigration office and the procedure varies by city.
Tips
- Carry the visa fee separately, in cash US dollars or euros
- A stamp from an Israel–Egypt or Israel–Jordan land crossing blocks entry
- Ask a consulate whether your nationality needs prior approval
- The entry stamp is needed for hotels and for a SIM card; keep it safe
- Rules move often — read the verification date, then confirm anything later
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
- August 2026
- Last updated
- August 20, 2026