Visa policy of Syria
The Syrian Transitional Government imposes no visa requirements on its visitors and only requires a passport for entry. However, citizens of three countries do not qualify for visa-free travel to Syria: Israeli citizens are banned from entering or transiting through Syria, Iranian citizens must obtain prior authorization, and Lebanese citizens who do not hold a valid residence permit in another country or do not have at least one family member who is a Syrian citizen are required to obtain a prior visa.[1][2][3]
Lebanese or Iranian visitors can obtain a visa from one of the Syrian diplomatic missions.
History
[edit]Before the Syrian civil war, hostilities and conflicts and the start of the devastating Civil war in Syria in 2011, citizens of many Asian, European, African and American countries visited Syria without a visa or got a visa on arrival, gradually Syria began to cancel visa-free entry and visa on arrival for many countries, and in 2014 the Syrian authorities officially announced the introduction of a visa regime for all countries. However, citizens of some states de facto entered Syria without a visa or received a visa on arrival. The visa policy of Syria was extremely unstable, and there was no exact data on the visa policy of the country and while entering Syria, the Syrian authorities sometimes asked tourists to obtain a Syrian visa in advance by contacting one of the country's diplomatic missions in the world.[4][5][6][7]
Until 2014, citizens of the former Soviet republics of the USSR (excluding the Baltic republics), Iran, some Asian, African, European, American countries, and almost all countries of the Arab world did not need a visa to enter Syria. According to IATA, which provides information provided by national governments, despite the Syrian government's officially stated the need to obtain a visa in advance, a visa on arrival was still de facto valid for citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, but after the intensification of the Civil war, some citizens of these countries were denied a visa on arrival “for security reasons” and asked citizens of these countries to obtain a Syrian visa in advance:[8][9]
Since May 2018, after the recognition of partially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Syrian Arab Republic, citizens of these countries entered Syria after obtaining a visa. In 2023, the Syrian Ministry of Finance imposed a new fee, which obligated foreign vehicles entering the country to pay a $100 fee for a temporary visit, valid for a period of two weeks. The amount doubled ($200) for vehicles that had been in the country for up to four months. Jordanian and Lebanese vehicle plates were excluded from the requirement.[10]
In April 2024, the introduction of electronic visa was announced, starting 1 May.[10][11]
In January 2025, and after the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian transitional government announced a new visa policy, allowing visa-free entry to anyone provided they hold a valid passport, and restricting entry to the country to Lebanese and Iranian citizens and banning Israeli citizens.[1][2][3] While Iranians are required to obtain an authorized visa.[3]
Visa policy map
[edit]
As of right
[edit]| Citizens of Syria do not require a visa to enter, reside, study, and work indefinitely in Syria, and are not subject to any immigration requirements. They may enter with the Syrian passport, national identity card, individual civil status record, driver's license, expired passport or civil extract issued by Syria. Accompanying passengers (mother, wife or children) can obtain a visa on arrival. Since 2020, all adult Syrian citizens (and those who are treated as such), except minors and commercial taxi and truck drivers, are required to exchange 100 US Dollars or its equivalent from the currencies that the Central Bank accepts, to the local currency at their point of entry to Syria. Those who do not meet this requirement will be refused entry to Syria.[12] |
Visa exemption
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|---|
|
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Nationals of the all countries of the world (except Lebanese, Iranians and Israeli) do not need a visa to enter Syria.[3]
Entry restrictions
[edit]
Conditional visa exemption
[edit]
1 - Nationals of Lebanon are able to enter Syria visa-free provided they have a valid residency permit or visa issued by a Syrian diplomatic mission, or hold a residency permit in any other visa-free country, or have a family member holding Syrian Citizenship.[1][3] Otherwise a visa in required.
Visa required in advance
[edit]Nationals of the following countries must obtain a visa in advance:[1][3]
Admission refused
[edit]Nationals of the State of Israel are banned from entering and transiting in Syria, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight due to the non-recognition of this state, and accordingly, the passport of this state by Syria, which considers Israel an enemy state. Entry and transit into the Syria will be denied to holders of passports or other travel documents of all countries containing a visa, or an entry/exit stamp of Israel, or an Egyptian or Jordanian border stamp issued by an office bordering Israel, or any information that a person has ever been to Israel, or an indication of any connection with the State of Israel.[13][3]
Statistics
[edit]Before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syria was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle East. Tourism and the entry of foreigners into Syria in general began to develop especially since the late 1990s. Foreigners entered Syria not only to visit relatives or friends, but also for tourism, medical treatment and pilgrimage to Islamic and Christian sites, as well as for trade, as Syria became an important trading hub for the surrounding countries. Syria was popular especially for citizens of Turkey, Iran, almost all countries of the Arab world, Europe and South Asia, as well as for almost all countries of the Post-Soviet space as a budget travel option and a shopping point for merchants.
| Year | Visitors |
|---|---|
| Until 1994 | No data |
| 1995 | 2,253,000[14] |
| 1996 |  2,435,000[14]
|
| 1997 |  2,332,000[14]
|
| 1998 | 2,464,000[14]
|
| 1999 | 2,682,000[14]
|
| 2000 | 3,412,000[14]
|
| 2001 | 3,671,000[14]
|
| 2002 | 4,678,000[14]
|
| 2003 | 4,837,000[14]
|
| 2004 | 6,334,000[14]
|
| 2005 | 5,859,000[14]
|
| 2006 | 5,682,000[14]
|
| 2007 | 5,434,000[14]
|
| 2008 | 6,951,000[14]
|
| 2009 | 7,721,000[14]
|
| 2010 | 10,970,000[14]
|
| 2011 | 6,476,000[14]
|
| 2012—2015 | During these years, during the height of the civil war, the official government of the Syrian Arab Republic did not control most of the borders of Syria, especially the border with Turkey and Iraq, which is why many foreigners entered the country at that time, the number of which cannot be calculated accurately. |
| 2016 | 1,043,000 (Many more foreigners have entered the country through the borders of Syria, which are not controlled by the official Government of the Syrian Arab Republic) |
| 2017 | 1,291,000[14] (Just as it was said above)
|
| 2018 | 1,802,000[14] (Just as it was said above)
|
| 2019 | 2,424,000[14] (Just as it was said above)
|
| 2020 | No data |
| 2021 | 750,000[14] (Just as it was said above)
|
| 2022 | 1,850,000[14] (Just as it was said above)
|
| 2023 | 2,000,000[14][15] (Just as it was said above)
|
By country
[edit]The list does not include Russian citizens who entered Syria through third countries, as well as through the uncontrolled borders of Syria by the official government of the Syrian Arab Republic. Especially between 2012 and 2016, the real number of Russian citizens who entered Syria was several times more.
| Country | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Russia |
33,839[16] |
32,215[16] |
29,370[17] |
31,614[18] |
21,743[19] |
25,436[19] |
7,868[20] |
1,784[16] |
1,835[16] |
4,012[16] |
9,944[16] |
15,256[16] |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Syria restricts entry for Lebanese citizens, security sources say". France 24. 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ a b "Iranians and Israelis barred from entering Syria, airport source says". France 24. 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Important information for our passengers travelling to Syrian Arab Republic". Turkish Airlines. 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ "القانون 2 لعام 2014 دخول وخروج وإقامة الأجانب في سوريا" [Law 2 of 2014 - Entry, exit and residence of foreigners in Syria]. People's Council of Syria. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "قانون يحظر الدخول لسورية أو الخروج منها ...إلا لحامل جواز سفر ساري المفعول أو وثيقة مؤشر عليها بسمة دخول من إحدى البعثات الدبلوماسية السورية" [A law prohibiting entering or leaving Syria ... except for a holder of a valid passport or a document marked by an entry visa from a Syrian diplomatic mission] (in Arabic). Al-Watan (Syria). 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Syria issues law imposing visas on its visitors". Al Arabiya. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "موقع وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين- الجمهورية العربية السورية". www.mofaex.gov.sy. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "سفارة الجمهورية العربية السورية". www.syrianembassy.com.my. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25.
- ^ "الاسد يصادق على مذكرة تفاهم مع العراق حول جوازات السفر الدبلوماسية".
- ^ a b Arbërie Shabani (2 May 2024). "Syria Launches Electronic Visa to Increase Tourism Activity". Visaguide.net. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ La Syrie lance son visa électronique
- ^ "Syria's 100 Dollar Barrier to Return". Human Rights Watch. September 2020.
- ^ "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "International tourism, number of arrivals: Syria". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Despite challenges, Syria welcomed two million foreign visitors". SANA. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Сирия (2020)". fedstat.ru. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Сирия (2019)". fedstat.ru. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Сирия (2018)". fedstat.ru. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Выезд граждан РФ, 2018-17 гг" (PDF). atorus.ru. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Сирия (2021)". fedstat.ru. Retrieved 15 February 2022.