Last updated: July 2026. Entry requirements for Syria change by official decision, and they change quickly. Check with the Syrian embassy in your country or with a licensed travel company before you buy tickets.
The 30-second summary
Most nationalities need a Syria visa to enter the country, and the fee is paid in cash, in US dollars, at the airport or at the land border. Citizens of Lebanon, Jordan, Malaysia and Mauritania are exempt from the fee. Fees run roughly between $25 and $400 depending on nationality, the length of the visa and the number of entries, under Decision No. 128, in force since 6 July 2025. The most important practical point: even if you qualify for a visa on arrival, the airline may refuse to board you without one, so it is better to arrange prior approval through a licensed travel company.
Do you need a visa to visit Syria?
Yes. As a rule all foreign and Arab visitors need an entry visa for Syria, whether they arrive by air or overland. The only exception is a very small number of nationalities that are exempt altogether, and we list those in detail below.
What changed in 2025, and still stands in 2026, is that the fee is now collected at every point of entry. Before July 2025, the old system in practice collected the visa fee only from arrivals at Damascus International Airport, while travellers crossing at land borders were usually exempt. That difference is gone: today you pay the fee at any land or air crossing.
Decision 128: the current legal framework
Everything to do with your entry fee to Syria today goes back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Decision No. 128 of 1 July 2025, which came into effect on Sunday 6 July 2025. The decision was issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad al-Shaibani, and rests on Legislative Decree No. 20 of 2016 and its amendments.
What the decision sets out in practice:
- Countries are sorted into 11 groups, each with a different visa type, duration and fee.
- Fees are in US dollars or the equivalent, according to the exchange rate bulletin issued by the Central Bank of Syria, with fractions rounded up to the next currency unit.
- Payment is made at the land borders or the airports inside Syrian territory. There is no advance electronic payment system.
- Fees vary according to the length of the visa and the number of entries (single or multiple).
At the end of April 2026, the media department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denied reports of a change to entry conditions or visa types, particularly regarding citizens of the Maghreb countries, and confirmed that Decision 128 still applies without amendment. Treat any mention of “new rules” from a source that is not official with caution.
An important point about credibility: there is still no single official government page publishing the full fee table in a public, up-to-date form. That means every table published online, including the one below, is taken from the annex to the decision or from travellers’ own experience, and the details may differ from one source to another. Treat it as a guide, not as final.
Nationalities exempt from the visa and the fee
The first group in the decision covers countries whose citizens do not need an entry visa and pay no fee:
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Mauritania
- Malaysia
Holders of Serbian nationality have also been allowed to enter free of charge as a special exemption. Some sources indicate that Palestinians from Syria are included among the exempt categories.
A warning: exemption lists differ between secondary sources, and some of them place Malaysia in a paying category. If your nationality is on this list, confirm it with the embassy before you rely on the exemption.
Visa fees: how they are actually calculated
Fees generally run between $25 and $400, and are built on three variables: your nationality, how long the visa is valid, and how many entries it allows.
This is the indicative classification according to the tables circulating from the annex to Decision 128:
| Country group (indicative) | One month — single entry | 3 months — multiple | One year — multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Algeria, Yemen, Libya and others | $25 | $40 | $50 |
| Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, most European countries, Russia, China | $75 | $100 | $150 |
| Italy, Japan, Australia, South Korea | $100 | $150 | $200 |
| United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa | $150 | $225 | $300 |
| Nationalities classified outside the previous categories | $50 | — | — |
How do you confirm your fee exactly? Call the Syrian embassy in your country of residence, or ask the travel company you are booking with to confirm the fee in writing. And have the amount ready in cash, in dollars. Do not count on a bank card or an ATM at the crossing.
Visa on arrival or prior approval?
This is where travellers run into the biggest problem, and nobody explains it clearly.
On paper: most nationalities get a visa on arrival at Damascus airport, Aleppo airport and the open land crossings. You pay the fee and get the stamp.
In practice: the systems used by many airlines and gate staff have not been updated to recognise that your nationality qualifies for a visa on arrival. The result is that they may refuse to board you at the departure airport if you are not carrying a visa or a prior approval document. This problem has been reported with some carriers specifically, including flydubai.
The practical fix: one of two routes —
- Prior approval through a licensed Syrian travel company: the company submits your passport details and you receive an approval document to show the airline. This is the fastest and safest route for anyone flying in.
- Through the embassy: sometimes cheaper but slower, and the experience varies enormously from one embassy to another. Some embassies have told applicants that they are not currently issuing tourist visas and referred them to the visa on arrival.
If you are flying directly to Damascus or Aleppo, do not buy a non-refundable ticket before you have confirmed your visa position with the airline or your tour operator.
This is exactly what we take care of for you: preparing the approval document, confirming the fee, and meeting you at the airport.
Documents you need
Get the following ready before you travel:
- A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date, with at least two blank pages.
- The visa fee in cash in US dollars — euros or other major currencies are usually accepted.
- A confirmed hotel booking or an invitation from a licensed travel company — normally required for the tourist visa.
- A return ticket and your address in Syria.
- A recent passport photo (carry one as a precaution).
- For a prior approval request: a passport scan, a passport photo, your travel dates, and a draft itinerary.
Steps to getting the visa
On arrival by air (Damascus airport / Aleppo airport)
- Follow the signs for passports / Visa on Arrival before the passport queue.
- Present your passport and state your length of stay and the type of visa you want.
- Pay the fee in cash and take the receipt.
- Collect the stamp in your passport. In some cases you can ask for a separate sheet instead of a stamp; that is the officer’s decision.
- Clear passport control, then customs.
At the land border
- Complete exit formalities from the neighbouring country (the stamp on the Lebanese or Jordanian side).
- Move across to the Syrian side and present your passport at the visa window.
- Pay the fee in cash and take the receipt.
- Clear passport control, then customs.
Allow enough time: a land crossing can take anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on the crossing and how busy it is.
Who is refused entry to Syria
Holders of Israeli nationality are absolutely barred from entering or transiting Syrian territory. The ban also covers anyone whose passport carries an Israeli visa or an entry or exit stamp from Israel, with no exceptions. If your passport contains any trace of this kind, you will not be allowed in.
Length of stay and extensions
The basic tourist visa is normally single entry for one month, with longer options available (3 months or a year, multiple entry) at a higher fee.
Travellers who visited Syria in spring 2026 reported that they were able to extend the tourist visa several times without difficulty, up to 3 months in total, and one was told by officials that 90 days is the maximum permitted, that overstaying becomes a problem, but that leaving Syria and returning is possible. Treat this as travellers’ experience rather than an official rule, and check it with the Immigration and Passports Department in Damascus.
Special cases
Syrians abroad with dual nationality
If you enter on a foreign passport, you fall under Decision 128 like any other foreign visitor. There are reports of eased procedures for holders of foreign passports of Syrian origin.
But be aware of a separate issue: men of military age may be asked for documents relating to military service. This is a personal legal matter and not something to settle on the basis of an article or a forum. Check with the Syrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence, or with a lawyer, before you travel.
Travellers from Saudi Arabia
Direct flights between Saudi Arabia and Syria have resumed: flynas launched its first Riyadh–Damascus flight on 5 June 2025, and later added a Jeddah–Damascus route. From the Saudi side, however, it has been indicated that travel to Syria requires prior official permission, as Syria is still on the list of countries to which travel is suspended. Check the official updates issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.
Internal permits: the point many people miss
Getting an entry visa does not automatically mean you can reach every site. Some locations require a separate security permit, applied for from inside Damascus, which takes days.
The clearest example is Palmyra: visitors have reported that the security permit takes about 5 days, and that a visit requires joining an organised tour because of uncleared mined ground in the area. If Palmyra is in your plans, arrange it in advance with a tour operator and do not assume it is a spontaneous visit.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a Syrian visa electronically (eVisa)?
There is no approved official electronic visa system. The sites you see offering a “Syria eVisa” are mostly commercial intermediaries, not official bodies. The two real routes are the visa on arrival or prior approval through the embassy or a licensed travel company.
How much does a Syrian visa cost?
Roughly between $25 and $400 depending on nationality, duration and number of entries. The most common category for Arab visitors starts at $25, and for Gulf, Turkish and European visitors it usually starts at $75.
Can I pay by bank card?
No. Bring cash in US dollars. For the visitor, Syria is a cash economy, and you should not rely on payment cards at the points of entry.
Is the visa issued at the land crossings too?
Yes. The visa on arrival is available at the open land crossings, and the fees have been collected there since 6 July 2025.
Do I need a hotel booking to get the visa?
The tourist visa is normally requested together with a hotel booking or an invitation from a travel company. Have both ready to avoid any complication.
What if my visa expires while I am inside Syria?
Go to the Immigration and Passports Department before the period ends to apply for an extension. Overstaying creates problems on the way out.
Before you book: a quick checklist
- Confirm your fee category and nationality with the embassy or with your tour operator
- Confirm your visa position in writing with the airline before buying a non-refundable ticket
- A passport valid for 6 months, plus two blank pages
- Cash in dollars in small denominations
- A hotel booking or a travel company invitation
- No Israeli stamp or visa anywhere in the passport
- Special permits (for Palmyra, for example) arranged in advance
Next step: read the guide to how to travel to Syria: airports, flights and land crossings, and then the 14 experiences in the Damascus old city.
Main sources
- Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Decision No. 128 (1 July 2025, in force from 6 July 2025)
- Statement by the media department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates to SANA (April 2026) confirming that Decision 128 remains in force
- Media reports on the classification of countries into 11 groups and the exempt nationalities
- Published traveller reports on extensions and internal permits in spring 2026
