Visa policy of Syria

Politics of Syria
Member State of the Arab League (Suspended)
Constitution Preamble and Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Human rights
Executive President (list) Bashar al-Assad Vice President Najah al-Attar Prime Minister (list) Hussein Arnous Deputy Prime Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
Legislature People's Assembly Speaker: Hammouda Sabbagh
Judiciary High Judicial Council Supreme Constitutional Court
Subdivisions Governorates Districts Subdistricts (Nahiyas) Villages
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2007 2014 2021 Parliamentary: 2012 2016 2020 Political parties National Progressive Front Popular Front for Change and Liberation Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Syrian branch)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister: Faisal Mekdad Diplomatic missions of / in Syria Syrian nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy UN resolutions on Syria Status of the Golan Heights Syrian civil war
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Despite the official statements of the Syrian government that since 2014, citizens of absolutely all countries must obtain a visa in advance to enter Syria, citizens of the following countries are de facto allowed to enter Syria without a visa:

Syrian stamp in 2016

Citizens of the following countries de facto can also visit Syria without a visa, but most often some of them are denied entry and asked to obtain a visa in advance:

Syrian stamp in 2009

Syrian stamp in 2019

Syrian stamp in 2019

Only female citizens of these countries can de facto visit Syria without a visa:

• Morocco

Citizens of the following countries who are non-residents (non-permanent residents) of their countries can de facto enter Syria without a visa, or for transit to a third country:

• Iraq
• Libya
• Somalia

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 need to obtain a visa in advance, a visa on arrival is still de facto valid for citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, but after the intensification of the Civil war, some citizens of these countries are denied a visa on arrival “for security reasons” and ask citizens of these countries to obtain a Syrian visa in advance:[4][5]

Syrian visa in 2001

Until 2015 and until 2020, citizens of Ukraine and Moldova could also get a visa on arrival. But due to the “pro-Western and anti-Russian positions” of these two countries, the visa on arrival was discontinued (see Euromaidan and 2020 Moldovan presidential election). Until 2018, сitizens of Georgia could also obtain a visa on arrival, but after the rupture of diplomatic relations between the two countries on the initiative of Georgia due to the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Syria, Georgian citizens must obtain a Syrian visa in advance.

Citizens of the State of Israel are banned from entering Syrian Arab Republic due to the non-recognition of this state, and accordingly, the passport of this state by Syria, which considers Israel an enemy state. Entry 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 any information that a person has ever been to Israel, or an indication of any connection with the State of Israel.

Also, despite friendly relations, citizens of the State of Palestine are almost always denied entry to Syria “for reasons of national security”, and holders of the Palestinian Authority passport are asked in advance to obtain a special permit to enter Syria.

Also, Syrian Arab Republic does not recognize the passports of citizens of the Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) and Transnistria.[6][4]

• State of Israel
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Republic of Kosovo
• Republic of Somaliland
• Republic of Artsakh
• Transnistrian Moldavian Republic

After the recognition of partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia and Republic of South Ossetia — the State of Alania by Syrian Arab Republic in May 2018, and Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic in June 2022, citizens of these countries can enter Syria by obtaining a visa.

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[7]
1996	2,435,000[7]
1997	2,332,000[7]
1998	2,464,000[7]
1999	2,682,000[7]
2000	3,412,000[7]
2001	3,671,000[7]
2002	4,678,000[7]
2003	4,837,000[7]
2004	6,334,000[7]
2005	5,859,000[7]
2006	5,682,000[7]
2007	5,434,000[7]
2008	6,951,000[7]
2009	7,721,000[7]
2010	10,970,000[7]
2011	6,476,000[7]
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[7] (Just as it was said above)
2018	1,802,000[7] (Just as it was said above)
2019	2,424,000[7] (Just as it was said above)
2020—2021	No data yet (An increase in the number of foreigners who have entered is predicted)

By country

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 2011 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[8]	32,215[8]	29,370[9]	31,614[10]	21,743[11]	25,436[11]	7,868[12]	1,784[8]	1,835[8]	4,012[8]	9,944[8]	15,256[8]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Syria.

• Visa requirements for Syrian citizens
• How to apply for Syrian Visa