Entry/Exit Requirements
"A passport and a visa are required. Visas must be obtained
prior to arrival in Syria from a Syrian diplomatic mission located
in the traveler’s country of residence, although the Syrian
visa policy with respect to American diplomats and citizens is currently
under review. Foreigners who wish to stay 15 days or more in Syria
must register with Syrian immigration authorities by their 15th
day. Syrian-American men or American men of Syrian origin, even
those born in the United States, may be subject to compulsory military
service unless they receive a temporary or permanent exemption from
a Syrian diplomatic mission abroad prior to their entry into Syria.
There are no special immunizations required for entry to Syria.
AIDS tests are mandatory for foreigners ages 15 to 60 who wish to
reside in Syria. The AIDS test must be conducted in Syria at a facility
approved by the Syrian Ministry of Health. A residence permit will
not be issued until the absence of the HIV virus has been determined.
Foreigners wishing to marry Syrian nationals in Syria must also
be tested for HIV. Syria usually will not give visas or residency
permits to students wishing to study religion or Arabic in private
religious institutions.
The Syrian government rigidly enforces restrictions on prior travel
to Israel, and does not allow persons with passports bearing Israeli
visa or entry/exit stamps to enter the country. Syrian immigration
authorities will not admit travelers with Israeli stamps in their
passports, Jordanian entry cachets or cachets from other countries
that suggest prior travel to Israel. Likewise, the absence of entry
stamps from a country adjacent to Israel, which the traveler has
just visited, will cause Syrian immigration officials to refuse
admittance. Entry into Syria via the land border with Israel is
not possible. American-citizen travelers suspected of having traveled
to Israel have been detained for questioning.
Syrian security officials are also sensitive about travel to Iraq.
There have been instances in which Americans, especially those of
Arab descent, believed to have traveled to Iraq were detained for
questioning at ports of entry/exit. Americans seeking to travel
to Iraq through Syria have also on occasion been turned around and/or
detained. On a number of occasions the border between Iraq and Syria
has been closed without notice, stranding Americans on either side
of the border.
Children under the age of eighteen whose fathers are Syrian or
of Syrian descent must have their fathers' permission to leave Syria,
even if the parents are separated or divorced and the mother has
been granted full custody by a Syrian court. Women in Syria are
often subject to strict family controls. On occasion, families of
Syrian-American women visiting Syria have attempted to prevent them
from leaving the country. This can be a particular problem for young
single women of marriageable age. Although a woman does not need
her husband's explicit consent every time she wishes to leave Syria,
a Syrian husband may take legal action to prevent his wife from
leaving the country, regardless of her nationality. Once such legal
orders are in place, the U.S. Embassy cannot assist American citizens
to leave Syria. Visit the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic, 2215
Wyoming Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 232-6313
or check the Syrian Embassy's home page at http://www.syrianembassy.us
for the most current visa information." - US State Dept
For non-US Citizen requirements, please contact
us for updated information.
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