Middle East and North Africa
Syria |
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| Still current at: 02 March 2013
Updated: 05 December 2012 |
| No restrictions in this travel advice | Avoid all but essential travel to part(s) of country | Avoid all but essential travel to whole country | Avoid all travel to part(s) of country | Avoid all travel to whole country |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments throughout. The overall level of the advice has not changed. We advise against all travel to the whole of Syria; British nationals in Syria are urged to leave now by any practical means.
(see travel advice legal disclaimer)
Travel advice for this country
- Travel Summary
- Safety and security
- Local laws and customs
- Entry requirements
- Health
- General
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We advise against all travel to Syria. British nationals in
Syria are urged to leave now by whatever practical means. Those who
choose to remain in Syria or to visit against our very strong and clear
advice not to, should be aware that we are not able to provide consular
services nor are we able to organise or assist your evacuation from the
country, since the British Embassy in Damascus suspended services in
March 2012.
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If, despite our advice to leave now, you choose to travel to
Syria, or stay there, make sure you and your family have a valid exit
stamp on your travel documents if you need one. See Entry Requirements and
General - Consular Services.
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There is a high threat from terrorism.
There have been an increasing number of bombings across the country,
including in major cities since December 2011, which have killed and
injured people. Attacks can be indiscriminate. Public places such as
government buildings, shopping areas, and open spaces have been
targeted.
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There is widespread fighting throughout Syria, including in
Damascus and its suburbs. Military operations, which have resulted in a
significant number of deaths and injuries, have involved the use of
aircraft, tanks and rocket-propelled grenades. The continuing violence,
the deteriorating security situation and Syria’s chemical and biological
weapons programme creates a volatile situation and is why we advise
against all travel to Syria and urge those British nationals still in
Syria to leave.
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Fighting has triggered the temporary suspension of commercial
flights; caused road closures; seriously impeded access to land border
crossing points; and led to the closure of some border crossings. This
can happen at short notice. You should check the status of all routes
before travelling. You should not attempt to enter Iraq via the Syrian
border, which is subject to restrictions on both sides.
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You should be aware that there have been a number of recent
kidnappings, including of British nationals and other Westerners. The
long-standing policy of the British Government is not to make
substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British Government
considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk
of further hostage-taking.
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As a result of the ongoing political and security instability
and the implementation of sanctions against some Syrian institutions,
financial transactions have become significantly more difficult. See
General - Money.
- If despite our advice you decide to travel to Syria, you should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.
There is widespread fighting throughout Syria, including in Damascus and its suburbs. Military operations, which have resulted in a significant number of deaths and injuries, have involved the use of aircrafts, tanks and rocket-propelled grenades.
The continuing violence, the appalling security situation and Syria’s chemical and biological weapons programme create a volatile situation and is why we advise against all travel to Syria and urge those British nationals still in Syria to leave now by whatever practical means.
The number of commercial airlines flying into, and out of, Syria is reducing due to the implementation of sanctions and the security situation. This could severely limit options for air travel and seat availability. Fighting in the vicinity of airports has caused the temporary suspension of flights. Road networks have been blocked without warning. Several major highways including Tartous-Latakia, Tartous-Homs, Latakia-Aleppo, Homs-Hama, Homs-Damascus and Damascus-Jordan have been temporarily closed. There are also security force checkpoints on major road routes. Fighting and road closures have affected access to some land border crossing points. This can happen at short notice, and it may not be possible to guarantee security along the route. You should check the status of all the border crossing and routes before travelling. Some border crossings are in the hands of opposition groups, vulnerable to attack, and/or closed. You should not attempt to enter Iraq via the Syrian border, which is subject to restrictions on both sides.
If you choose to remain in Syria or travel there against our very strong and clear advice, you should be aware that the British government will not be able to provide consular services nor will it be able to organise or assist your evacuation from the country.
If, despite our clear advice to leave you choose to remain, please make sure you and your family have a valid exit stamp on your travel documents if you need one to leave Syria. You should be particularly vigilant in public places and keep a low profile. You should not film or take photographs of public gatherings, military activity or any other sensitive matter Ensure that you have your passport with you for identification purposes.
All foreign journalists entering Syria require special permission from the Syrian authorities. Those journalists and other foreigners in opposition-held areas are vulnerable to mistreatment by the armed groups there. A number of foreign journalists have been killed. Others have been detained by the Syrian security forces or other armed groups during the crisis. The security forces have also confiscated phones, cameras and video cameras of foreigners in Syria.
British nationals who remain in or visit Syria against our advice are strongly encouraged to register with the FCO via e-mail to consularenquiries.damascus@fco.gov.uk or using LOCATE. Please also make sure you provide the same details of any dependents and highlight their relationship to you. If registering by e-mail, please ensure that you provide us with the following details:
- Full name as stated in your passport
- Your nationality - Details of any other nationalities held (we recognise dual (British) nationals)
- Passport number (s) – please provide both if you are a dual national
- Date of Birth
- An accurate address (house number, street, town, region, distance from nearest significant town) and/or Global Positioning System co-ordinates
- Details of the company you work for including contact details in Syrian and in the UK where appropriate
- Are you a resident or tourist in Syria
- Do you have a fixed departure date for Syria
- Your LOCATE reference if you have begun registration on LOCATE
You should be aware that there are restrictions on unlicensed political and religious activity in Syria. The Syrian authorities have detained and deported several British nationals for unauthorised activity. Activity in opposition-held areas will also attract attention. If you are deported by the local authorities, you will not be able to return to Syria.
Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a high threat from terrorism. There have been an increasing number of bombings across the country, including in major cities since December 2011, which have killed and injured people. Attacks can be indiscriminate. Public places such government buildings as well as those traditionally frequented by British nationals and other westerners have been targeted. These incidents have become more frequent as the situation has deteriorated.
You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets including places frequented by foreigners.
See our Terrorism Abroad page.
Safety and Security - Kidnap
There have been a number of recent kidnappings in Syria, including of British nationals and other westerners. On 19 July two journalists, one a British national, were kidnapped a few kilometres east of the Syria/Turkey border crossing at Bab al-Hawa. On 22 May, a group of Lebanese Shiite pilgrims were reportedly kidnapped in the Aleppo province. On 28 April, two Hungarian nationals were kidnapped in south-east Syria by unknown figures. You should be aware that the long-standing policy of the British government is not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British government considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk of further hostage-taking.
Safety and Security - Crime
The escalating conflict has led to a rise in crime in some areas, including violent robbery, carjacking and kidnapping.
See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.
Safety and Security - Local Travel
The deteriorating situation in Syria means that violent clashes are taking place across the country and this is why we advise against all travel to Syria and urge those British nationals still in the country to leave now.
The situation on the Syria/Iraq border is unclear. Traffic across is restricted to certain categories of individuals (businessmen amongst others, but not tourists). You should not attempt to enter Iraq via Syria.
Many border crossing points between Syria and Turkey are in opposition hands, and some are subject to temporary or permanent closure. Fighting often occurs in the vicinity of these border crossing points.
The border crossing points between Syria and Jordan are subject to occasional closure. The border crossing points between Syria and Lebanon remain open, including the Masnaa crossing point on the Damascus-Beirut road. We recommend that British Nationals take advantage of open border crossings to leave while they still can.
Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
Driving standards and traffic systems are poor and the accident rate is high. When there is a car accident with a pedestrian, the car driver is always legally responsible in Syria. Driving at night is particularly unsafe and should be avoided. Please see the Safety & Security section for more advice on the current situation.
See our Driving Abroad page.
Syria is a multi-faith country; alongside the majority Sunni population, there are large practising Shia, Christian, Druze and Alawite communities, as well as other smaller sects and religions. There are restrictions on unlicensed political and religious activity, particularly political Islam. Please see the Political Situation section for more details.
The punishment for possession of drugs is life imprisonment. For drug trafficking, the death penalty applies.
If you stay in Syria or visit against our strong and clear advice, you are advised to carry a photocopy of the information page and the page displaying your visa and entry stamp of your passport, as proof of identity at all times.
Photography near military and many other government installations is prohibited. Given the widespread nature of the current conflict, you should consider all areas as being potentially sensitive and therefore likely to be prohibited. See our Your Trip page.
Entry Requirements - Visas
Should you still decide to travel to Syria, against our strong and clear advice, you will require a visa. If you intend staying for more than fifteen days you will need to have your visa extended at the immigration office, otherwise you may face difficulties when trying to leave the country.
Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Syria. Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of three months from the date of entry into Syria.
Entry Requirements - Yellow fever
Yellow Fever vaccination is required for travellers who are arriving from, or have transited through, countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.
Entry Requirements - Travelling with Children
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that Syria requires documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.
Contact your GP around eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures. Country specific information and advice is published by the National Travel Health Network and Centre, and useful information about healthcare abroad, including a country-by-country guide of reciprocal health care agreements with the UK, is available from NHS Choices.
The quality of health care has deteriorated significantly during the conflict with many hospitals no longer operating and shortages of even the most basic medicines and medical supplies.
Our Travel Health pages offer further advice on how to stay healthy when overseas.
General - Insurance
If against our strong advice to avoid all travel to Syria you decide to go, you should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. In light of the advice against all travel to Syria you should carefully check the small print of your policy for any exclusions. For more general information see our Travel Insurance page.
General - Consular Services
British nationals requiring routine consular advice should contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on +44 20 7008 1500 or e-mail ConsularEnquiries.Damascus@fco.gov.uk.
If you require a new full validity British passport you must now apply for these services in a neighbouring country. If you require an Emergency Travel Document, to travel immediately please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at consularenquiries.damascus@fco.gov.uk or by telephone +44 20 7008 1500, for further information and to discuss options for how you might apply
General - Money
As a result of the ongoing political and security instability, there have been a number of restrictions placed on financial transactions in Syria. Some of these restrictions are the decision of the Syrian Government, while others are the result of international businesses and banks being unwilling to invest or trade with Syria in the current environment.
At the moment it is unclear exactly what is possible and what is not. However, the information below may help you to manage your own finances more effectively.
- It is no longer possible to use internationally issued credit and debit cards to withdraw money from cash machines or to pay for goods and services in Syria. Some card issuers have stated that they will still process transactions in high end hotels and restaurants, but this is subject to change and some service providers, including a 5 star hotel, have already refused to accept payment by international credit card.
- There have been reports that service providers outside Syria are refusing to accept payment using a Syrian-issued credit or debit card.
- Since August 2011 it has become very difficult to obtain dollars or Euros in Syria. It is possible to make cash withdrawals at a bank in Syrian pounds (although please note the point above about Visa and Mastercard restrictions) and you may be able to make euro withdrawals depending on the availability of currency on the day.
- Most international banks are now refusing to transfer funds direct to banks located in Syria. However, it may be possible to route funding through Dubai or Jordan. You should speak to your bank to check their individual policy.
- Some international banks are closing down personal accounts held by individuals resident in Syria. In most cases it is not possible to change your place of residence to an address outside Syria; this is because of anti-fraud and audit requirements. However, you may be able to close your account and open a new one using an address outside Syria. You should contact your bank to check their latest advice.
Currency exchange bureaux are no longer able to exchange dollars or receive transactions on your behalf. However, exchange offices and money transfer offices, such as Western Union (+963 11 334 5555 (phone), +963 11 334 6666 (fax), or online at www.westernunion.com) may be able to provide assistance depending on the circumstances.
Travellers’ cheques are not accepted at most banks in Syria. In the rare cases where they are accepted, the handling process is complicated and time-consuming.
It is illegal to change money on the street. You should only change money in recognised exchange shops, banks and hotels.
