Syria customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• Personal belongings and gifts for your own use are exempt from customs duties and taxes. The authorities set the limits and conditions for this exemption, and no duty-free allowances for tobacco, alcohol or perfume are published online.
• There are strict rules on goods brought into Syria. You must declare to customs anything that may be prohibited or subject to duty or tax.
Currency
• Foreign currency: amounts of USD 5,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared on arrival. You can bring in up to USD 100,000 in cash.
• Syrian pounds (SYP) can be brought in without a limit, but large amounts must be declared.
• Keep your arrival declaration: you need it to take out more than USD 5,000 when you leave.
• The economy is mainly cash-based and credit cards are rarely accepted. Bring enough US dollars or euros for your stay, and exchange money only at banks or official exchange offices. Street exchange is illegal.
Prohibited
• Illegal drugs: possession can lead to life imprisonment and drug trafficking to the death penalty.
Restricted
• Medicines: carry them in their original packaging with a copy of your prescription, and check with the Syrian embassy that they are legal in Syria.
• Pets and other animals may need a veterinary health certificate and vaccination records. Check the current requirements with the Syrian embassy before you travel.
• Personal belongings and gifts for your own use are exempt from customs duties and taxes. The authorities set the limits and conditions for this exemption, and no duty-free allowances for tobacco, alcohol or perfume are published online.
• There are strict rules on goods brought into Syria. You must declare to customs anything that may be prohibited or subject to duty or tax.
Currency
• Foreign currency: amounts of USD 5,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared on arrival. You can bring in up to USD 100,000 in cash.
• Syrian pounds (SYP) can be brought in without a limit, but large amounts must be declared.
• Keep your arrival declaration: you need it to take out more than USD 5,000 when you leave.
• The economy is mainly cash-based and credit cards are rarely accepted. Bring enough US dollars or euros for your stay, and exchange money only at banks or official exchange offices. Street exchange is illegal.
Prohibited
• Illegal drugs: possession can lead to life imprisonment and drug trafficking to the death penalty.
Restricted
• Medicines: carry them in their original packaging with a copy of your prescription, and check with the Syrian embassy that they are legal in Syria.
• Pets and other animals may need a veterinary health certificate and vaccination records. Check the current requirements with the Syrian embassy before you travel.