Advice for travellers to the Syrian Arab Republic

Safety

Syria is a safe country, with no threats of terrorist actions. Public order and safety are good both in the capital and in the countryside. Transport facilities inside the country with long-distance coaches and taxis are safe. The capital is linked with the country towns – Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Tartus, Lattakia – , as well as with the Turkish, Jordanian and Lebanese border stations, and locations of outstanding tourist sights – Palmyra, Bosra – by motorways of good quality. Urban traffic by taxi or bus, or on foot – even at night – is safe. The towns of Aleppo, Lattakia and Kamesli can be reached in local airplanes too.

Public health and hygiene condition

Public health is based upon a wide system of public and private hospitals, and pharmacies all over the country. No information has thus far been made public in Syria about the danger of avian flu. Syria does not import poultry, live or deep-frozen, as it is self-supporting in this field. As a preventive measure, sale of live poultry has been banned in the urban markets of Damascus. Instead of tap water, foreigners are advised to drink bottled mineral water, available in several forms.

Hungarian citizens are allowed to enter Syria only with a valid visa. You may get a visa at the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Budapest, or collect it in other Syrian foreign representations. No visa is granted at the border stations, with the exception of Damascus International Airport, but the process is long – it can take several hours – so it is not recommended.

To the visa application the following must be enclosed:

• 2 photographs

• a filled in visa application form, which can be received in the Embassy

• a valid passport which does not expire at least for six months from the day of the planned journey

The visa for one entry must be used within 3 months and costs: 11.000,-Ft. The visa for two entries must be used within 3 months and costs: 22.000,-Ft. The visa for several entries must be used within 6 months and costs: 34.000,-Ft.

If there is an Israeli visa in the applicant’s passport, or the border station’s stamp of an Arabic country neighboring Israel, the visa application may be denied or your entry may be refused.

The entry visa can last for 10 or 15 days. They indicate the exact number of days the tourist is allowed to stay in Syria in the passport at the entry on the border. After the determined number of days or on the fifteenth day the foreigner must register with the authorities in the foreigners’ office. A warning on this issue is stamped in the passport in English and French when entering the country.

At entry a data sheet in English and French must be filled in, which is stamped afterwards, and which must be returned at departure.

You must pay at departure a 200,-SP duty (about 4 USD) at Damascus International Airport.

Tourists who arrive by car must sign a monthly compulsory insurance policy on the border.