Cash in Syria

Checked 13 September 2026 against Syria’s Central Bank redenomination notices as reported in Arabic in July 2026, the US State Department currency pages, GOV.UK, Visa and Mastercard’s late-August 2026 statements, and independent 2026 traveller notes. Rates move. If a figure below is wrong, tell us.

What cash should I bring?

Enough clean US dollars for the whole stay, plus the visa on arrival in cash at the desk. Euros exchange as well. Do not plan to top up from a foreign card inside the country.

Use recent-series dollar notes. The US advisory says torn or old dollars may be refused or taken at a worse rate. Independent 2026 notes say a crease is usually fine; very old “white” series often are not. Carry a mix of 100s and smaller notes for taxis and tips.

Split the stash. Hotel safes exist. Do not change every dollar on day one.

We could not confirm a mandatory US$100 exchange for ordinary foreign tourists in September 2026. Some operators still mention it. The visa fee is a separate cash payment. If a desk asks you to change dollars, get a receipt and keep enough USD for hotels.

New pound or old pound?

On 1 January 2026 Syria issued new pounds and removed two zeros: 100 old pounds = 1 new pound. The Central Bank, as reported in Arabic in July 2026, ended the street exchange of old notes on 30 July. From 31 July 2026 old notes are not legal tender. Remaining old paper can only be redeemed at the Central Bank in Damascus, on bank terms, for five years. That is not a tourist errand. Do not take old notes as change.

The new notes in circulation are 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500. The 500 is still a modest sum. You will carry a wad for a restaurant.

People still quote both scales. If someone says about 12,000 or 14,000 to the dollar, they are speaking old pounds. If they say about 120 to 140, they are speaking new pounds. Same money. Ask: “new or old?” before you pay or sign a receipt. In early September 2026 published quotes sat in that new-pound band. We do not print this morning’s rate here.

Coming from Beirut, you can change a little into pounds in Chtoura before Masnaa. See How to get to Syria and Beirut to Damascus.

Do credit cards work in Syria?

Not as your plan. GOV.UK still describes electronic payments as minimal. Independent travellers through summer 2026 paid cash. The US advisory tells Americans to rely on cash, not a US-issued card.

Visa and Mastercard each completed a first live international payment in Syria on 26–27 August 2026 (Visa via Paymera; Mastercard via QNB). The Central Bank told Reuters that coverage is not nationwide. A few hotels and restaurants in Damascus may take a foreign card. Your own bank may still block the transaction. Carry cash. A working terminal is a bonus.

ATMs: the US advisory still says some private-bank machines honour major cards. Independent 2026 notes, including airport machines, say forget it for a foreign card. Do not budget a withdrawal.

Hotels that take foreigners often want dollars or euros, not pounds. The souq, minibuses, museums and street food want pounds. Confirm the rate if a shop will take your dollars and give change in pounds.

Where do I exchange?

Licensed exchange offices and banks. The State Department names licensed changers in the big cities, the Commercial Bank, the Real Estate Bank, and some private banks in larger hotels. Independent notes in Damascus: offices around al-Hariqah by the main souq, near Bab Touma, and near the National Bank. Aleppo has the same kind of shop. Rates between licensed desks do not usually swing wildly the same morning.

Ask for a written rate and whether it is new pounds. Count the notes before you leave the glass. Do not change in the car park with a stranger.

Western Union and similar transfers exist as a rescue, at a fee. Do not build the trip on one.

How much does a day cost?

Independent 2026 notes put a cheap day — hostel, street food, minibuses — in the tens of dollars. Mid-range hotels often want about US$30–90 a night. Sit-down meals a few dollars to about US$25. Museum tickets a few dollars. The visa is extra, in cash, before any of that. These are snapshots, not a quote. Hotels: How to book a hotel in Syria. A day’s total: How much does Syria cost per day?.

Prices are often said in dollars and paid in pounds. Agree the number before the plate arrives.

Can I buy a Syrian SIM?

Yes, at an official Syriatel or MTN branch, with your passport and the Syria entry stamp. Write down the hotel address; the form asks for one. Street stalls can sell top-ups; they often cannot register a new foreign line.

A local line at a branded shop has been a few dollars plus a data pack. Hotels and the airport have charged foreigners about US$30–40 for a bundle. We will not publish one “tourist SIM price”. Ask, pay, get a receipt, test WhatsApp before you leave the desk.

Syriatel sells an eSIM product. Some 2026 guides say foreigners can take one at the branch. International eSIM shops (Airalo and the rest) are not a reliable Syria plan. If the phone is locked or has no eSIM, take a physical card. Branch, stamp, and what Airalo will not do: Syria SIM card for foreigners.

If this fails

• The card is declined: pay cash. That is the expected outcome, not an insult.
• The changer quotes old pounds: divide by 100, or walk next door.
• You are handed old notes: refuse them. They are not legal tender.
• You run short of dollars: a licensed transfer is slower and dearer than bringing enough. Leave slack.
• The SIM shop cannot register a foreign passport: try another official branch the next morning, not a stall.

What this page will not tell you

Today’s dollar rate. Check a live Syrian pound page that morning, and confirm new versus old.

That Visa now works in the souq. It does not, as of September 2026.

A dollar total for every itinerary. Add the visa, the hotel nights, and a buffer: How much does Syria cost per day?. Road fares: How to get to Syria.

How we write: How we write.