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Canadian of Syrian origin visiting Syria
Hi everyone, I'm a Canadian of Syrian origin, I have my old Syrian ID circa 1994 and have Ikhraj Keid proving im Syrian. Do I still need visa on arrival? Can I fly direct into Damascus or do I need to go via Beirut or Amman? My 16 yr old son who only has Canadian passport will be with me, can he enter without visa? I want to register him while there and get both of us new Syrian passports will that be possible? Lastly do I still need to bring all USD cash or can I now withdraw cash from an ATM using my Canadian or WISE debit cards? Thank you.
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WalidAlhasnRéponse de la rédaction
Your Syrian ID and Ikhraj Qaid should be very useful, so make sure to bring both along with your Canadian passport. There have been recent cases of Syrian-Canadians entering Damascus with their Canadian passport and old Syrian documents without any issues, and some were not charged a visa.
You can fly into Damascus via Istanbul or another transit point. There’s no need to go through Beirut or Amman.
For your 16-year-old son, bring his Canadian passport, original birth certificate showing you as his father, and your Syrian documents. As the son of a Syrian citizen, his situation is different from that of an ordinary Canadian tourist, even though he doesn’t have a Syrian passport yet. Since he hasn’t been registered in Syria before, it’s worth having all the documents with you when you arrive.
Registering him in Syria and then applying for Syrian passports for both of you should be possible if your Syrian records are still active. The birth registration would normally come first, followed by the passport application. Bring the original birth certificate and marriage certificate if applicable, along with your Ikhraj Qaid and old Syrian ID.
For money, it’s still a good idea to carry USD cash. Visa and Mastercard payments have started working in Syria, but ATM access for foreign cards is still not something to rely on. A Canadian or Wise card may work in some places, but having enough cash with you is much safer.
The only thing worth confirming before booking is with the airline, especially for your son, so there are no issues at check-in with the Canadian passports and Syrian documents.
Faisal Taghleb
Thank you so much Walid.
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