Asia · West Asia

Syria

Capital · Damascus

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with Palmyra in the desert.

🇸🇾Damascus
The essentials

Syria at a glance

Capital
Damascus
Region
West Asia
Currency
Syrian pound (SYP)
Languages
Arabic
Dialling code
+963
Plan around it

Public holidays & key dates in Syria

Dates shift year to year where a holiday follows a lunar or religious calendar. Check locally before you book flights or count on offices being open.

Apr 17Evacuation DayIndependence from France, 1946
VariesEid al-Fitr & Eid al-Adha date varies date varies
Dec 25Christmas Day
Getting in

Visas for African passports

Entry rules for Syria differ sharply depending on which African passport you hold — visa-free for some nationalities, e-visa for others, embassy application for the rest.

The AfricAsia Passport Index checks every African passport against this destination, with the current route and a plain-language note on what officers ask for.

Check your passport →
On the ground

Ask before you land

Rent, agents, hospitals, halal and African groceries, church and mosque, where people actually meet on a Sunday — the answers live with the people already there.

The Syria channel in the Hub is free, open, and moderated by members who live in the country.

Open the Syria channel →