Egypt, Morocco and Arabia - Syria - Country Information

Syria has had some of the great past civilisations cross through its borders during the last 5,000 years and as a result it has a wealth of historic sites and places of interest. Krak des Chevaliers is one of the best preserved of all Crusader castles and Palmyra is one of the most impressive of all the ancient sites of the Middle East.

Key Facts
Full Country Name	Syrian Arab Republic
Area	185,180 Sq Km
Population	16,696,500
Capital	Damascus
Time Difference	Syria is GMT +2 (from 01 April to 31 October GMT +3)
Visa	Visa is required. For visa application form click here
Currency	Pound (LS)
People	The principal ethnic majority are the Arabs who account for around 89% of the population while the remainder consist of minority groups such as the Kurds, Armenians, Turkmens, Circassians and Assyrians.
Language	Syrian Arabic
Dialling Code	+963
Electricity	220V

Visas:

British passport holders require a visa to visit Syria. A full 10-year passport is required and it must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of departure with at least three completely unused pages. If your passport is not valid for six months, it is necessary to obtain a new one. Passports must not contain visas or entry/exit stamps for Israel in order to visit Syria and if they do it will be necessary to obtain a new passport. In addition to 2 application forms and 2 photographs a formal employer letter is also required. If visiting Baalbeck in Lebanon on a day trip from Syria, a double entry Syrian visa is required. The Lebanon visa can be obtained locally and is free of charge. For visa application form click here

Health risks:

Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Polio

When to Go:

Syria has a sunny, hot and dry summer lasting from April/early May to September/early October, with very little variability in the weather from day to day.  There is no definite spring and autumn, rather a gradual increase in temperature from March to May and a similar decrease from September to November.  Sand-laden winds tend to occur during the beginning and end of the summer season; this 'Khamsin' is unpredictable and transport arrangements may be affected.