Syria has lifted the entry restrictions it imposed on United States citizens only days earlier, restoring visa-on-arrival entry after travellers complained online that they had been turned away, an official from Syria's ports and borders authority told AFP on Friday, November 13.

Source: AFP via Syria Scope Travel, Nov 13, 2026

The official said entry procedures for US citizens have returned to their earlier state after the interior ministry cancelled the temporary pre-authorisation obligation, and confirmed there is no change for citizens of other countries, including Europeans, AFP reported via Syria Scope Travel's account of the announcement.

Source: AFP via Syria Scope Travel, Nov 13, 2026

The cancellation was also confirmed by a named official in a second report: Mazen Alloush, Director of International Relations and Cooperation at Syria's General Authority for Ports and Customs, told Verify-Sy that the temporary prior-approval requirement for US citizens had been cancelled and previous procedures restored, and that procedures for other nationalities had not changed, Syrian Guides reported. That report is a named official's statement, not a published ministerial decree.

Source: Verify-Sy via Syrian Guides, Nov 13, 2026

Nov 11Date the temporary prior-approval rule for US passport holders was imposed, Syria Scope Travel
30 daysVisa on arrival US citizens can again obtain, per the US State Department figure cited in the AFP wire summary
~$200Approximate visa-on-arrival fee at Damascus airport or land borders, per the same State Department figure
719,000Visitors to Syria in the first half of 2026 excluding travellers from Arab nations, tourism ministry figure reported with the AFP story — against 131,000 in the same period of 2025

A rule that lasted less than a week

The temporary rule was imposed earlier this week — Syria Scope Travel dates it to November 11 — requiring US citizens to obtain prior authorisation whether entering by air or by land. On Thursday, Syrian authorities had added US citizens to a list requiring preapproval before travelling, alongside Egyptians, Tunisians and some East Asian nationals, the AFP wire summary said.

Source: AFP wire summary via Sagire, Nov 13, 2026

Several US citizens complained on social media that they were turned away for needing a visa in advance, prompting the interior ministry to lift the requirement, according to the reporting of the AFP story. With the rollback, US citizens can again obtain a visa on arrival at Damascus International Airport or at land borders with Jordan and Lebanon.

Source: AFP report summary via Wise, Nov 13, 2026

Part of the post-Assad reopening

The reversal extends Syria's broader reopening to foreign visitors since the change of government in December 2024, when Islamist-led fighters overthrew Bashar al-Assad and Damascus began admitting Western visitors through visas issued at the airport and border crossings, the AFP reporting said. International flights to Syria have also resumed.

Source: AFP report summary via Wise, Nov 13, 2026

Before anyone travels

Entry rules are not a safety judgement: the US State Department maintains its highest Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory for Syria. Syrian Guides' operational guidance also cautions that route-specific requirements can differ and tells travellers to confirm the exact rule for their passport and route before travelling — the official cancellation reported Friday and that operational caution are both part of the record.