Syria entry requirements for Canadian passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Visa (Government of Canada): Read the official visa text below
Passport validity (Government of Canada): Valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Syria. Official text
Official source: Government of Canada – Syria travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Entry and exit requirements” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Whether Canadians need a visa for Syria and how long a Canadian passport must be valid, as published by the Government of Canada, quoted word for word with the date of the official page.
Other passports: British passport · Australian passport
Do Canadians need a visa for Syria?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The official visa text talks about getting a visa on arrival or at the border: read it in full.
Official text, “Visas”:
Tourist visa: required
Business visa: required
Student visa: required
If you are a non-Arab national, you can’t obtain a visa at border points of entry. You must obtain it from the nearest Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic or one of its consulates prior to your departure.
Also in the official “Entry and exit requirements” section:
Registration
If you intend to stay in Syria for longer than 14 days, you must register with the Syrian Immigration and Passports Office before the 15th day after your arrival.
If you travel on a tourist visa, this requirement is applied each time you enter Syria, whether you have a multiple or single-entry visa.
Exit permits
Some travellers may require an exit permit to leave the country. The permit can be obtained from the General Security Department.
Health entry requirements
You must be tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if you intend to:
- obtain a residence permit in Syria
- marry a Syrian national
Syrian authorities won’t issue a residence permit unless you have a negative HIV test.
More from the official “Entry and exit requirements” section (other requirements)
Regional travel
Travellers have been denied entry into Syria because their passports bore:
- an Israeli visa
- an Israeli border stamp
- an Egyptian or Jordanian border stamp issued by an office bordering Israel. Such a stamp would indicate that the traveller visited Israel prior to coming to Syria
Official source: Government of Canada – Syria travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Visas” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
How long must my Canadian passport be valid for Syria?
In short: Valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Syria.
Our one-line summary of the official sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. Your airline may apply stricter rules.
Official text, “Regular Canadian passport”:
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Syria.
Official source: Government of Canada – Syria travel advice and advisories (travel.gc.ca), section “Regular Canadian passport” · page last updated 14 October 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026 · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
For Canadian passport holders. These rules are published by the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) for Canadian citizens travelling on a regular Canadian passport. Before You Fly is an independent site: it is not a Government of Canada site and is not endorsed by the Government of Canada. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice. British passport? See the UK (FCDO) rules.
Read the full official travel advice for Syria (safety, health, local laws) before you travel.
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