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Biometric passport
In late 2016, Syria's Department of Immigration and Passports announced that it is planning to change to biometric passports.[3]
In early 2019, Syria's Interior Minister announced that the country is getting ready to release its new passport.[4] In August 2023, Syria officially introduced the biometric passport, which notably dropped the usage of the French Language and kept Arabic and English.
In April 2015, Syria changed its passport requirements so that Syrians outside Syria, including refugees who have fled the Syrian Civil War, are eligible for passports without having to go through a review by the intelligence services. Passports will be issued to Syrians "even if they left in an illegal manner or they hold non-official passports or travel documents", likely referring to passports issued by Syrian opposition representatives in Qatar.[6]
However, the government was also criticized for increasing fees and limiting the ease of obtaining passports for Syrians abroad throughout the war, with costs going from less than US$20 in Syria to hundreds or even a thousand dollars needed to renew a passport in Turkey between official fees and corruption. This was seen as a way to obtain foreign currency reserves and fund al-Assad's administration.[7][8] Consular revenues increased from 0.4% of government income in 2010 to 5.4% in 2023. Some countries supplied Syrian refugees with a certificate of identity or a refugee travel document due to the issues with getting a new passport.[9]
Types
Common feature
Syrian passports include the following data on the information page:
Photo of the passport holder
Type (“PN” for ordinary passports, “PD” for diplomatic passports, “PL” for special passports, “PS” for service passport)
Country Code (SYR)
Passport number
Name and surname of the passport holder
Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY)
Sex
Place of birth (For people born in Syria only the name of the governorate of birth is written, for people born outside Syria only the country of birth is written)
Father name and mother name
Holder's national ID number (written under the photo of the holder)
Date of expiry (DD/MM/YYYY)
Place of Issue (For passports issued in Syria the name of the governorate of issue is written followed by a number specifying the centre within the governorate, for passports issued outside Syria only the country of issue is written)
The items are identified by text in Arabic and English (e.g., "تاريخ الولادة / Date of birth")
Passport note
The passports contain inside the front cover a note that is addressed to the authorities of all countries and territories, identifying the bearer as a citizen of Syria and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms:
In Arabic:
يُطلب من موظفي حكومة الجمهورية العربية السورية ومن ممثليها في الخارج ويرجى من كل سلطة أخرى تعمل باسم الحكومة العربية السورية ومن السلطات المختصة أن تسمح لحامل هذا الجواز بحرية المرور وأن يقدم له كل ما يحتاج إليه من مساعدة ورعاية.
In English:
Officials of the Syrian Arab Republic and the diplomatic and consular authorities and any other authority acting on behalf of the Syrian Arab Government together with the relevant foreign authorities are kindly requested to let this passport holder pass freely and to give him the assistance and protection he may nee
Ordinary passport
Ordinary passports are passports that are issued to Syrian citizens. They are green-colored, with the country's emblem emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words "الجمهورية العربية السورية" and their English translation "SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC" are centered on the top, whilst the words "جواز سفر" and their English translation "PASSPORT" are centered on the bottom, with the biometric passport symbol positioned below. Three transparent golden-colored stars are also seen at the very top.
Physical appearance
Ordinary biometric passport
An ordinary Syrian passport contains 48 pages, each two of them (excluding the first three and the last one, which include governmental notations and the holder's information) have a Syrian landmark.
Visa requirements for Syrian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Syria. As of April 2025, Syrian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 27 countries and territories, ranking the Syrian passport 101st which is the second least powerful passport in the world in terms of travel freedom, only behind the Afghan passport, according to the Henley Passport Index.[10]
Gallery
Front Cover of an ordinary non-biometric Syrian passport issued until 2023.
Front Cover interior and page 1 of an ordinary non-biometric Syrian passport issued until 2023.
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