Syriaupdated 24m ago2 min read
Archive photoSyria Withdraws Prior Approval Requirement for Americans and Britons After Border Reports
3 West Asian1 Asian1 Western AlternativePhoto: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Syria canceled the temporary prior-entry approval for US and UK citizens, restoring previous entry rules. Syria's Foreign Ministry announced the reversal amid controversy over travelers' entry denials.
Save coverage image
5 outlets in this story. Read their headlines below.
Outlets did split on Syria Denies Deploying Troops to Yemen After AFP Report of 3,000 Soldiers →
Syria reverses entry rule
Syria reversed a temporary requirement for American and British citizens to obtain prior approval before entering the country, restoring earlier entry procedures after controversy over reports of Americans being turned away at border crossings. The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, November 13, that the requirement for advance clearance had been withdrawn and that entry procedures for citizens of the two countries had returned to their previous arrangements. Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Mohammad Yaqoub al-Omar told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that the prior approval requirement had been introduced as a temporary measure.
Mazen Alloush, director of international relations and cooperation at Syria's General Authority for Ports and Customs, had confirmed on Thursday that US citizens had recently been added to a list of nationalities requiring advance approval from the Interior Ministry. The Times of India said the US State Department’s travel information states that American citizens can obtain a 30-day visa on arrival for approximately $200 at Damascus airport or land crossings with Jordan and Lebanon.
Videos trigger controversy
Syria’s reversal came a day after videos circulated on social media showing American travellers claiming they had been refused entry into Syria. The Syrian Foreign Ministry’s decision restored entry procedures for citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom to the previous arrangement, according to Mohammad Yaqub al-Omar. Al-‘Amur told SANA that the procedures for entering U.S. and British citizens have returned to what they were previously, after the cancellation of the prior-approval condition.
Mazen Aloush had earlier stated that American nationality was recently added to the list of nationalities whose entry into Syria requires prior approval from the Ministry of Interior. Aloush explained that entry visas are granted at border crossings, but some nationalities require prior approval from the competent authorities, and he said the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs implements Interior Ministry instructions rather than deciding which nationalities are covered.
What remains unchanged
Syria said the reversal did not extend to other nationalities, because entry procedures for citizens of other countries remained unchanged.
Mohammad Yaqoub al-Omar told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that entry procedures for citizens of other countries remained unchanged.
Al-‘Amur told SANA that the entry procedures for citizens of other countries have not changed and remain in effect under the previously approved instructions.
The sources also tied the controversy to earlier reporting about changes to entry procedures, with the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denying reports on April 29 and pointing to Resolution No. 128 issued in July 2025.
The announcement followed the earlier confirmation that the prior-approval requirement had been introduced temporarily, and the Syrian authorities did not specify how long it had remained in effect or why it was imposed and then withdrawn.