Syria

Is Syria safe to visit?

No, according to the US and UK, though the reasons have changed. Bashar al-Assad's government fell in December 2024, ending 13 years of full-scale civil war, and Damascus and Aleppo airports now have international flights. But the US State Department still rates Syria Level 4 (do not travel for any reason), saying no part of the country is safe from violence, and the UK advises against all travel.

The risks now are ISIS attacks, sectarian violence, kidnapping, crime and a badly damaged health system. The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Syria 155th of 163. We score Syria 31, below Lebanon at 45 and Afghanistan, with low confidence because reliable crime and health data barely exist.

Violence after Assad

The transition has been bloody. In March 2025, violence in the coastal provinces, mostly against the Alawite community, killed about 1,400 people, mainly civilians, according to the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. Its August 2025 report found that war crimes were likely committed both by interim government forces and by fighters loyal to the former government.

In July 2025, fighting in Suwayda province in the south killed at least 1,707 people, most of them Druze civilians, along with Bedouin and at least 225 government personnel, the commission said in March 2026. It said government forces, tribal fighters and Druze armed groups all committed violations that may amount to war crimes, and that up to 155,000 people remained displaced. A committee appointed by the Syrian government documented 1,760 deaths. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says parts of Suwayda are still controlled by local armed groups rather than the government.

The FCDO describes sectarian divisions as ongoing and says flashes of sectarian violence are likely. Political parties are banned, and taking part in political activity can lead to detention.

ISIS attacks and kidnapping

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says ISIS carries out regular attacks across Syria, including in Damascus, and lists recent attacks in the capital. On 2 June 2025 an attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church in Damascus killed at least 30 people. On 2 July 2026 a bomb in a crowded café in central Damascus killed at least nine people, and on 7 July two bombs outside the Four Seasons hotel and the Ministry of Tourism killed at least one and injured 36.

Both governments warn that the kidnap threat is very high, from ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates as well as criminal gangs. Hostages have been killed, and foreigners are seen as valuable targets. The US has had no embassy since 2012; the Czech Republic provides emergency help to Americans, and the UK offers no consular support inside Syria.

Health care and basic services

This is where Syria scores worst after conflict. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says many hospitals and clinics no longer operate, there are shortages of even basic medicines, infectious disease outbreaks are regular, and emergency services may not respond. Cholera and malaria are listed risks.

Electricity, internet and mobile coverage are intermittent, food is scarce and expensive in many places, and fuel can be hard to get. Bring enough cash in US dollars for your whole stay, since cards are barely used and withdrawals are limited.

Sanctions and what they mean for visitors

Western sanctions have been eased since Assad's fall. The US lifted broad sanctions in 2025 and repealed the Caesar Act on 18 December 2025, and the UK has removed sanctions on some sectors. The Caesar Act repeal removed the threat of mandatory US sanctions on foreign firms that do business in Syria. Banking links are still weak, so in practice you will pay in cash.

Roads, mines and earthquakes

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 29.9 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, one of the highest rates in the Middle East, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says road travel is very dangerous in many areas because of poor maintenance, unexploded weapons and weak driving standards. Landmines remain in rural areas, along former front lines, at the edges of roads and in the Syrian desert; do not step off paved surfaces without an experienced guide.

Syria is in an earthquake zone, and the February 2023 earthquakes centred in Turkey caused heavy damage in the north.

If you go despite the advice

• Have a security plan and a local contact; avoid the desert, Suwayda and former front lines.
• Stay away from crowds, religious ceremonies and government buildings.
• Carry copies of your passport photo page and visa at all times.
• Drug possession carries life imprisonment and trafficking the death penalty.
• Expect power and internet cuts and keep a way to leave quickly.

How we scored it

Conflict (10) and health (20) are the weakest factors, followed by roads (29), on WHO's 2021 estimate of 29.9 deaths per 100,000. Petty crime (40) and violent crime (45) are both pushed down by armed robbery and kidnapping, and natural hazards (50) are mid-range. The weighted average of 31 is below the conflict cap of 45 and is the final score; a lasting end to sectarian violence and ISIS attacks would lift it.