Syria to resume passport services for nationals abroad starting Sunday

Syria’s government announced Thursday that it will resume issuing passports for Syrian nationals living abroad through its diplomatic missions and consulates, beginning Sunday. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the reactivation of passport services via its diplomatic and electronic consular offices in a statement posted on X.

The process will continue under the current appointment-based system used by each mission, providing a structured approach to passport requests.

This move follows earlier comments by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, who revealed plans to improve consular services for Syrians abroad. In a statement posted on X earlier this month, Al-Shaibani outlined potential measures, including extending passport validity and reducing associated fees.

He also directed consular offices to temporarily waive document authentication fees and work to address the concerns of Syrian expatriates.

“We are evaluating measures such as extending passport validity and lowering fees to ease the burden on our citizens abroad,” Al-Shaibani wrote.

The announcement comes just one month after opposition forces successfully ousted the regime of Bashar al-Assad, signaling an effort to rebuild relations with Syria’s expatriate community and reintegrate them into the country’s institutions.

Assad, who had led the country for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8 after anti-regime forces seized control of Damascus, marking the end of the Baath Party’s decades-long rule.

The swift takeover followed a rapid offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters, who captured several key cities within two weeks.