I have the application forms in front of me but I am
somewhat confused.It says visa fees are (one or two
entries) as follows: American Citizens - $61.00 ($16.00
visa fee + $45 Application fee) Now my question is if my
daughters want to go to Lebanon while there, they would
need either a 2 entry or multiple entry visa. How do you
figure the cost for that? Anyone else have this problem?
I don't want them to have to get them at the border. It
would be less complicated for them to have it before they
leave.
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I've been to Syria two times, and this is my recommendation:
Go by air to Lebanon instead of Syria. In the airport in
Beirut, Lebanese single-entry visas will be issued on the
spot without any prior application (if you arrive Lebanon
by land, visa should be obtained in advance).
This single-entry visa is actually valid for returning to
Lebanon if you take a trip to Syria, BUT NOT any other
country (Jordan etc.). Then go by bus or taxi from Beirut
to Damascus, and from there around in Syria as you like.
But I strongly recommend that you obtain the Syrian visa in
advance if you will arrive Syria/Damascus overland from
Lebanon/Beirut. I haven't so far experienced any problem
with getting an approval for the actual visa on a Syrian
border crossing, but it is required that the visa fee must
be paid in Syrian pounds AND you have to show an receipt
proving that the pounds has been purchased through a Syrian
bank (pounds without receipt is no good). On the mentioned
border crossing this means that you first have to walk
about half a km from the first checkpoint to the other
(where the bank is located), change the money, walk back
and then get the visa.
Good luck, and feel free to mail me if you have further
questions!
They gave us a double-entry visa for the $61 price, without
our asking (we didn't need it). I suggest a cover letter
requesting a double-entry visa and explaining why. If you
enter Lebanon and need to get back to Syria and don't have a
visa with entries left on it, you're shit out of luck. You
can't "get it at the border", for heaven's sake, and you
can't get Syrian visas in Lebanon.
PS You could also call the Syrian consular section in DC to
ask this question and get an authoritative reply. They are
helpful and efficient.
Two of our daughters will be visiting their relatives
(first time) in Syria and I am sure the relatives will want
to take them to Zahle, Lebanon while they are there if time
allows to see other relatives. Unfortunately, they don't
speak Arabic and are not experienced travelers unless you
call trips to Vegas and Disneyland traveling. At least
they have been on airplanes and in airports but this should
be an experience for them. What do you know about the
airport in Amman Jordan - they have a 2 hour layover there
before traveling to Damascus. They will be traveling on
Royal Jordanian. Also - any suggestions for entering
through the Damascus airport? The girls are 25 and 17
years old.
"The girls are 25 and 17 years old."!!! These are grown-up
women, not girls, and they are going to have relatives
around at all times except for the flight and change of
plane in a major international airport in a cosmopolitan
country. Stop fussing about them and get your own life.
Mothers will be mothers and mothers will worry. I'm just
trying to get enough information to smooth the way for them
since they have not traveled before. Traveling to the
Middle East isn't a picnic - I have done it myself! Loved
it! But it wasn't easy. Don't get so bent out of shape!!!
They will have a great time. Amman is a perfectly nice
airport, clearly signposted in English, and Royal Jordanian
is a reasonably professional airline. Your daughters are too
old to travel as unaccompanied minors with ID cards hanging
from their necks; they will have to look after themselves.
They will not need to speak Arabic, although speaking a few
words always helps break the ice. The Damascus airport is
less modern, but the people are very polite and helpful. In
both Jordan and Syria there is a Christian minority whose
women wear tight jeans, etc., so it is not necessary to be
too uptight about clothing, although they will be more
comfortable in not-too-tight clothing that covers legs and
arms (pants are fine). The sugared dry fruit in Damascus is
to die for; please have them bring me some.
Now that's the kind of advice I was looking for. We do
know all the dress codes and our family members are part of
that Christian minority so we know all about that. My only
concerns are the airports and the girl's limited language
knowledge. They know the few greeting words, etc., and a
few swear words but cannot carry on conversations at all
thanks to their sweet father that didn't take the time to
teach them. Are you talking about the dried apricot fruit
leather? How about the baklava, etc?
The apricot leather is nice, although a bit too much olive
oil in it for my taste. I was talking about the individual
whole dry fruits (a wide variety---apricots, prickly pear,
almond fruit...) available from shops around Shuhuda Sq and
in the market. Baklava is too familiar to be interesting to
me; the warm khunafa, on the other hand, is excellent in
Damascus (although better in Jerusalem).
I hope your daughters will insist on going to Palmyra and
(when in Lebanon) Baalbek; visiting relatives is all very
well and good, but these places are like nothing else in the
world. The locals never go to see the sights, just like New
Yorkers never go to the Statue of Liberty, so they will have
to drag their relatives to these places.
Another daughter and son were there last year. The family
lives in Aleppo and one cousin loves to show all the
historical sights so I am sure they will see them. I have
been to Baalbek. Beautiful and amazing! I agree about the
baklava - I make it myself for others but don't eat any of
it. Have tried most of the treats but haven't heard about
the dried fruits. Again - thanks for your kind answers. I
know nothing about Royal Jordanian or the Amman airport so
have been no help preparing the girls and they are getting
nervous.