can i travel to syria? and should i?
June 29, 2010 8:09 AM   Subscribe

I am going to several countries in the Middle East as part of a project I'll be working on with some journalist friends and one of the countries they are thinking of reporting in is Syria. I was in Israel in 2007 but never had my US passport stamped (and have gotten a new passport since anyway) so it would seem that I would be able to obtain a visa to travel there. However, I did write a book about my travel to Israel which will be published this fall and which would come up in any internet search of my name.

I am getting different advice from different people. I called the State Department and they pretty much suggested to just apply for a visa and see if its granted since it has to be done beforehand. But in the case that I'm given a visa, would I be at risk once in the country? An Israeli friend is (not surprisingly) furious that I would even think of going and believes its insane to travel in Syria as a Jewish American woman, while other people I've talked to maintain that Syria is one of the safer countries to travel to in the Middle East. I would welcome any information people may have on this. Thanks!
posted by minicloud to Travel & Transportation around Syria (8 answers total)
 
Syria is perfectly safe to travel in; don't try to start talking politics with any random person you meet on the street as there is a fairly robust mukhabarat presence (which means that it's very safe unless you cross the government). If anyone harasses you, just threaten to call the police. If your passport was never stamped in Israel, you will most likely be fine, but I would heed the advice of applying for the visa beforehand. I don't know if the border guards use Google or not, though it depends on your point of entry most likely.
posted by proj at 8:17 AM on June 29, 2010


People on Metafilter seem to agree that Syria is a great travel destination.

And if I can add my own data point: A family friend, a woman in her 70's, just came back from Syria in March of this year. She loved it. She went with a tour guide but through some mishap, they lost their tour guide. So she and another woman ended up wandering alone through Damascus. They also went to Aleppo and Palmyra. She says it was one of the most beautiful countries she has ever visited (and she has been to a lot!), with the friendliest and kindest people.
posted by vacapinta at 8:50 AM on June 29, 2010


I'm not positive, but I don't think the issue is whether or not you've been to Israel, but whether or not you're Israeli. I've traveled to 18 different countries and I've never had any border agent anywhere spend more than a minute with my passport, much less actually Google my name. I'd bet my measly life savings that you'll be fine. Also, Syria is a safe country to visit.
posted by Beardsley Klamm at 9:30 AM on June 29, 2010


Beardsley: That's completely wrong. If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport, you will be denied entry to most Arab countries except Jordan and Egypt.
posted by proj at 9:43 AM on June 29, 2010 [1 favorite]


I went to Syria two years ago and absolutely loved it.

It's a fantastic country with wonderful people, amazing tourst destinations and fantastic food. I spent time there with two American girls (I'm Icelandic) and none of the locals had any problems whatsoever with Americans.

There's not many places where I've felt more safe walking around at night than Damascus.

You won't get into Syria with an Israel stamp in your passport so most people (me included) just organize their trips so that they visit Syria ahead of Israel (I did Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel). I highly doubt any border agents will be doing Google searches for your name. The only place in the Middle-East that has a very strict border control seemed (to me) to be Israel.
posted by einarorn at 11:04 AM on June 29, 2010


Proj: Thanks for the correction. My reference was from a friend of mine that traveled to Jordan after visiting Israel. I figured Syrian restrictions were about as loose as Jordan.
posted by Beardsley Klamm at 11:12 AM on June 29, 2010


Best answer: The State Department are right, apply and see. But if there are no Israeli stamps in your passport it should be fine. I know a lot of people who've been to both--including American Jews who have relatives in, and have frequently visited, Israel.

I doubt that they'll google your name in the course of a routine visa application--though if you actually tell them you're going there as a journalist it probably becomes more likely. How memorable is your name? (I share mine with a journalist who writes on the Middle East, a little awkwardly, though that's more likely to get me in trouble at the Israeli border, given the tenor of his reporting.) Making tourism/language study the stated purpose of your trip is probably sensible, anyhow.

As for whether it's safe to travel there in the more general, "Will I be mugged/have my stuff stolen?"--it is, as a rule, very safe. And there are loads of amazing things to see that would justify the "I am a tourist" claim.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 3:15 PM on June 29, 2010


The Syrians are probably not interested in you as an American tourist. Tourism brings in money, which they are interested in.

However, they would be interested in a Jewish American journalist traveling with other journalists. The American journalist part is much more important than the Jewish part.

So, don't blow your cover.
posted by justcorbly at 4:13 PM on June 29, 2010


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