Money in Syria: Everything Travelers Need to Know

If you’re planning a trip to Syria, money is one of the few things you must prepare for properly. Syria is still a cash-first country for visitors, and you should arrive with a clear plan for what you will carry, how you will exchange it, and how you will pay day to day.

This guide covers the essentials in plain English: the new Syrian currency update, cash and exchange rules, what to expect with prices, and practical tips that make your trip smoother.

The 2026 update Syria launched new banknotes

Starting January 1, 2026, Syria began using a new version of the Syrian Pound (SYP) by removing two zeros. That means:

• 100 old Syrian Pounds = 1 new Syrian Pound
• A 90-day transition period allows the old and new notes to circulate together (and this period can be extended).

For travelers, the biggest difference is psychological and practical: prices look “smaller,” and it becomes easier to handle cash without huge stacks of notes.

Why the new money also feels symbolic

The redesign removed the Assad-era portraits and replaced them with natural and national symbols. This came after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and many Syrians see the new notes as part of a wider “new chapter.”

New banknotes and what each one represents

The first banknotes introduced are six paper notes: 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500.
More denominations are planned later, including 1, 5, and 1,000 new pounds.

Here is what’s on each note and what it generally represents (nature, agriculture, and regional identity):

• 10 SYP: Damascene rose and a butterfly (beauty, renewal, Damascus identity)
• 25 SYP: Damascene mulberry tree and a swallow (orchards, seasons, movement)
• 50 SYP: Citrus (coastal agriculture and harvest culture)
• 100 SYP: Cotton flower and a gazelle (reem) (industry + Syrian wildlife)
• 200 SYP: Olive tree and an Arabian horse (heritage, land, pride)
• 500 SYP: House sparrow and wheat ears (daily life and breadbasket symbolism)

Quick conversion cheat sheet old to new

Because two zeros were removed:

• 1,000 old = 10 new
• 2,000 old = 20 new
• 5,000 old = 50 new
• 10,000 old = 100 new
• 25,000 old = 250 new

During the transition, many places try to show prices in both formats to reduce confusion.

Cash is king in Syria

For tourists, Syria is still a cash-based economy. You should assume you will pay with cash almost everywhere.

Cards don’t work the way you expect

• Do not rely on Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or foreign bank cards for daily spending.
• ATMs are not a reliable option for foreign visitors, and you should not plan to withdraw money inside Syria.

Bottom line: bring enough cash (USD) to cover your stay, then exchange what you need locally.

If you are combining Syria and Lebanon, plan your cash carefully for both countries because rules and access can be limited.

Currency exchange in Syria

You can exchange money at licensed exchange offices in major cities (like Damascus and Aleppo). For travelers, these are usually the simplest and safest option.

Important rules during the currency swap

• Exchange and swap operations are organized through approved financial institutions inside Syria (over 1,500 branches were mentioned in official guidance).
• The swap is free, and charging fees is officially prohibited.
• Official instructions also state the process is inside Syria only.
• Large old notes (like 1,000 / 2,000 / 5,000 old) were prioritized early in the first phase.

Exchange rates what matters for tourists

You will often hear two “rates”:

• An official rate (used in formal references and some systems)
• A market rate (what people actually follow in daily exchanges)

Rates change quickly, and they can differ slightly by city. A practical way to check is to look at a live rate tracker like SP Today, which posts city-by-city rates (for example, it recently showed around 11,800 SYP per 1 USD in Damascus). sp-today.com

Important: during the transition, some rate sites still show the old pounds. If you see a rate like 11,800, the “new” equivalent is roughly 118 new pounds per USD (because two zeros were removed).

What currencies to bring

USD is the easiest currency to use and exchange.
EUR can work too, but USD is usually preferred.

Bring clean, crisp bills (especially $50 and $100). Old, torn, or marked notes can be rejected or exchanged at a worse rate.

Where and how you pay in Syria

This is the most useful mental model:

Many places can quote in USD if you ask, but they often convert using the day’s market rate—so it helps to carry both USD and some SYP for small daily spending.

Sample prices in Syria (approximate)

Prices change depending on city, season, and venue, but this gives you a realistic feel:

Restaurants & cafés

• Meal for 2 (mid-range): $20–30
• Burger meal: $5
• Domestic beer: $1.50
• Imported beer: $2
• Coke/Pepsi (330ml): $0.78
• Water (330ml): $0.45

Snacks & street food

• Bottle of wine: $5
• Domestic beer (0.5L): $0.94
• Shawarma sandwich: $1.20
• Falafel sandwich: $0.50

Tipping (baksheesh)

Not mandatory, but widely appreciated:

• Restaurant waiters: around 10%
• Hotel staff: $1–2
• Guides & drivers: $5–10 per day
• Taxi drivers: round up

Travel costs people forget

Keep extra cash for:

• Visa fee (if applicable)
• Entrance tickets (now you may see prices in new SYP instead of huge old numbers)
• Travel insurance (recommended)
• Optional experiences (wine tasting, special workshops, etc.)

Practical money tips that save your trip

• Keep some SYP on you daily for small purchases and tickets.
• Bring all the cash you need for your whole stay.
• Split cash into separate pockets/bags.
• Use the hotel safe when possible.
• Carry small USD bills ($1, $5, $10) for tips and small purchases.
• Don’t flash large amounts of cash in public.
• Always confirm the exchange rate when paying in USD.