Do Australia passport holders need a visa to visit SY?

Australian ordinary passport holders need a visa for Syria. Most Western/Commonwealth nationals obtain a visa on arrival (paid in USD cash) at the airport or land border, but if flying in you must arrange a prior "OK to board" approval before departure. Australia's government maintains a "Do Not Travel" advisory for Syria. As of 31 May 2026, Australia has no visa-waiver, eVisa, or ETA arrangement with Syria. Under the transitional Syrian government's visa policy (revised through 2025-2026), only a short list of nationalities (e.g. Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Yemen, Mauritania, GCC) enter visa-free or on special terms; Iran and several others need a visa strictly in advance, and Israeli nationals or anyone with Israeli stamps/visas are banned. Australians fall into the broad group of nationalities that receive a visa on arrival, with the fee paid in cash US dollars at the airport or land border. The previous eVisa portal (evisa.sy) is not operational. Importantly, airlines will not board a solo traveler bound for Damascus without an advance "OK to board"/visa-approval document, so air arrivals must secure this through a Syrian tour operator or sponsor beforehand; land borders (via Lebanon/Jordan) issue the VOA on the spot but can close without notice. Fees are roughly USD 150-250 for Commonwealth nationals depending on the latest schedule, payable only in clean USD cash (ATMs/cards do not work in Syria). Passports must be valid 6+ months with proof of onward travel. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (Smartraveller) rates Syria "Do Not Travel" (Level 4) due to armed conflict, terrorism, airstrikes, kidnapping and arbitrary detention; consular support is extremely limited as Australia has no operating embassy in Damascus. This guide describes visa mechanics only and is not a recommendation to travel.