At the entrance of the Immigration and Passports Department in Baramkeh, Damascus, Ali Dourobi has been waiting for four days — from morning until the end of working hours — only to return again the next day, hoping to finally collect his passport.
“The queues are back at the immigration office,” says Dourobi, a graduate student who needs the document to apply for a scholarship in Bulgaria.
Dourobi’s experience mirrors that of many others who gather daily in long lines outside the passport issuance window, anxiously waiting for their names to be called.
After a brief period of reduced traffic over the past two months, crowds have once again swelled at immigration offices across Damascus.
Long Waits and High Fees
“How is it possible that I pay 8.5 million Syrian pounds for four passports and still have to wait like this?” asks Rabie Ma’ruf, another frustrated applicant.
Ma’ruf, who recently secured a job opportunity in Jordan, needed to obtain passports for his wife and two children. Despite paying the fees, he has been stuck waiting for three consecutive days at the immigration offices in Baramkeh and Marjeh, with no success in retrieving the documents.
Since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, the immigration department has exclusively issued “immediate” passports — an expedited service requiring an appointment.
The cost of an immediate passport inside Syria currently stands at 2,010,700 Syrian pounds (approximately $200).
Bottlenecks at Both Application and Collection Stages
Crowds are forming not only to pick up passports but also to submit paperwork. After registering online through the Interior Ministry’s platform, applicants are still required to physically submit printed documents at the immigration office before receiving a scheduled pickup date.
In theory, the passport should be ready within two days.
Applicants must book their appointments through the online portal, upload required documents, and pay the relevant fees — either directly or, more commonly, through intermediaries and “brokers” who specialize in securing early slots.
Post-Eid Holiday Surge
Director of the Immigration and Passports Department, Walid Arabi, explained that the surge in demand began after the Eid al-Fitr holidays, as many expatriates returned to Syria and sought to renew their travel documents.
Speaking to Enab Baladi, Arabi acknowledged the heavy pressure on immigration offices despite limiting services to immediate passports only. He said the department is working on measures to ease the congestion, including opening additional passport centers and restoring the main headquarters in Zablattani, Damascus, which was burned and vandalized by unknown assailants during the chaotic aftermath of the regime’s fall in December.
Future Reforms Under Study
Arabi also revealed that the department is studying the possibility of eliminating the “regular” passport service altogether and reducing the fees for immediate passports issued inside Syria.
The move would aim to alleviate crowding and ease the financial burden on applicants — especially those residing abroad, where fees are significantly higher.
Currently, the costs for issuing passports are as follows:
- Inside Syria:
- Regular passport: 312,700 Syrian pounds (issued within 30–45 days)
- Expedited (“urgent”) passport: 432,700 Syrian pounds (issued within 15 days)
- Immediate passport: around 2 million Syrian pounds (issued within 2 days)
- Outside Syria:
- Regular passport: $300
- Expedited passport: $800
Despite the transition to a more streamlined system, the return of long queues reflects the enduring logistical and administrative challenges facing Syrians seeking basic services in a country still reeling from years of conflict and upheaval.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
