Investing, trading and coming home

The legal barriers have largely fallen. The practical ones — banking, logistics, documentation — have not.

How sanctions unwound

June 2025

Executive Order 14312 terminated comprehensive US sanctions on Syria, effective 1 July 2025.

September 2025

Commerce relaxed export controls, authorising most EAR99 exports under a new licence exception.

December 2025

Congress repealed the Caesar Act in the FY2026 NDAA, removing the threat of secondary sanctions on third-party investors.

May 2026

The Central Bank authorised licensed banks and payment firms to work with Visa and Mastercard.

24 August 2026

The State Department rescinded Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, removing the last broad structural barrier.

27 August 2026

Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards worked at Syrian payment terminals for the first time.

For investors and traders

List-based sanctions remain on Assad-linked figures, Captagon networks and human rights abusers. Counterparty due diligence is now the compliance work, not country risk
Foreign banks remain cautious well beyond what the law now requires; expect slow correspondent banking and de-risking, and plan payment routes before signing anything
The 2025 investment law update widened tax and customs incentives; local counsel is essential to use them
The World Bank put reconstruction needs at around $216 billion — the opportunity is real and so is the execution risk
Company formation and property purchase both require Syrian legal representation; do not rely on a handshake and a fixer
Electricity, logistics and skilled labour are the practical constraints most business plans underestimate

For diaspora returning

Establish military service status before travelling if you are a man roughly 17–42 — do this through a consulate or lawyer, not on arrival
Bring original civil documents: family registry extract, birth records, old identity papers, property deeds
Verify property records before you arrive; wartime transfers and destroyed registries have made claims complicated
Keep a foreign bank account and card as a fallback — domestic banking rails are still being rebuilt
Foreign residents are expected to register locally; confirm the current requirement close to your date
Basic services — power, water, waste, documentation systems — are mid-repair. Plan for intermittency rather than failure

Getting a company or a claim moving

We maintain a vetted list of Syrian law firms, accountants and customs brokers who work with foreign clients and diaspora returnees, with an introduction service for more involved matters.

Request an introduction

Verified 10 Oct 2026