Syrian Embassies Worldwide Halt All Paid Services for Five Days

All Syrian embassies and consulates will temporarily stop providing paid consular services at the end of the year. The suspension is for annual financial procedures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced the move. Paid services will stop from the morning of Wednesday, December 31, 2025. They will resume on the evening of Sunday, January 4, 2026. Mohammad Al-Omar, Director of the Consular Affairs Department, confirmed the dates. The pause is for standard end-of-year accounting. The ministry must close its financial records for 2025. "Fee-based consular services" include any service requiring a payment. Examples are passport renewals, document authentication, and visa processing. The halt affects all Syrian diplomatic missions globally. Travelers and citizens needing these services must plan around the closure. Emergency assistance for Syrian citizens abroad may not be affected. Officials did not specify if free emergency services will continue.