Syria has denied the existence of any new decision to impose the "sponsor" condition on Iraqi citizens wishing to visit Syria , in response to statements by the head of the Security and Defense Committee in the Nineveh Provincial Council, Mohammed Jassim Kakai, in which he spoke about the requirement for the presence of a sponsor to grant Iraqis an entry visa to Syria.
Kakaye had said in statements to Rudaw Network that the Syrian government requires the presence of a "sponsor" to grant entry visas to Iraqis, explaining that anyone wishing to visit Syria must have someone inside it to complete the transactions for him and be his sponsor, in order to be able to obtain the visa at the border.
The Iraqi official pointed to the case of a family from the Zammar district of Nineveh province who was unable to enter Syria to participate in a condolence ceremony due to the lack of a sponsor, calling for facilitating the movement of citizens between the two countries, especially after the reopening of the Rabia border crossing last April.
No amendment to the entry procedures for Lebanese and Iraqis into Syria
The Syrian denial came in an interview with the Syrian National Directorate of Border Ports and Customs, Mazen Alloush, on Wednesday, June 10, where he stressed that what is being discussed about imposing the sponsor condition on all Iraqis "needs to be clarified", stressing that large groups of Iraqi citizens can enter Syria directly through border crossings without a prior visa, in accordance with the instructions in force and the documents required for each case.
He added that Iraqi citizens whose status does not fall within the categories allowed for direct entry must obtain an entry visa from the Immigration and Passports Department at the Syrian Ministry of Interior, noting that this measure is organizational and aims to control the movement of entry and residency, and does not target Iraqis in any way.
Wide categories exempt from advance visa
Alloush explained that an Iraqi married to a Syrian citizen, or an Iraqi woman married to a Syrian citizen, is among the categories allowed to enter without a prior visa, provided that official documents prove this.
The facilities also include holders of valid Syrian residency, those who have obtained prior entry approvals, children of underage Syrian citizens, Iraqi students in Syrian universities, media professionals who have received approval from the Ministry of Information, in addition to traders, industrialists, diplomats and other categories stipulated in the instructions in force, he said.
He stressed that Syria grants Iraqi citizens extensive entry facilities, as part of its keenness to enhance communication between the two peoples and facilitate movement within the approved legal frameworks.
65,000 Iraqis enter Syria in two years
Alloush revealed that the number of Iraqi citizens who entered Syria through official land ports during 2025 and 2026 and until the end of last May reached about 65,000 people.
He added that about 41,000 Iraqi citizens entered Syrian territory during the first five months of 2026, explaining that the issuance of visas and entry visas is the competence of the Immigration and Passports Department, while the tasks of the General Authority for Ports and Customs are limited to implementing the instructions in force and facilitating the movement of transit.
3 official border crossings between Syria and Iraq
There are currently three main and officially open land border crossings between Iraq and Syria for the movement of passengers, goods, and trade during 2026, and these ports form the backbone of land crossings between the two countries.
The Al-Qaim – Al-Bukamal port is the most active, as it connects the city of Al-Qaim in Iraq's Anbar province to the city of Al-Bukamal in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, and receives the largest percentage of passenger and tourist car traffic.
The Rabi'ah-al-Yarubiya crossing, located in northwestern Iraq in Nineveh province and opposite the al-Yarubiya crossing in Syria's al-Hasakah province, was officially reopened on April 20, 2026, after a 13-year closure, reactivating traffic and trade through it.
In the southern direction, the Al-Waleed-Al-Tanf crossing in the Rutba district of Anbar province, which is opposite the Al-Tanf crossing in the Syrian province of Homs, is witnessing a gradual return to activity after its reactivation on April 2, 2026, to facilitate the passage of truck convoys and land transport traffic between the two countries.