Your normal policy almost certainly will not cover you, and hospitals want cash. The least glamorous preparation, and the most important.
Standard travel insurance usually will not pay out in Syria. Most policies void cover where a do-not-travel advisory applies, and some insurers exclude Syria outright on sanctions grounds. Get Syria named in writing, with medical treatment and emergency evacuation included, and expect hospitals to want cash up front.
This is the least interesting page in this section and the one most likely to save you from a catastrophe. Standard travel insurance usually will not cover you in Syria, hospitals expect payment in cash, and your embassy can do very little from inside the country. Sort this out before anything else.
Two separate problems. Most policies exclude travel against a government advisory, and every Western government currently advises against all travel to Syria, which voids cover on its own. Separately, some insurers still exclude Syria by name on sanctions grounds, regardless of advisories.
Do not assume, and do not rely on a policy summary. Ask the insurer to confirm in writing that Syria is covered, that medical treatment and emergency evacuation are included, and that the advisory does not void the policy. If they will not put it in writing, you are not covered.
Specialist insurers do cover travel to countries under do-not-travel advisories. It costs more than ordinary travel insurance and is worth every unit of currency.
Syrian doctors are generally well trained and pharmacists are capable, but the health system came through fourteen years of war and facilities are uneven. Expect to pay cash up front for treatment, including at hospitals. Serious cases may mean evacuation, which is why evacuation cover matters more here than almost anywhere.
Bring all your own medication in original packaging with a copy of the prescription. Specific brands may not be available. Tap water is best avoided; bottled water is cheap and everywhere.
Speak to a travel clinic or your doctor well ahead about routine vaccinations and anything they recommend for the region. Carry a basic kit for the things that actually happen: an upset stomach, a headache, blisters from walking on old stone all day.
In order. The first two steps are the ones people skip.
Specifically: does the do-not-travel advisory void my cover, and is Syria excluded by name? Get the answer in writing.
Policies exist for travel to countries under do-not-travel advisories. Confirm medical treatment and emergency evacuation are both included.
Routine vaccinations and anything recommended for the region. Do this early, since some need a course over several weeks.
Everything you take, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription, plus spare for delays.
Painkillers, rehydration salts, something for an upset stomach, plasters for blisters.
On top of your trip budget. There is no card payment and no ATM to fall back on.
Standard policies usually do not. Most exclude travel against a government advisory, and every Western government currently advises against all travel to Syria. Some insurers also exclude Syria by name. Specialist cover exists and is what you need.
Syria named in writing, medical treatment, emergency evacuation, and confirmation that the do-not-travel advisory does not void the policy. If an insurer will not confirm those in writing, treat yourself as uninsured.
Doctors are generally well trained and pharmacists are capable, but facilities are uneven after fourteen years of war. Expect to pay cash up front, and expect that a serious case may mean evacuation.
Speak to a travel clinic or your doctor six to eight weeks ahead. We do not give medical advice, and requirements depend on your history, your route and the time of year.
Better not to. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere, and costs around a dollar.