Syria
Profiled in Damascus · the Middle East
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with Umayyad architecture and desert caravan ruins, emerging from fourteen years of war and a change of government in December 2024.
Cost of living
What a month costs
Currency collapse makes nominal prices meaningless. Fuel, electricity and imported goods are scarce and expensive, and sanctions restrict banking.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Damascus
- Umayyad MosqueEighth-century mosque in the heart of old Damascus.
- Old City of DamascusUNESCO-listed walled city and Straight Street.
- Krak des ChevaliersOne of the best-preserved Crusader castles, a UNESCO site.
- PalmyraColonnaded Roman ruins in the Syrian desert.
- Aleppo CitadelVast fortified hill at the centre of the old city.
- Souk al-HamidiyahCovered market leading to the Umayyad Mosque.
- Azm PalaceOttoman governor's palace in Damascus.
- Bosra Roman TheatreFifteen-thousand-seat theatre built of black basalt.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- PalmyraRoman desert caravan city, heavily damaged by ISIS.
- Krak des ChevaliersCrusader castle above the Homs gap.
- MaaloulaChristian village where Aramaic is still spoken.
- AleppoNorthern city with the citadel and war-damaged souks.
- BosraRoman theatre in black basalt in the south.
Residency
There is no investor route, and international sanctions materially restrict banking and investment. The political transition since December 2024 has not yet produced a settled framework for foreign residence.
Tax
Personal rates reach 22% and the corporate rate is 28%, with sector variation. Sanctions and currency controls dominate practical considerations over headline rates.
Curious what you would actually pay? See the Syria tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →
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