Buying an Apartment in Damascus from the USA 2026
Transfers are easier than two years ago, the paperwork still decides everything, and title must be checked before any money moves. Here is the full path for a buyer in the United States, handled through a power of attorney and a verified brief.
If you live in the United States and want an apartment in Damascus, the purchase happens in two places at once: your decisions and signatures in the US, and the viewing, verification and registration work in Damascus. Elmas acts as the person on the ground for the second half — we source the apartment on request, check its title at the registry, and buy under your power of attorney.
- The Caesar Act’s secondary sanctions were repealed in December 2025 in the FY2026 NDAA. Sending the purchase price from a US bank is workable again — with preparation.
- Syria is still designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and named individuals and entities remain sanctioned. Clear each transfer with your bank in advance.
- Non-Syrian buyers fall under Law 11/2011: Interior Ministry approval plus a 2-year no-dispose rule. A parliament vote in February 2021 to relax the family and 140 m² conditions was still pending signature — verify the current text before relying on it.
- We hold no standing inventory. You send a brief, we find matching apartments, verify title before you pay, and document every payment in the contract.
What changed for US transfers after Dec 2025
Repeal of the Caesar Act’s secondary sanctions in December 2025, within the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, has started restoring correspondent banking relationships, remittance flows and trade finance. For a buyer in the US, that means a documented property payment routed through banks is no longer blocked at the first counter the way it often was two years ago.
Relief is partial, not total. Syria remains designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and sanctions on specific individuals and entities remain in force. In practice: talk to your US bank before signing anything, present the purchase paperwork (preliminary contract, seller identity, registry extract), and get written confirmation that the transfer purpose is accepted. Our companion guide to paying for property in Syria while living abroad walks through the bank-side preparation in detail.
Do not assume restrictions have simply ended. Any sizeable transfer needs advance clearance with your bank, and the compliance answer can differ between banks for the same paperwork.
Looking for property in Damascus? Tell us the area and budget — we search, view and verify the title deed on your behalf.
POA at the Syrian mission + what it must cover
You do not need to fly in. The purchase is signed in Damascus by your representative under a power of attorney (POA) that you prepare in the US, sign before the Syrian mission, have legalised, and ship to Damascus as the original. A scan is useful for drafting; the registry and the bank work off the original.
The POA must expressly cover each step, because an office in Damascus only accepts what the document states:
- Selecting and reserving: negotiating price and signing a reservation or preliminary contract for a described apartment.
- Paying: paying the price through the banking channel, including the portion settled via banks under Law 15/2021.
- Signing and registering: signing the final sale contract and registering the transfer at the land registry (tabu).
- Receiving: taking handover of the apartment and keys, and signing the handover record.
Keep the POA narrow: name the representative, limit its duration, and tie it to the purchase of one described apartment rather than open-ended authority. Before funds move, we confirm with the registry office that its wording will be accepted.
How we source and verify before you pay
Because we carry no standing stock, every search starts with your brief: area, size, number of rooms, floor, direction, and budget. Those six fields are the same vocabulary our own listings use, so a brief matches directly against what the market actually offers.
For each candidate we view the apartment in person and check title at the registry — the tabu record, the seller’s identity and authority to sell, and any mortgage, seizure, dispute or competing claim noted on the file. Forged title papers and invalid powers of attorney are the documented fraud pattern against buyers abroad who cannot inspect, so this check happens before any reservation payment. You receive photos and video of the shortlisted apartments plus the registry findings in plain language, and only then decide.
To start, send your brief through the property request page: area, size, rooms, floor, direction, budget, and your phone number. We reply with what matches and what the title check found.
Seven steps in order, over three pages: what to check before you pay, what to get in writing, and the stop signs.
Looking for a specific property? Tell us the area and budget and we will search for you.
Request a propertyClosing and handover with photo/video report
Closing runs in three documented stages. First, the preliminary contract names the apartment, the total price, and the full payment schedule — each installment with its date, amount and method — so later payments reference the contract line they settle. Second, the price is paid through traceable channels with receipts kept for every installment, including the share of the value settled via banks under Law 15/2021. Third, the final contract is signed and the transfer is registered at the tabu, which is the moment ownership legally moves.
Read contract amounts in the new lira: 100 old lira = 1 new lira since 1 January 2026, with the rate around 122 to the dollar in July 2026. State the currency of each contract figure explicitly so old-lira and new-lira numbers are never confused.
At handover we record a photo and video report of the apartment as received — rooms, finishes, meters, and keys — and send it with the signed handover record and the registration documents. That file closes the brief you opened.
FAQ
Can I buy without flying in?
Yes. The standard path is a POA signed before the Syrian mission in the US and shipped to Damascus as the original, paired with remote verification: in-person viewing, registry title check, and photo/video reports for each step. You sign the POA; we handle the Damascus side under it.
Are sanctions fully gone?
No. Only the Caesar Act’s secondary sanctions were repealed in December 2025. Syria remains designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and sanctions on named individuals and entities remain in force. Clear each transfer with your US bank in advance with the purchase paperwork in hand.
How do installments get documented?
Every installment is written into the preliminary contract with its date, amount and payment method, and each payment is settled through a traceable channel with its receipt kept. The final contract and the registration reference the same schedule, so the full price trail reads in one file.
Where do I start?
Send your brief — area, size, rooms, floor, direction, budget, phone — through the property request page. We reply with matching apartments and their title findings before you commit to anything.
- Repeal of Caesar Act secondary sanctions, December 2025, within the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act
- Syria’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation — still in force; named individuals and entities remain sanctioned
- Non-Syrian ownership: Law 11/2011 (Interior Ministry approval, 2-year no-dispose); February 2021 parliament vote on the family and 140 m² conditions was pending signature — verify current text
- Payment through banks: 15% of value via the banking channel under Law 15/2021
- New lira: 100 old = 1 new from 1 January 2026; rate around 122 to the dollar, July 2026
General information only, not legal advice. Confirm ownership rules with a lawyer and transfer steps with your bank before signing.
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Area, size, rooms, floor, direction, budget — send them through the request page linked in this guide and we reply with matching apartments plus their title findings.