With the deadline for importing used cars set to end on 31 December 2025, Syria’s National Committee for Import and Export decided to allow the entry of cars currently in free zones, border crossings, and ports, even if their chassis numbers were not matched on the electronic platform.

The decision aims to address the status of cars that are already physically inside Syrian territory.

In a decision published on Monday, 29 December 2025, the committee set the following conditions for bringing in the cars covered by the decision:

1. The car must have been physically present before the date the decision was issued.
2. The chassis number must be officially verified and show no signs of erasure or tampering.
3. An entry request must be submitted, complete with the required legal and technical documents.
4. The car must not be linked to any smuggling case, final court ruling, or enforceable legal ban.

The decision also covers cars brought in under the temporary admission system and subject to delay fines for overstaying, on condition that:

• All customs fees and due fines are paid in full.
• The car is not linked to any smuggling case or final court ruling.

Owners of the cars covered by the decision were given 30 days to complete the payment of fees and fines and finalize the formal entry procedures, according to the decision.

The General Directorate of Customs was tasked with implementing the decision and taking all necessary legal and administrative steps, including processing customs transactions, verifying data, and collecting fees and fines.

Ban on importing motorcycles

The National Committee for Import and Export also decided to ban the import of motorcycles of all types, names, and uses into Syria, whether new or used, starting 1 April 2026.

The committee exempted motorcycles that entered Syria before the specified date and for which valid formal procedures had already been completed under applicable laws and regulations.

Deadline for car importers

The Ministry of Economy and Industry had previously granted used-car importers registered on the used-car registration platform at the General Authority for Land and Sea Transport an additional deadline to regularize their status.

In a decision issued on 19 November 2025, the ministry said the deadline would end on 31 December 2025, and registrants must bring imported cars into the country before that date.

Violators are subject to applicable laws and regulations.

At the end of June 2025, the Ministry of Economy issued a decision to halt used-car imports, with specific exemptions.

The decision exempted trucks, tractor heads, public works machinery, and agricultural tractors, provided they were no more than 10 years old, excluding the year of manufacture. It also exempted passenger buses with more than 32 seats, provided they were no more than four years old, excluding the year of manufacture.

The decision allowed the import of new, unused cars, provided their year of manufacture was no more than two years old, excluding the year of manufacture.

It also exempted importers who had purchased cars before the decision, provided they proved the chassis numbers to the General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, with a deadline of 6 July 2025.

What is the National Committee for Import and Export?

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 263, mandating the formation of the “National Committee for Import and Export.”

The committee is tasked with:

• Studying and approving proposals to allow or ban the entry of goods and products into Syria.
• Approving the addition or removal of items from the negative list for import or export.
• Issuing interpretive decisions related to economic policy on imports and exports.