Guides / Government apps & documents / Certificates & embassy services
For Syrians in Qatar: passports, attestation and the MOFA SY app at the Syrian embassy in Doha
Which consular services the Syrian embassy in Doha offers in 2026, how to book them in the MOFA SY app, what a passport costs and how long it lasts, and how to attest papers, register births and get a criminal record extract.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Booking
- MOFA SY app (App Store / Google Play): choose Qatar, then the Doha embassy
- Passport fee
- USD 200 normal queue, USD 400 fast (since June 2025)
- Passport validity
- Usually 6 years; 2.5 years for some groups abroad (since Nov 2025)
- New in 2026
- Syrian criminal record extract via the Doha embassy (from 6 Oct 2026)
After Syria's change of government in December 2024, the Syrian embassy in Doha began offering consular services again in stages: document attestation and powers of attorney from March 2025, passports from July 2025 and a criminal record extract from October 2026. Almost everything is now booked through MOFA SY, the Syrian Foreign Ministry's app. This guide follows the order most Syrians in Qatar need things: get set up in the app, renew or replace your passport and register it in Qatar, then attest papers, record births and marriages, make a power of attorney and request a criminal record. Some details, such as the embassy's opening hours and the price of each service in riyals, are not published, so we say plainly where you need to check with the embassy. The Qatar side of each process is covered in the separate guides linked below.
Before you start
- A smartphone with the MOFA SY app and an account whose details match your Syrian ID exactly
- Your current or expired Syrian passport, plus a copy of the photo page
- Your Syrian ID card, or a recent civil record extract (إخراج قيد) if you have no ID
- Valid Qatar ID (QID) and a copy
- Two recent passport photos on a white background
- The printed electronic application form and appointment confirmation with QR code
- For a lost passport: the police report from Qatar's Ministry of Interior
- For attestation or civil registration: the Qatari document already attested by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- For a power of attorney: a copy of your agent's Syrian ID and any papers for the specific matter (for example a property record)
- Money for the fee; confirm the amount and payment method in the app's fee guide
Step by step
Use the embassy's official channels
The Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Doha has offered consular services again since 2025, adding them in stages: document attestation and powers of attorney from March 2025, then passports from July 2025, and a criminal record extract from October 2026. Announcements appear on its official X account (@syrembassy) and its Facebook page (Syrian Embassy in Qatar), and the embassy's address and contact details are listed in the embassy directory inside the MOFA SY app. Check those channels before you go, because services, hours and requirements are still being updated. Ignore pages or WhatsApp agents that charge to "book" or "speed up" appointments; the ministry has warned against intermediaries.
Install MOFA SY and create an account
MOFA SY is the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates' app, released on the App Store and Google Play in November 2025 and used at every Syrian mission, including Doha. You create an account and your details are checked against Syria's civil records, so enter your name, national number and other details exactly as they appear on your Syrian ID or passport. The app also has a guide to each service with the required documents, a fee guide in the host country's currency, a section for questions and complaints, and "Sila" (صلة) for technical problems and urgent humanitarian cases. Download it only from the official app stores.
Book an appointment and keep the QR code
Almost every service at the embassy now needs an appointment booked in the app. Open the appointments system (نظام المواعيد), choose a new appointment (موعد جديد), select Qatar and the embassy in Doha, pick the service, then a day and time. Save the confirmation and its QR code on your phone, and print it if the service asks you to; staff scan it at the door. Arrive on time with original documents and copies, and do not share your QR code with anyone who is not part of your transaction.
Renew or get a passport at the embassy
Passport issue and renewal restarted in Doha in July 2025; the first passport applied for at the embassy in 13 years was handed over in August 2025. Book a passport appointment, fill in the electronic application form, then print it and bring it with you: the embassy has reminded people that the printed form must be attached to the documents. Bring your old passport, two recent photos, your Syrian ID or a civil record extract if your national number is not in the old passport, and a copy of your Qatar ID (QID). The fee for Syrians abroad was cut in June 2025 to USD 200 for the normal queue and USD 400 for the fast (instant) service; confirm the amount in the app's fee guide, which is updated from time to time.
Know how long your new passport will last
Since the change of government in December 2024, Syrian passports have generally been issued for six years. In November 2025 the Interior Ministry cut validity to two and a half years for some groups abroad, including people who left Syria without passing an official border crossing and people with pending official or court procedures; relatives in Syria can apply for these people. If your passport comes back with a shorter validity, plan your Qatar residence renewals around the new expiry date. In November 2025 the ministry also said passports could be extended for one year free of charge; ask the embassy whether an extension applies to your passport and check with your sponsor that Qatar will accept it for residence.
Register the new passport in Qatar
Your Qatar residence permit is linked to your old passport number, so the new passport must be added to your record with Qatar's immigration department before you travel. Your employer's PRO or your sponsor usually does this through Metrash or the government portal. If your QID is due for renewal while you are still waiting for a passport, ask the embassy whether it can give you a letter for the Qatari authorities; it issued such letters in 2025, when passports were not yet available in Doha. Acceptance is up to Qatar's Ministry of Interior.
Read guide: Got a new passport? Updating it in your Qatar residence record →Lost or damaged passport: police report first
If your Syrian passport is lost or stolen in Qatar, report it to the Ministry of Interior and keep the report. Then book a lost or damaged passport appointment in MOFA SY and bring the report, a copy of the old passport if you have one, photos and your Syrian ID or a recent civil record extract. A replacement costs more than a normal renewal because a fine is added; check the amount in the app. Once the new passport is issued, have it registered in Qatar as in the step above.
Read guide: Lost something in Qatar? Reporting it and getting it back →Attest Qatari documents for use in Syria
Since March 2025 the embassy has attested documents issued in Qatar for use in Syria: birth certificates, school and university certificates, marriage and divorce contracts, civil records and other official papers. First attest the document at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then book an attestation appointment at the embassy. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in November 2025 that attesting academic certificates is free. Syrian documents you need to use in Qatar, such as a degree or marriage certificate, follow the reverse route and are covered in our attestation guides.
Read guide: Attesting marriage and birth certificates for Qatar →Register births, marriages and deaths in Syria
A child born in Qatar or a marriage that took place here is not on the Syrian civil register until it is recorded. Get the Qatari birth certificate or marriage contract, attest it at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the embassy, and book a civil registration appointment in the app. Register as soon as you can: the ministry's fee guide charges more the later an event is registered. The child's Syrian registration is what later allows a Syrian passport to be issued for them.
Read guide: Newborn in Qatar: birth certificate, passport and residence permit →Make a power of attorney (wakala)
A power of attorney (wakala, وكالة) lets a relative or lawyer in Syria act for you, for example to sell property, follow a court case or apply for papers. Book a power-of-attorney appointment and attend in person with your Syrian passport or ID and a copy of your agent's ID. Some types need extra papers, such as the property record for a property sale. The embassy can also attest a power of attorney made in Qatar for use in Syria.
Read guide: Making a power of attorney in Qatar →Get a Syrian criminal record extract
Since 6 October 2026 Syrians in Qatar can request a Syrian criminal record summary (خلاصة السجل العدلي) through the embassy in Doha, one of 13 missions in the first phase. Register for it through MOFA SY; the data you enter must match your official documents. This is a Syrian document, often needed for jobs, studies or immigration elsewhere. A Qatari police clearance (good conduct certificate) is a different document from Qatar's Ministry of Interior.
Read guide: Police clearance certificate (good conduct) in Qatar →Travelling home and getting help
In July 2025 the embassy began accepting requests for a one-time approval for Syrians living in Qatar to travel overland through Saudi Arabia, which is then completed with Saudi Arabia's visa process; check with the embassy whether this is still offered and what it needs before you plan a road trip. If a Syrian dies in Qatar, contact the embassy about papers for burial or repatriation. For unpaid salary or other work problems, file a complaint with Qatar's Ministry of Labour. When sending money home, use licensed banks and exchange houses only.
Read guide: When a family member dies in Qatar: certificates, repatriation and next steps →
What it costs
| Passport issue or renewal, normal queue (Syrians abroad) | USD 200 (pay the riyal amount the embassy sets) |
| Passport issue or renewal, fast (instant) service | USD 400 |
| Attestation of academic certificates | Free (Syrian Foreign Ministry, Nov 2025) |
| Lost passport, power of attorney, other attestations, civil registration, criminal record | See the fee guide in MOFA SY; not published for Doha |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Entering your name or national number in MOFA SY differently from your Syrian ID, so the account or booking fails
- Turning up for a passport appointment without the printed electronic application form
- Paying an agent or social-media page to get an appointment that the app gives for free
- Travelling on a new passport before it has been added to your Qatar residence record
- Taking a Qatari document to the embassy before attesting it at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Leaving a child's birth unregistered with Syria for years, which costs more and delays the child's passport
- Assuming the Syrian criminal record extract and the Qatari police clearance are the same document
- Planning an overland trip through Saudi Arabia without first checking that the transit approval is still offered
Questions people ask
Can I renew my Syrian passport in Doha now?
Yes. The embassy restarted passport issue and renewal in July 2025. Book a passport appointment in the MOFA SY app, fill in and print the electronic form, and bring it with your old passport, photos, Syrian ID or civil extract and a QID copy.
How much does a Syrian passport cost at the embassy?
Since the June 2025 cut, the fee for Syrians abroad is USD 200 in the normal queue and USD 400 for the fast service. A lost or damaged passport costs more because a fine is added. Check the app's fee guide on the day you book, since fees are reviewed periodically.
Why was my new passport issued for only two and a half years?
Since November 2025 Syria's Interior Ministry issues 2.5-year passports to some groups abroad, such as people who left the country without an official crossing or have pending official or court procedures. Others generally get six years. Ask the embassy if you think you were placed in the wrong group.
Can a relative in Syria get my passport for me?
Yes. A relative or a legal agent inside Syria can apply for a passport for a Syrian abroad, and Syria's Interior Ministry has said this route applies to the groups that receive 2.5-year passports. The passport then has to be sent to you in Qatar, so allow extra time.
My QID renewal is due but I am still waiting for my passport. What can I do?
Tell your sponsor or PRO early and ask the embassy whether it can give you a letter for the Qatari authorities; it issued such letters in 2025. Qatar's Ministry of Interior decides whether to accept it. Once the passport arrives, have it added to your residence record before you travel.
How do I register my baby born in Qatar with Syria?
Get the Qatari birth certificate, attest it at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the embassy, and book a civil registration appointment in MOFA SY. Register early, because late registration costs more. Once the child is on the Syrian register, a passport can be issued.
Can I get a Syrian "no criminal record" document from Doha?
Yes. Since 6 October 2026 the Doha embassy is one of 13 missions that issue the Syrian criminal record summary (خلاصة السجل العدلي). Register through the MOFA SY app. It is different from the Qatari police clearance.
Can I drive home to Syria through Saudi Arabia?
In July 2025 the embassy started issuing a one-time approval for Syrians in Qatar to cross Saudi Arabia overland, which is then completed with the Saudi visa process. Check with the embassy that the service is still running and what it needs before you plan the trip.
Official sources
- Enab Baladi: Syrian embassy in Qatar starts attesting documents (Mar 2025) ↗
- Enab Baladi: Syrian embassy in Doha issues transit approvals via Saudi Arabia (Jul 2025) ↗
- Enab Baladi: passport validity cut for some Syrians abroad; fees USD 200/400 (Nov 2025) ↗
- SANA: the MOFA SY booking app and its services (Sept 2026) ↗
- SANA: criminal record extract now available at the Doha mission (Oct 2026) ↗
- Al Jazeera Net: consular services reactivated at all Syrian missions (Nov 2025) ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.