Middle East & Africa · Non-Hague Jurisdiction
We coordinate service of process, court filings, and related legal document delivery in Syria through informal in-person service and, where practical, diplomatic channels, as part of our Middle East & Africa coverage network.
Syria is not a party to the Hague Service Convention and has no service treaty with the United States. Formal service is by Letters Rogatory through diplomatic channels. Depending on the defendant's location, service through a local agent or lawyer, or a method the court orders under FRCP Rule 4(f)(3), may be more practical.
U.S. policy toward Syria changed substantially after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024. The OFAC Syria sanctions program was terminated effective July 1, 2025, the Caesar Act was repealed in December 2025, and Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism was rescinded on August 24, 2026. Targeted sanctions still apply to specific persons, including Bashar al-Assad and his associates. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended operations in 2012, and a phased reopening was announced in 2026.
Where formal channels to Syria are unavailable or impractical, we arrange direct delivery of your documents to the defendant's personal or business address, with a sworn affidavit of service on completion.
Discuss this approach →We help prepare the formal request package for the court and manage the diplomatic routing this process requires, including coordination with the U.S. State Department where applicable to Syria.
Discuss this approach →Where diplomatic channels would be impractical, we help build the factual record needed to support a motion for court-ordered alternative service in matters involving Syria.
Discuss this approach →Current diplomatic situation: The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended operations in 2012. Diplomatic transmission of Letters Rogatory to Syria is likely to be significantly delayed or impractical, and a Rule 4(f)(3) motion for court-ordered alternative service is often the more realistic path.
Syria's broad country sanctions have been lifted, but targeted sanctions remain on specific persons and entities, and security conditions vary by region. Counsel should check the defendant against current sanctions lists, and we confirm an address can be reached safely before starting.
Requirements and current conditions can change — always confirm Syria's treaty status on the HCCH status table and check current guidance from the U.S. Department of State's judicial assistance page before committing time and court fees to a particular route.
If you expect to enforce a judgment inside Syria, ask counsel familiar with local law whether the method of service you choose will be respected there — service that satisfies a U.S. court doesn't automatically satisfy a foreign one.
We'll tell you plainly which route looks realistic for your matter, rather than promising an outcome.
Hard-to-serve assignments
Syria isn't party to the treaties that give U.S. litigants a standard route for serving papers, so the usual channels can be slow or unavailable. We arrange informal service where it's an option, and can locate the defendant first if you don't have a current address.
There is no formal, treaty-based service method for Syria: it is not a party to the Hague Service Convention or the Inter-American Convention. Letters Rogatory through diplomatic channels can be requested, but they are slow, so many litigants proceed with informal service, or ask the court to authorize alternative service under FRCP Rule 4(f)(3).
We arrange informal service at personal and business addresses across Syria: a private agent delivers the papers to the defendant or an authorized recipient. In federal cases, Rule 4(f)(2)(C)(i) allows personal delivery of the papers to an individual abroad unless the foreign country's law prohibits it (business defendants are governed by Rule 4(h), so the options differ). Ask your counsel to confirm the method suits your court and, if you expect to enforce a judgment in Syria, local law.
You receive a sworn affidavit of service recording the date, place, manner of delivery, and the person served. Syria is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so if the affidavit will also be used in Syria's proceedings, authentication follows consular legalization rather than an apostille. Tell us early and we'll confirm what your court and any foreign use will require.
Before you proceed: If you expect to enforce a judgment in Syria, ask counsel whether service made this way will be respected by courts there, since local rules differ from U.S. practice.
The process
We review your case, deadline, and defendant details to confirm whether Letters Rogatory or a Rule 4(f)(3) motion fits better.
The original documents, a request letter, a cover letter, and translations into Syria's official language(s), typically with a notarized translator's affidavit.
Letters Rogatory must be signed by a judge, not a clerk, and carry whatever seal or authentication Syria requires.
The request is routed through the U.S. Department of State to Syria's foreign ministry and courts.
Authorities in Syria carry out service, and confirmation returns through the same channel for you to file with the court.
Requirements can differ by court and by country, and can change over time — treat this as a general outline, not a checklist for your filing.
Planning your matter
Timing depends on the defendant's location and on security conditions. Agent service in Damascus may be possible within weeks; Letters Rogatory take a year or more.
Translate documents into Arabic, the language of the Syrian courts.
For a defendant in Syria, the options are service through a local agent or lawyer where security allows, a court-ordered method under FRCP Rule 4(f)(3), or Letters Rogatory, which are slow. Counsel should check that the defendant isn't on a sanctions list, since targeted sanctions remain.
Process Server Global has handled international service of process since 1982, and Syria is one of the 195 nations we serve. We manage the paperwork, translations, routing, and proof of service, so your documents reach Syria through the right channel and come back court-ready.
Request service in SyriaGetting papers served in Syria usually depends on the right people in the right offices. We work through the diplomatic and judicial channels Syria recognizes, and coordinate in-country resources where local law allows, so your request doesn't stall on a technicality. If you're considering hiring a single process server directly in Syria, be careful — agents may not be authorized under a foreign country's law to serve documents there, and service that ignores local rules can be challenged or carry serious consequences. Talk to us first, and we'll confirm what's permitted and which route will hold up.
We serve summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court documents in Syria in line with FRCP Rule 4(f), and return proof of service your court can rely on — a diplomatic confirmation or a sworn affidavit of service, depending on the route used.
Syria has not joined the Hague Service Convention, so requests don't go through a Central Authority. Treaty status can change, so confirm it on the HCCH status table before you file.
Whatever the document, our team has the experience to execute your specific request and route it through the right channel the first time.
Decades of experience working through the correct government and judicial channels — Hague Central Authorities where they apply, diplomatic and court channels where they don't — mean your documents move through the right process, wherever they're headed.
Since 1982, we've built a track record litigators rely on — documented, court-ready service performed to FRCP 4(f) standards.
Need documents served in Syria?
Tell us about your case and deadline, and we'll confirm the right service pathway for Syria.
Request Service in SyriaNo. Syria is not a party to the Hague Service Convention or to any service treaty with the United States.
The OFAC Syria sanctions program ended on July 1, 2025, and Syria's state-sponsor-of-terrorism designation was rescinded on August 24, 2026. Targeted sanctions on specific persons, including the former Assad government's leadership, remain, so check the defendant first.
Through a local agent or lawyer where security allows, by a court-ordered method under FRCP Rule 4(f)(3), or by Letters Rogatory, which are slow.
Yes, Arabic is the language of the Syrian courts.
It depends on location and security. We assess each address before giving an estimate.
Our fees for Syria are as follows. Informal service of process: $1,000 (estimated). Per defendant, per address. We confirm the exact fee once you give us the service address. Letters Rogatory: Call for a quote. No treaty route: Letters Rogatory are quoted individually. International rush delivery: Call for pricing. Translation: $0.38 per word. Proper nouns aren't translated. Status update: $350 per update. For matters where an update needs an in-person status check. Tell us about your matter and we'll confirm the total before you commit.
Send us PDF copies of the documents to be served, the defendant's name, an up-to-date address for service (or ask about a skip trace if you don't have one), and your preferred speed and method of service.
Last updated: September 24, 2026
This page provides general information based on treaty membership status and is not legal advice. Requirements can vary by case and change over time — contact us to confirm current procedures for Syria.
