Syria

Opening hours

Administrations: from 8.30 AM to 2 PM Saturday to Thursday.

Standards

Domestic framework and international association

There is a programme in charged of developing standards. There are currently 450 standards, similar to the French and United Nations ones. The ISO 9000 corresponds to the following Syrian standards: 1147, 1148, 1149, 1150, 1151 and to a large number of instructions relating to quality.

Legal framework

Independence of justice

Officially Syria is a republic based on parliamentary democracy but in reality it is controlled by an authoritarian, military dominated regime where President and his ruling party have immense powers. The official name of the Syria is Syrian Arab Republic.
President is the chief of state and is elected by a popular referendum for a seven-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds the executive powers. He can declare the war, issue the laws, amend the constitution, and appoint civil and military personnel. President appoints the Prime Minister (as head of the government) and his cabinet, to serve for any period of time he wishes.
The legislature is unicameral in Syria. The parliament consists of People's Council having 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. 167 out of 250 seats are reserved for the ruling party. Syria has been under a state of emergency since 1963 due to its status of war with Israel, which gives President special powers including dissolving of the parliament if he wishes. The people of Syria have very limited political rights.
Judiciary is not independent in Syria; it is highly controlled by the ruling party. The main source of law in Syria is the constitution of 1973. The country’s legal system is based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law being used in the family courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. Arabic is the judicial language used in the country, having an interpreter is possible.
Syria is not ruled by law. Political and civil liberties in Syria continued to deteriorate. Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system. A high degree of corruption exists in the country. The regime officials and their offsprings monopolize many lucrative industrial sectors within the country and benefit from a range of other illicit economic activities.

Equal treatment of nationals and foreigners

Officially Syria is a republic based on parliamentary democracy but in reality it is controlled by an authoritarian, military dominated regime where President and his ruling party have immense powers. The official name of the Syria is Syrian Arab Republic.
President is the chief of state and is elected by a popular referendum for a seven-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds the executive powers. He can declare the war, issue the laws, amend the constitution, and appoint civil and military personnel. President appoints the Prime Minister (as head of the government) and his cabinet, to serve for any period of time he wishes.
The legislature is unicameral in Syria. The parliament consists of People's Council having 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. 167 out of 250 seats are reserved for the ruling party. Syria has been under a state of emergency since 1963 due to its status of war with Israel, which gives President special powers including dissolving of the parliament if he wishes. The people of Syria have very limited political rights.
Judiciary is not independent in Syria; it is highly controlled by the ruling party. The main source of law in Syria is the constitution of 1973. The country’s legal system is based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law being used in the family courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. Arabic is the judicial language used in the country, having an interpreter is possible.
Syria is not ruled by law. Political and civil liberties in Syria continued to deteriorate. Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system. A high degree of corruption exists in the country. The regime officials and their offsprings monopolize many lucrative industrial sectors within the country and benefit from a range of other illicit economic activities.

The language of justice

Officially Syria is a republic based on parliamentary democracy but in reality it is controlled by an authoritarian, military dominated regime where President and his ruling party have immense powers. The official name of the Syria is Syrian Arab Republic.
President is the chief of state and is elected by a popular referendum for a seven-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds the executive powers. He can declare the war, issue the laws, amend the constitution, and appoint civil and military personnel. President appoints the Prime Minister (as head of the government) and his cabinet, to serve for any period of time he wishes.
The legislature is unicameral in Syria. The parliament consists of People's Council having 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. 167 out of 250 seats are reserved for the ruling party. Syria has been under a state of emergency since 1963 due to its status of war with Israel, which gives President special powers including dissolving of the parliament if he wishes. The people of Syria have very limited political rights.
Judiciary is not independent in Syria; it is highly controlled by the ruling party. The main source of law in Syria is the constitution of 1973. The country’s legal system is based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law being used in the family courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. Arabic is the judicial language used in the country, having an interpreter is possible.
Syria is not ruled by law. Political and civil liberties in Syria continued to deteriorate. Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system. A high degree of corruption exists in the country. The regime officials and their offsprings monopolize many lucrative industrial sectors within the country and benefit from a range of other illicit economic activities.

Having recourse to an interpreter

Officially Syria is a republic based on parliamentary democracy but in reality it is controlled by an authoritarian, military dominated regime where President and his ruling party have immense powers. The official name of the Syria is Syrian Arab Republic.
President is the chief of state and is elected by a popular referendum for a seven-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds the executive powers. He can declare the war, issue the laws, amend the constitution, and appoint civil and military personnel. President appoints the Prime Minister (as head of the government) and his cabinet, to serve for any period of time he wishes.
The legislature is unicameral in Syria. The parliament consists of People's Council having 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. 167 out of 250 seats are reserved for the ruling party. Syria has been under a state of emergency since 1963 due to its status of war with Israel, which gives President special powers including dissolving of the parliament if he wishes. The people of Syria have very limited political rights.
Judiciary is not independent in Syria; it is highly controlled by the ruling party. The main source of law in Syria is the constitution of 1973. The country’s legal system is based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law being used in the family courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. Arabic is the judicial language used in the country, having an interpreter is possible.
Syria is not ruled by law. Political and civil liberties in Syria continued to deteriorate. Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system. A high degree of corruption exists in the country. The regime officials and their offsprings monopolize many lucrative industrial sectors within the country and benefit from a range of other illicit economic activities.

Sources of the law and legal similarities

Officially Syria is a republic based on parliamentary democracy but in reality it is controlled by an authoritarian, military dominated regime where President and his ruling party have immense powers. The official name of the Syria is Syrian Arab Republic.
President is the chief of state and is elected by a popular referendum for a seven-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds the executive powers. He can declare the war, issue the laws, amend the constitution, and appoint civil and military personnel. President appoints the Prime Minister (as head of the government) and his cabinet, to serve for any period of time he wishes.
The legislature is unicameral in Syria. The parliament consists of People's Council having 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. 167 out of 250 seats are reserved for the ruling party. Syria has been under a state of emergency since 1963 due to its status of war with Israel, which gives President special powers including dissolving of the parliament if he wishes. The people of Syria have very limited political rights.
Judiciary is not independent in Syria; it is highly controlled by the ruling party. The main source of law in Syria is the constitution of 1973. The country’s legal system is based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious law being used in the family courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. Arabic is the judicial language used in the country, having an interpreter is possible.
Syria is not ruled by law. Political and civil liberties in Syria continued to deteriorate. Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system. A high degree of corruption exists in the country. The regime officials and their offsprings monopolize many lucrative industrial sectors within the country and benefit from a range of other illicit economic activities.

Intellectual Property

Domestic network and international agreements

Syria's legal system recognises and facilitates the transfer of property rights, including the rights of industrial property. Syria is one of the member countries of Paris Convention. A previous registration of intellectual property rights is required in order to follow up any infringement. .
Patents are valid for a 15-year period (renewable) if the invention has been used for two years.
As far as the copyright of authors is concerned, most of the books published in Syria are written in Arabic language and are written by Syrian authors. There is a legal vacuum in this field and the country's authorities seldom punish possible counterfeiting. There are counterfeiters who record CDs, videos, etc. Video cassettes are 100% copied but there is little repercussions on the global economy as such. However, it is advised that the persons victimised by this kind of phenomenon should avoid legal pursuit of the authors of frauds, Since the cost of legal action is often higher than the eventual indictment delivered in a legal suit. As for trademarks, they are registered for a period of 10 years and the first applicant is the proprietor of the trademark.

Tax rates

Accounting rules

Tax year

The fiscal year begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st of the same year.

Accountancy profession

The "Association of Syrian Certified Accountants".

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