hello,
i've heard some rumours that it is generally advised to get a jordan visa ahead of your trip at your local embassy/consulate in your country, if you want to enter jordan by land from syria - as there will be masses of people in august at the border crossings and you'd have to wait several hours without one in advance......
is that true?
thanks and cheers,
christian
chechurubiera
1
buffybot_in_beirut
Unlikely. Yes, the border is a huge terminal and generally busy (it's a major motorway), but there are often separate (shorter) queues for westerners. The "get-your-visa queue" is just one of many (there is also tax, customs, immigration), so you will have to stand in line regardless. I would count on 1 to 2 hours to clear all border formalities. I would not know why August should be busier than other times. The climate is equally pleasant in Syria and Jordan at that time, so it makes no sense for people from one country to flee towards the other. Gulf Arabs spend the summer in Jordan/Syria/Lebanon, but their vehicles will still only amount to 1 in 50 or 100 if you look at the whole border-crossing traffic. I would be more wary of lots of traffic on precisely defined holidays, e.g. the end of Ramadan.
Going FROM Jordan TO Syria you may have to wait for a few hours to obtain a Syrian visa on the spot, but even that is not always the case. I got my visa in 10 minutes last year.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner
trusted partner