visa

The officials on the borders handling the visa DO CHECK with hotels to verify if you are actually staying in the hotel that you specified on the visa application form.
Americans do get visa on border for USD 16,but they must wait for few hours to process the visa.
Enjoy Syria

This Syrian-visa-at-the-border question sure is popular !

Honestly : I really don't know why so many people insist on getting the visa at the border. I've been to Syria 6 times and in my experience the Syrian embassy is one of the most hassle-free embassies when it comes to visas. Fill out two forms, pay the modest visa fee (recently reduced, now only 10 € transit / 25 € entry for most EU citizens) and you get the visa 1-2 days later. Why risk waiting 10 hours at some remote border crossing ???

The risk is taken because a) poster is already traveling and prefers not to mail his/her passport back to home country and b) for Americans, it's 130USD vs. 16USD. Not exactly modest. I think I would chance it the next time I go, scheduling enough time in case of a long delay.

I had an easier time at the Tripoli border, although I had a double-entry and didn't actually need a new visa. The officials misread it somehow and tried to issue me a new one for 16USD--after a discussion of 15 minutes or so, not 10 hours.

b) for Americans, it's 130USD vs. 16USD.

#3 Most of the posters seems to be from the UK or other countries in Europe.

The OP of this thread has a US passport. I've noticed more and more US passport threads popping up lately, when it used to be advised to never try getting a visa at the border witih a US passport.

Besides, the UK visa is rather expensive as well, isn't it?

For a lot of people (all the ones I met in Syria) it's all about the fact that you're already on the road, and maybe passing through different countries every few weeks so it's absolutely impossible to get a Syrian visa from your home country. For me personally, being from NZ, it's even more impossible as there is no Syrian Embassy in NZ! Most passport holders get through in about 1/2 hour or less so I can't see any reason at all to bother applying in your home country or at a Syrian Embassy abroad ($ for letter of introduction, hours wasted getting from hotel to your home embassy to get the letter, then more time to get to the Syrian Embassy, applying, then going back again to pick the visa and passport up which will all cost WAY more than getting one at the border).

All this could change of course if they start being picky about who they issue visas to at the border. But from what I can see, it's getting even easier and cheaper to do it this way. Fantastic news as Syria is an absolute gem of a country and for many it's the highlight of the Middle East. I recommend anyone who's in the area to go there, even if you only have a week spare - it's SO worth it.

VeeDub you summed it up very well,I hope this will encourage people who are in doubt about visiting Syria and put off cos of the visa applicaion/complication and confusion to think again and put Syria back on the travel list.
Thank you for wholeheartedly recommending Syria

yes by getting the visa at the border I saved the 131.00 usd plus potage and handling lets say 150. i pay 16.00 usd at the border it came out to be about 20.00usd an hour for me to wait for it at border.

the story of why I crossed over to Lebanon is this I had hired a taxi from Homes to take me out to the castle and I enquired about Tipoli he said it was completely safe and not to hesitate about going I said I don't want to wait for another visa at the border. He say no problem the comandant is a friend I will introduce you and check it out for you so before I left and crossed to Lebanon he assured me next day visa 15minn max come between 9-12 no problem to make a long story short things where a little differnt the next day I waited until the fax from Dam came and it did btw 16.00 for the second transit visa as well.

Thank you all that have posted

Just for the benifit of future posters : If I understand you correctly, you got atransit visa for 16 USD. And the price of a full tourist visa in the US would have been 131. How much is a transit visa in the US ? And is it possible to get a full tourist visa valid for more than 3 days ?