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Ways to send money to Syria from Europe and North America in 2026

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Sending money home to Syria used to mean one thing: finding someone you trust who knows someone in Damascus or Aleppo. Since 2025 the options have opened up. Most international sanctions were lifted, the first international bank transfer since the war went through in June 2025, and new services started paying out in Syria.

Here are the main ways to send money to Syria from Europe, the US and Canada today, and the questions worth asking before you pick one.

Provider details below were checked on each provider's own website in late September 2026. Routes and payout rules change often, so check again before you send.

1. Global money transfer companies

The big names have agents in Syria, and some let you send from their app or website:

  • Western Union lets you send online or in its app from Germany. When we checked, its German Syria page listed cash pickup in Syrian pounds.
  • MoneyGram lets you send from Germany online or in its app. Its French website said the Syria corridor is not available from France.

Good to know: in April 2026 the Central Bank of Syria (Decision 235) required this type of payout to be made in Syrian pounds. A June 2026 amendment allows foreign currency "at the beneficiary's choice", depending on what the office has. Ask which currency your family will actually receive.

2. Newer apps and payment institutions

  • Transfer Galaxy, a Swedish payment institution, has served Syria since July 2025, from any EU country, with pickup in US dollars or Syrian pounds.
  • nsave, based in London, added a Syria corridor in May 2026 with cash pickup in US dollars, up to $1,000 per transfer.
  • 7awel (that's us) is a wallet for the Syrian diaspora: you top up from your own bank, send, and your family collects US dollars in cash at more than 200 pickup points across Syria. More on how it works below.

Some well-known apps, including Remitly, Taptap Send and Wise, did not offer Syria when we checked.

3. Bank transfers

International bank transfers to Syria are possible again since 2025, but Syria is still on the FATF "grey list" and on the EU's list of high-risk countries for money laundering. That means European banks have to apply enhanced checks to payments involving Syria, so expect questions, extra documents and possible delays. It works best for larger, documented payments to a Syrian bank account, not for sending cash to family every month.

4. Hawala

Hawala, sending through a trusted network of brokers, is still how a large share of money reaches Syria. It is fast and everywhere, and for years it was the only option. The trade-offs: everything rests on personal trust, there is usually no receipt or regulator to turn to if something goes wrong, and the price is often hidden in the exchange rate.

Questions to ask before you choose

Whatever service you use, ask these questions:

  1. How much arrives, exactly, and in which currency? This is the only number that really matters. See what a transfer really costs.
  2. What is the fee, and what exchange rate is used? A "zero fee" transfer can still cost you through the rate.
  3. Where can my family collect it, and what do they need to bring?
  4. Is the service registered or licensed, and where?
  5. Can I follow the transfer, and get proof it was collected?
  6. Are there limits per transfer or per month?

How 7awel works

  1. Open an account and verify with an ID document and a recent proof of address. Most people are verified within minutes, at most 24 hours.
  2. Top up from your own bank. In Europe you get a personal IBAN in your name and send a normal SEPA transfer. In the US you get a dollar account for ACH transfers. See how it works in your country.
  3. Send. Before you confirm, you see what you pay and what your family receives.
  4. Your family collects US dollars in cash with their ID and the pickup code you share. The review usually takes about a minute, and you can send them a link to follow the transfer live.

7awel's operating entity is registered with FINTRAC (Canada) as a Money Services Business, registration number N300001850, and works with licensed partners in the markets it serves.

Try the fee calculator or find a pickup point near your family.

Open the app