Syria Begins Steps to Establish Consular Presence in Erbil
An official Syrian delegation has traveled to the Kurdistan Region to prepare for the opening of Syria's consulate in Erbil, aiming to expand consular services for Syrian citizens living in the Region.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Syria has taken a new step toward establishing a diplomatic presence in the Kurdistan Region, with an official delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates traveling to Erbil to prepare for the opening of the country's consulate.
On Tuesday, Mohammad Yaqoub, Director of the Consular Affairs Department at Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, announced on his account on the social media platform X that an official ministry delegation was visiting Erbil.
According to Yaqoub, the visit is intended to pave the way for the opening of a Syrian consulate in the Kurdistan Region and to provide consular services for Syrian citizens living there.
He added that the primary objective of the diplomatic initiative is to simplify procedures and address the challenges Syrian nationals face when seeking consular services in the Kurdistan Region.
The visit follows a decision announced by the Syrian government on Jan. 21, 2026, to open a consulate in the Kurdistan Region as part of a broader effort to reorganize its diplomatic relations and expand its diplomatic representation across the region.
At the time, Mohammad Taha Ahmad, head of the Arab Affairs file at Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Kurdistan24 that, under the directive of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Syria had decided to reactivate its embassies and consulates across the region and normalize diplomatic relations.
He said the new Syrian consulate in Erbil would operate under the authority of Syria's embassy in Baghdad and would primarily provide legal assistance, consular services, and administrative support to Syrian citizens residing in the cities of the Kurdistan Region.
The diplomatic move comes after Syria's embassy in Baghdad was temporarily closed following the collapse of the previous regime in December 2024. The embassy later resumed operations after raising the country's new national flag.
To date, Syria has not maintained an official diplomatic mission or consulate in the Kurdistan Region, with all consular affairs previously handled through its embassy in Baghdad.
The planned opening of the consulate marks a significant step toward expanding Syria's diplomatic representation in the Kurdistan Region and improving access to consular services for Syrian nationals living there.