UNHCR/IOM Supported Organized Voluntary Return Programme

To register your interest, call UNHCR at 04726111 (Monday to Friday 8 AM to 5 PM), press 5 after selecting language, or message the  🗎 Online Contact Form.

🚨IMPORTANT: Make sure you are reachable by phone after contacting UNHCR about your intention to return.

The decision to return should be discussed with all family members, including children.

To support family unity and successful reintegration in Syria, we strongly encourage you to return with your whole family. However, return is the decision of each individual adult, and if you are unable to return with your entire family due to personal circumstances, you can always contact UNHCR or mention it during your call with us so we can work together to find the best solution.

UNHCR will not support return of families which results in leaving children or vulnerable adults behind without effective support.

UNHCR recommends you and your family are in good health before traveling.

After you contact UNHCR to express your interest in a return programme, UNHCR will call you back to counsel you on the process. During this call, please share any specific needs or medical conditions in your family. The person with the medical condition will be referred to a partner and assisted if eligible.

Please also inform IOM medical staff in advance about your health conditions so that any necessary arrangements can be made to support you during your travel. A pre-departure medical assessment will be conducted by IOM medical staff. This may include:

• Review of existing conditions or recent treatments and medical reports; counsel on recommended medical services needed to ensure fitness to travel.
• Screening for infectious illness and fitness to travel confirmation
• Identification of medication or special travel arrangement needs

If you have specific needs, consider:

• Chronic conditions: Bring enough medication to last at least 2-3 months for conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
• Pregnancy: If you are near your due date (28-40 weeks), it is recommended that you delay travel until after childbirth. If you travel during the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy, bring your antenatal care report and a supply of your supplements (folic acid, etc.).
• Children under five years old: Ensure your child’s vaccinations are up to date before traveling. You can approach the nearest Primary Healthcare Centre to check if your children are missing any Children up to 18 years of age can receive vaccinations free of charge. Make sure to update and bring their vaccination booklets.
• General medical needs: Bring any medical reports, test results, medication prescriptions and hospital records you may need

After you have contacted UNHCR to register your interest, UNHCR will call you back to:

• Ask questions about your return plan, including your reasons for return, and counsel.
• Verify your family composition and assess specific needs. UNHCR may refer you to partners for support.
• Assess if the decision to return was the individual and voluntary decision of each adult.
• Check if you have required documents to receive the return cash grant.
• Ask for your consent to share basic personal data for return services.
• Check your documents and advise what civil documentation you will need for reintegration in Syria. With your consent, UNHCR may refer you to partners for assistance obtaining civil documents.
• Advise on safe routes for return, exit procedures, and the impact of return on your UNHCR file and data sharing with the General Security Office (GSO).

If you confirm your interest, you will receive an SMS inviting you for an in-person interview at a designated UNHCR Return space with the time, date and location.

In-person interviews take place at Return spaces in the UNHCR Case Processing Center in Beirut and designated Community Centres (CDC) in Tripoli and Zahle.

All adults and children who plan to return must attend. If you are the parent of a returning child but will remain in Lebanon, you must also attend to sign a travel form consenting to your spouse returning with your child. The interview will only be conducted with adults.

During your interview, UNHCR will confirm your family composition and that all adults are fully informed and freely and voluntarily choosing to return.

UNHCR will ask you to sign a Repatriation Form, required for exiting Lebanon through official crossing points and redeeming a one-off return cash grant of 100$ per returning individual.

After the interview with UNHCR, you will be asked to join sessions conducted by IOM where you will receive information related to all aspects of your movement as well as go through a medical assessment.

🚨Bring the following documents to your interview:

• All available IDs (valid and expired) for each family member: Passports, national IDs, personal certificates, and/or UNHCR certificates.
  • If you or your children do not have identity documents, approach the Syrian embassy in Beirut to apply for a Laissez-Passer (LP) prior your interview. You will need to provide a photo and any form of identity proof (even if old or photocopied).
• Civil documents, including birth, marriage, death certificates: These are required in Syria to access services (education, healthcare, legal aid, and housing) and reintegrate. This is especially important for children who may have been born and lived in Lebanon.
• Any documentation relevant for your reintegration: Military booklets (if applicable), education documents, medical records, legal documents regarding access to land or property in Syria.
• Medical reports or supporting documentation: People with medical conditions are advised to present their medical reports, medication prescriptions and or investigations relevant to their underlying conditions. All members are advised to carry their vaccination records if available. Pregnant women are advised to obtain a recent Ob-Gyn report detailing the stage and state of pregnancy.

UNHCR can help obtain missing documentation before your return.

You are strongly encouraged to obtain birth documentation at least at the nofous level for children born in Lebanon before your return to Syria.

For other civil documentation (marriage, death, divorce), you do not need to delay return to Syria but you may face issues with your reintegration upon return.

The Repatriation Form is an official document issued by UNHCR after the in-person interview. It contains key biodata and photographs of all family members planning return. Through receipt of the RF, adults:

• Confirm they made a free and informed decision to return to Syria, and
• Consent to sharing of personal data with GSO and UNHCR Syria for the purpose of facilitating safe return.

The RF is recognized by GSO and must be presented at the border when exiting Lebanon. GSO will stamp your RF upon exit and confirm to UNHCR that you left Lebanon. UNHCR Lebanon will also inform UNHCR Syria of your departure from Lebanon to facilitate your access to services inside Syria.

The RF is also the identification document used to redeem your return cash grant at OMT.

🚨IMPORTANT: Your UNHCR file in Lebanon will be closed once you have signed and are issued the Repatriation Form.

Participants of the programme will receive a one-time, unconditional return cash grant of 100 USD per returning family member to help you meet immediate return-related needs —for example, transportation, accommodation or basic expenses. You are free to use it as you wish to facilitate your return to Syria.

The grant will be provided through cash over the counter and you can redeem it at any OMT outlet countrywide (find an OMT here). The redemption modality will be communicated via SMS from UNHCR once your return cash grant is available. Please do not approach before receiving an SMS from UNHCR and an SMS from BLOM/OMT with a transaction code and a one-time password. The primary applicant of the RF will need to approach OMT with the Repatriation Form (RF) to redeem the return cash grant within a week. Learn more about how to redeem the return cash grant.

After redeeming the return cash grant, GSO expects you depart to Syria within one week. However, the exact date of departure will be confirmed to you by IOM on the scheduled date of the organized transport.

You can change your mind at any point before you sign and are issued a Repatriation Form (RF). Please inform UNHCR if you do not wish to return anymore.

🚨Once the RF is signed and issued, the return cash grant will be automatically prepared and your file with UNHCR Lebanon will be closed.

Each family member is allowed to bring 30kg of luggage on the bus, which is equivalent to one big suitcase per person. Additionally, up to 8 cubic meters of luggage can be transported by truck. Hand luggage is allowed up to 5Kg per person to be taken on the bus.

• Only personal belongings of you and your returning family members will be transported. Do not accept or carry any luggage from others.

• Animals are not permitted.

• Very large household furniture such as sofas, closets, and beds as well as large electrical goods such as washing machines and fridges are not permitted

🚨Lebanese and Syrian customs regulations strictly prohibit the export and possession of illegal weapons, ammunitions and drugs, which is considered a criminal offense.

Note: Per Lebanese customs regulations, personal belongings or items intended for personal use are not subject to customs fees. However, new or unused electronic items may be subject to fees.

You and your family must go to a designated Staging Point communicated to you in advance by IOM, along with the time you must arrive. Only departing members will be granted access.

Bring all luggage, personal documents, medical documents, and your Repatriation Form (RF). It is important that you arrive on time and bring only the belongings of your family. No third-party items are allowed.

🚨Lebanese and Syrian customs regulations strictly prohibit export and possession of illegal weapons, ammunitions and drugs, which is considered a criminal offence.

At the Staging Point:

• IOM staff will verify your identity and ensure all family members are present.
• GSO will conduct security checks on your person and of your personal belongings.
• UNHCR will conduct a final verification of your family composition and voluntariness to return and provide you with any required counselling.
• You will sign a final IOM consent form confirming your voluntary return.
• You will undergo a final fitness to travel check and screening for communicable diseases, and if needed receive a supply of your prescribed chronic medication.

IOM will arrange your transportation to designated locations in Syria (not to individual homes). The duration of the journey varies depending on distance and route conditions between Staging Area and final destination in Syria. IOM staff will inform you of the expected travel time and the planned route in advance. Additionally, the journey may include scheduled or necessary stops for restroom breaks and emergencies.

No, neither UNHCR nor IOM check with authorities in Syria if there are warrant arrests against individuals returning with this programme. UNHCR and IOM is not in a position to interfere with rules and procedures established upon arrival.

Once you and your family members sign the Repatriation Form confirming your return and your UNHCR file is closed, UNHCR will share your personal information with GSO so they are informed of your participation in the programme and, if needed, can issue you a waiver on exit and overstay fees and facilitate your timely, safe and dignified exit through official crossing points.

UNHCR will share the following personal data with GSO:

• UNHCR Case number
• UNHCR Individual number
• UNHCR Repatriation (RF) number
• Identification document and number to be used for exit
• First name (Arabic)
• Family name (Arabic)
• Father’s name (Arabic)
• Mother’s name
• Date of birth
• Date of RF issuance
• Date of intended or organized return
• Intended official crossing point for return
• Intended area of return in Syria

At the border, your identity and travel documents will be checked to ensure they meet legal and immigration requirements. All necessary border and immigration procedures will be completed at this point. Throughout the crossing process, IOM and UNHCR staff will be present to guide and assist you, ensuring you navigate the official procedures smoothly and efficiently

Accepted documents for entry into Syria:

• Passport (valid or expired) for all family members; photos or copies are also accepted
• National ID card; photos or copies are also accepted
• Military ID (for males aged 18+)
• Individual civil extract (with or without a photo)
• Torn or damaged passport, provided essential biodata is legible
• Family booklet; (accepted as an identification document for children, only if one of the parents is present)
• Valid Laissez-Passer issued by the Syrian Embassy in Beirut, if no of the above is available

🚨Important: A refugee certificate or repatriation form is not accepted as a standalone document for entry to Syria. However, if accompanied by copies of prior documentation, it may assist identity verification at the border or help facilitate issuance of a civil extract in Syria.

For children born in Lebanon:

• A birth notification or birth certificate (even if only issued by the Mukhtar)
• If accompanied by only the mother, she should carry a copy of the father’s ID card, as Syrian authorities may assess the father’s nationality to approve entry to Syria.

For children born in Lebanon whose birth is not registered to the level of Nofous:

• Return is still possible, but the family may face delays or obstacles in Syria.
• UNHCR advises: If possible, register your child’s birth in Lebanon at least to the level of Nofous. This helps with birth recognition and access to services in Syria.
• Failure to register the birth in Lebanon may require legal action, such as filing a lawsuit, in order to enable birth registration in Syria. UNHCR can refer you for free legal assistance if needed.
• The final decision about whether to register the birth remains with the parents.

🚨Procedures related to civil documentation and entry may change. Check with UNHCR or Syrian authorities for the latest information before traveling.

Approach the Syrian embassy in Beirut prior to your interview to apply for a Laissez-Passer (LP) which is valid for one month. To apply, you will need to provide a photo and any proof of identity (even if old or photocopied).

No. You do not have to pay overstay or exit fees when departing through an official border crossing point. GSO has waived administrative fees, including overstay and exit fees, for individuals participating in return programmes from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026.

If you entered Lebanon legally or illegally and have exceeded your authorized length of stay, you may depart through land border crossing points without paying any fees or penalties and without re-entry bans being issued against you.

The waiver on administrative fees applies to all Syrians and Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS) whether known to UNHCR or not. UNHCR will still notify GSO of your return so that the waiver can be applied and your departure will be properly documented.

Once you return to Syria and your UNHCR case is closed, your legal status in Lebanon may change depending on your previous residency status. Re-entry bans are no longer applied to those returning under this programme from 1 July to 31 March 2026.

• If you had valid residency (e.g., sponsor, work permit, student visa, or courtesy residency): Your residency typically remains valid after departure and you may be able to return to Lebanon within the validity period.
• If your residency was based on a UNHCR certificate or temporary permit: Your residency will be cancelled on departure and your UNHCR file will be closed. If you choose to return to Lebanon in the future, you will need to meet regular entry requirements.
• If you did not have valid residency: Your file will be closed but you will not be subject to a re-entry ban.

UNHCR shares basic information (not your full file) with GSO for coordination only. You are encouraged to discuss any questions during your counselling session or call UNHCR at 04726111 for clarification.