middle east paperwork
 

I am in Tel Aviv, in 1 hour heading Haifa to take a ferry to South Cyprus. I can give some information now about paperwork to ride the Middle East.

Turkey: Expensive petrol, beautiful country. I did the whole service on my GS 1200 in Istambul including new tyres Metzeler Tourance instead the Karoo I was wearing since Tashkent. But they are also BMW dealerships in Ankara and Tarsus. No problems, they know their job. Cappadocia is worth to visit. Good unsealed roads there. Nice people and better sceneries going South.


Syria. Crossing the border from Antakia heading Aleppo (Halab in Arabic) is not difficult and definitely is possible to get the visa there. But one has to pay about 20 $ for visa and 20 more for tax road even producing Carne du Passage. Plus the insurance, minimal one month and about 15$. Really friendly people in Syria. When one leaves the country has to pay again 10$. Internet censored: I was not able there to check my own blog.

Lebanon. Dirty roads, traffic jams everywhere and chaos on the road. Free visa in the border for 48 hours, not taxation if producing Carne du Passage, but the insurance should me for one year and is 65 $. After a really hard negotiation I got it by 40$. I don´t remember me paying for leaving the country.

Jordan: Great country to ride. Good roads, mountains, deserts, ruins, friendly people but a little bit clever to get the tourist money. 15$ visa, minimal insurance 3 days, 12$, and import tax (no carne accepted) about 30$. Leaving again 10$, but you can ask about stamped out the passport to avoid anyone knows from where you left the country.

Israel: long wait to cross the border from Jordan, they checked everything but not paying for visa or import tax. No carne accepted but 3 months for free. Green card is valid there but you can also get insurance at the border. If asked, stamp in separate paper. Good roads but too many cars.

Palestinian Territories: no problem to visit Bethelem from Jerusalem on a motorcycle.

Thanks for the up-to-date info! Have fun traveling and best of luck for the rest of it.

10x
 

appreciate it
we need some more info like this about this area
thanks mate

Syria
 

costs entering from Jordan:

60 U$ for a 15 days Visa at the border (Swiss Passport)
53 U$ for a 15 days Visa at the border (UK Passport)

9 U$ for Motorbike Insurance (valid 1 month)
31 U$ for Carnet Stamp, Road Tax etc.

took 1 hr all together.

Greets from Damascus.

Claudio

syria to lebanon
 

is it possible to cross into lebanon coming from syria with a motorbike and if yes, how much does it cost at the border (i have carnet)

cheers
lukas

It is possible, but not cheap. Lebanon visa for 48 hours is free but insurance is required for the whole year, so about 60$.

Hi Miquel,

Very nice to hear this info. I'm a novice and currently planning a trip around the mediterranean sea for the summer of 2011 (still a long time to go). I've got 2 questions at the moment, the first one might be an open door for you die-hard globetrotters, but it's new for me:

Carnet de passage: I hear a lot about this being required for many countries I will be visiting. For what I understand it is a document which can be bought at the German ADAC. How long is this document valid and what does it allow me to do?

Border crossing Jordan-Israel: I read you recently crossed this border. But I also read it is not possible to get into Syria/Jordan with a Israeli visa on your passport. How did you work around this, did you travel with 2 passports?

Cheers, and happy driving!

A quick update to my previous post. The carnet is valid for one year but the application form only states 1 destination country. If I wish to get a carnet de passage to get around the mediterranean do I have to buy one for each country? This will become a VERY costly business...

Just one CDP for all the countries. The CDP has few pages, they stamp when you go in and when you go out. Then, when you are back to your country, you give the CDP to your automobile association and they give you back your deposit. But if you do not go to Lybia and Egypt, you do not need CDP.

About passport. My advice is ask for the stamp out the passport in both sides of the border. If they sirians noticed you left Jordan by the border which goes to Israel, they will send you back.

If you do not want any risk, leave Israel by sea, there is a non cheap boat which leaves from Haifa.

Have fun. Middle East is very nice to ride.

Hola Miquel,

Muchas gracias! I was actually planning on going clockwise, thus first to Syria and Jordan and then get into Israel and on to Egypt. I guess this way we won't have too much problems upon entering Syria and Jordan.

A friend of me that went to Dakar told me he didn't get a carnet and that usually a 'fix' is also available at the border, making the carnet unnecesairy. Is this also true for the middle east?

One more question (since you seem to be familiar in the region): How about Lybia and Algeria? I'm on a tight budget and don't know if I can arrange an escort to get me through these countries, neither do I want these since I am very fond of my own freedom. Are escorts obliged in these countries? If so, I think I'd prefer to get a boat from Israel or Egypt back to Europe (although this would shorten the trip considerably).

Thanks a lot, I just found this website yesterday but it's already a GREAT help.

Sorry for the delay, but I have not checked this post in some days.

I am sure CDP is required in Egypt, but it is not a need in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Turkey.

Never been to Lybia, but what I know is you should go with scort, though there are few people who managed to get away without it (I do not know how). As visa is required in advance, you can try at the Lybian Embassy telling them you will just ride the main road to Tunis.

Good luck.

Hey Miquel,

what boat (destination) did you take from Haifa? How much did you pay for it?

Thanks!