Ways to open ShamCash from outside Syria: an honest comparison
We run syriaproxy, one of the options compared here, so read it with that in mind.
If you live outside Syria and want to use your own ShamCash wallet, you have several options, and each comes at a price. Some are free but depend on someone you trust; others are easy but do not actually give you a Syrian address. Here they are side by side, on points you can check.
Whatever you choose: update the app first
ShamCash stops old versions of its app, even on a connection from Syria. If the app will not open, install the latest version before you judge any method. The connection steps themselves are in Using ShamCash from outside Syria.
The comparison at a glance
| Option | Real Syrian address? | Sign-in details | Cost | Works on your own, any time? | Install needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial VPN | Rarely; usually a server outside Syria | Stay with you; known operator | Paid subscription | Yes | The provider's app |
| Free proxy or VPN app | Not guaranteed | At risk; unknown operator | Free | Yes | Usually an app |
| A relative in Syria does it for you | Yes, their connection | Shared with them | Free, if you trust them | No, you wait for them | Sometimes a remote-control app |
| A relative's device in Syria as your exit | Yes, their line's address | Stay with you | Their data and their effort | While their device is on | Technical setup on both ends |
| syriaproxy | Yes, a Syriatel mobile address | Stay with you; encrypted link | $5.00 per GB | Yes | An app or WireGuard |
For the technical difference between a tunnel, a proxy and the address itself, see Syrian IP vs VPN vs proxy.
Commercial VPN
Well-known VPN services are easy to install, and they are run by companies with published privacy policies. But few of them offer a location called Syria, and the ones that do may not be in Syria at all.
As of 9 November 2026, for example, ExpressVPN's server locations page does not list Syria. Proton VPN does list a Syria location, but its Smart Routing page says those servers are in London. Its Syria page adds that the location is not on the free plan.
Geolocation databases may show an address like that as Syrian, yet it is a data center address outside the country. Some services tell the two apart, and we do not know how ShamCash treats it. Mobile IP vs data center IP explains the difference.
Free proxy or VPN app
Its one advantage is that it costs nothing. You do not know who runs it or how they make money from it, and the "Syrian address" may be a server somewhere else.
For a wallet that holds your money, the saving is not worth that risk. What an operator can and cannot see is covered in Keeping your wallet safe with a proxy or VPN.
A relative in Syria does it for you
If you have a relative you trust completely, this is the cheapest way: their connection is already Syrian and you pay nothing. If you only need the wallet once a month, it may be all you need.
The cost: you give them your sign-in details for their phone, or control their phone remotely and type them in yourself. Either way, your details are entered on someone else's device. If the app sends a code by text message, it arrives on your number and you have to pass it on.
You also depend on their time and their network: an urgent transfer at midnight waits until they wake up.
A relative's device in Syria as your exit
A phone hotspot only reaches a few metres, so your relative's hotspot is no use to you abroad. What can work is a device in their home running a VPN server. You connect to it, and your traffic leaves from their line.
That takes technical know-how on both ends, a device that stays on, and a line that accepts incoming connections. Mobile networks usually do not, so you would need a relay server and extra setup.
Your sign-in details stay with you. But your usage comes out of your relative's data, and any outage there cuts you off too.
syriaproxy
Your traffic leaves from Syriatel's 4G network inside Syria, through a mobile address that other subscribers share at the same time. You connect yourself whenever you want, with the Android, Windows or Linux app, or WireGuard on an iPhone.
It has real drawbacks too. It is paid, speed tops out at 12 Mbit/s, and the address changes about every two hours. We are an independent service with no partnership with ShamCash, so we cannot promise it will accept our connection today or later.
Which one fits you
- You rarely use the wallet and have a relative you trust: ask them. There is no need to pay anyone.
- You already pay for a VPN: check its location list and the network field before buying anything else, knowing it is probably not an address from inside Syria.
- You enjoy technical setup and your relative has an always-on device: the fourth option works and is free once it is running.
- You need the wallet regularly and on your own: a Syrian mobile address you connect to yourself fits best, and we are one way to get it.
- In any case: do not open your wallet through an unknown free app.
Questions
ipinfo.io shows Syria. Is that enough?
Not always. Look at the network field: a hosting company's name means a data center, while a Syrian telecom operator's name means an address inside Syria.
Do I need a Syrian SIM that works abroad?
Not for the connection. But any code ShamCash sends by text message goes to your number, whichever of the five options you use.
Can I share my syriaproxy account with a relative?
No. Sharing connection details is not allowed under our acceptable use policy. You can add your own devices to your account, at $1 per extra device per 30 days.
What if I try it and it does not work for me?
You can get a refund within 7 days of purchase if you used less than 100 MB, as set out in the terms.
Create an account if a Syrian mobile address is the option that fits you.