Every way into Algeria.

The consular tourist visa is issued by Algerian embassies and consulates to foreigners visiting Algeria for leisure or to visit the country outside the facilitated Great South scheme. The maximum stay authorised at each entry is 90 days, exceptionally extendable by up to a further 90 days, with cumulative stay not exceeding 180 days per year. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence and must include either a certificate of accommodation legalised by the local town hall in Algeria, a hotel reservation, or a certificate from a travel agency specifying the nature and place of the trip. For tourists travelling within an organised framework through tourist agencies, the visa is issued within 48 hours of receipt of a complete file. Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality, so no fixed schedule is published; the visa does not authorise work and does not lead to residence.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

A facilitated visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists travelling within an organised framework to the wilayas of the Algerian Great South: Tamanrasset, Illizi, Tindouf, Adrar, Bechar, Timimoune, Djanet, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Beni Abbes, Ain Salah and Touggourt. The Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts operates a digital platform through which approved Algerian travel agencies submit applications; after processing, the agency sends each traveller a boarding authorisation containing a QR code that lets them board flights at their departure airport, and the visa is granted on arrival at southern airports and land borders with a validity not exceeding 30 days. Visa fees are paid on arrival. Travellers must book through one of the travel agencies approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts. Tours organised to wilayas outside the South remain subject to the ordinary consular visa system.

Max stay

30 days

Validity

30 days

The transit visa allows a foreigner to pass through Algerian territory en route to a third country. The authorised duration of stay for a transit visa is seven days. The application must be supported by justification of having obtained the entry visa of the country of destination, where that formality is required, together with proof of resources for the transit. Like all Algerian visas, it is lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence with the standard core documents. Fees are determined by reciprocity and vary by nationality. The visa does not authorise work, study or residence.

Max stay

7 days

Validity

90 days

The business visa is for foreigners travelling to Algeria for meetings, negotiations, conferences and other professional business activity that does not constitute local employment. The maximum stay is 90 days per entry, with possible single or multiple entries and validity of up to 90 days, 180 days, one year or two years depending on the case and nationality. The application must include a letter from the employer (letter of mission) or a letter of invitation from the partner in Algeria, together with a hotel reservation or a letter from the host entity covering the costs of the stay. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence. Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality; the visa permits business activity but not salaried employment.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The medical visa is issued to people travelling to Algeria for medical purposes, such as admission to hospital for surgery or treatment. The application must be supported by a letter of confirmation from the hospital or health-care centre and evidence of payment of the fees, in addition to the standard core documents. Each entry permits a stay of up to 90 days, exceptionally extendable in line with the treatment. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence; fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality. The visa does not authorise work, study or residence.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The study visa is issued to foreign students admitted to study in Algeria. The application must be justified by a certificate of registration at a public or private educational establishment approved by the Algerian State, together with a scholarship certificate issued by the Algerian authorities or those of the student's own country, or proof of the means to pay for the studies and the stay. Each entry permits a stay of up to 90 days; students remaining for longer programmes must regularise their stay through a residence permit obtained from the local police authorities after arrival. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence with the standard core documents. Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality.

• Study: Valid for enrolment at the approved Algerian institution named in the registration certificate.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The cultural visa is issued to foreigners attending a seminar or an event of a cultural, scientific or sporting nature in Algeria. The application must be accompanied by an invitation to the seminar or event and proof of resources for the duration of the stay, in addition to the standard core documents. Each entry permits a stay of up to 90 days. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence; fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality. The visa covers participation in the event but does not authorise salaried employment or residence.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The work visa is issued to foreign nationals who already hold a work authorisation issued by the Algerian services in charge of employment, before they take up salaried activity in Algeria. By law, no employer may employ a foreign worker who does not have a qualification level at least equivalent to that of a technician, and the employer must first verify that the post cannot be filled by a national worker. The hiring company applies to the Directorate of Employment of the relevant wilaya, which refers the file to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; the resulting work permit normally matches the fixed-term contract. The visa application requires a certified copy of the work authorisation and a certificate in which the employer undertakes full financial responsibility for repatriating the worker on completion of the contract. After arrival the worker regularises stay through a residence permit. Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality.

• Work: Authorises salaried work for the sponsoring employer named in the work authorisation; qualification at least equivalent to a technician is required.
• Residency after 7 years

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

The temporary work visa is issued to foreign nationals who hold a work contract not exceeding 90 days or a temporary work authorisation (autorisation provisoire de travail, APT) issued by the Algerian services in charge of employment. The APT covers salaried activity of three months or less and may not be renewed more than once in the same year. As with permanent work permits, the foreign worker must hold a qualification at least equivalent to that of a technician, and the employer must first confirm the post cannot be filled by a national worker. The visa application requires the temporary work authorisation and a certificate in which the employer undertakes full financial responsibility for repatriating the worker on completion of the work. Fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality.

• Work: Authorises short-term salaried work (90 days or less) for the named employer; APT renewable only once per year.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The family visa is for foreigners travelling to visit or join a family member in Algeria. The application must be accompanied by a certificate of accommodation drawn up by a member of the applicant's Algerian family and authenticated by the town hall of the host's place of stay in Algeria, alongside the standard core documents. Each entry permits a stay of up to 90 days, exceptionally extendable, with cumulative stay not exceeding 180 days per year. Foreigners settling long term with family in Algeria regularise their stay through a residence permit obtained from the local police authorities after arrival. Applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the applicant's usual place of residence; fees are set by reciprocity and vary by nationality.

• Residency after 7 years
• Family: Used by spouses and family members joining relatives in Algeria; each applicant files individually.

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The press visa is issued to journalists, reporters and TV producers working for a foreign press organ, and is tied to journalist accreditation. Professional journalists must hold a press card issued by the competent authorities of the employing organ's country, or a certificate from the employing organ. Temporary accreditation is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a maximum of 15 days, renewable once, and any accreditation request must be submitted to the territorially competent Algerian diplomatic or consular mission at least 15 days before the start of the mission; permanent accreditation is issued by the Ministry of Communication for 12 months, renewable. The application must include the press-visa form, a request from the employing organisation, a passport or ID copy, photos, and a list of the audiovisual equipment carried, to facilitate temporary admission of that equipment. The itinerary, with approximate dates, appointments, interviews and cities to be visited, should be provided.

• Work: Authorises accredited journalistic activity for the named foreign press organ only.

Processing time

15 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Foreigners intending to stay in Algeria beyond the period of their entry visa must obtain a resident card (carte de resident) by applying to the local police authorities at their place of residence, generally within 90 days of arrival. The applicant files at the territorially competent police department or municipality; once the file is verified, a deposit slip valid for up to three months serves as a provisional residence document while the security services review the case, after which the regional administration (DRAG) issues a resident card valid for two years and renewable. The basis of stay (work, study, family) must be substantiated by the corresponding supporting documents. No fixed national fee schedule is published. The two-year card is the principal long-stay residence title and the gateway to the ten-year resident card.

• Residency after 7 years

Validity

730 days

The ten-year resident card is the long-term residence title for foreigners settled in Algeria. It may be issued to a foreigner who has resided in Algeria continuously and legally for seven years or more, as well as to their children living with them who have reached eighteen years of age. Reported requirements include having held a temporary resident card, a stable source of income, no criminal record, and integration into Algerian society (knowledge of language and culture). The card is renewable. Algeria does not publish a fixed national fee schedule for this title, and the precise statutory conditions should be confirmed with the competent authorities, so this entry is recorded at low confidence and requires review.

• Work: Long-term residence; broad right to reside, with employment subject to general rules (requires review).
• Study: Residents may study (requires review).
• Residency: This is the long-term (10-year) residence title itself; naturalisation is governed separately by nationality law.
• Family: Children living with the holder who have reached 18 may also be granted the card.

Validity

3,650 days