Do you need a visa for Algeria?
Two routes in — and one of them skips the consulate entirely.
Most visitors need an Algerian tourist visa obtained before travel at a consulate, supported by an invitation letter and confirmed bookings. There is one important alternative: if your organised itinerary with a licensed Algerian operator includes a Sahara trip, the operator files your details in advance and your visa is issued on arrival at Algiers airport — a route open to travellers of any nationality. A small number of nationalities are exempt from a visa altogether; your nearest Algerian consulate is the authority on your own passport.
The two routes into Algeria
Consulate visa, arranged before you travel
Anyone whose trip has no Sahara leg — the north, the coast, the Roman cities — and anyone travelling independently.
- Tell us your dates and the itinerary you want
- We issue the invitation letter ($25) and confirmed programme — for any programme of 3+ days with airport transfers
- You submit the file at the Algerian consulate covering your residence
- The visa is stamped into your passport before departure
Allow 2 weeks to over a month
Book flights only once the visa is physically in your passport.
Visa on arrival at Algiers airport
Travellers on an organised itinerary that includes a Sahara trip — open to any nationality.
- You book an itinerary with us that includes a Sahara trip
- We file your passport details and the desert permits in advance
- You fly into Algiers as normal
- Your visa is issued on arrival at Algiers airport
No consulate appointment
Saharan visa authorisation $45; the arrival stamp is a separate fee paid at Algiers airport. We confirm your eligibility in writing before you book flights.
| Length of stay | DZD | EUR | USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 days | 5,000 DA | €35 | $39 |
| 3–7 days | 10,000 DA | €70 | $77 |
| 8–10 days | 20,000 DA | €140 | $154 |
| 11–15 days | 25,000 DA | €170 | $192 |
| 16–30 days | 50,000 DA | €340 | $384 |
Paid at the Banque d’Algérie desk at the airport, in dinars, euros or dollars. Separate from our $45 authorisation.
Which route applies to you
It comes down to where you are going, not to your passport. If your organised trip includes the Sahara — the Tassili n’Ajjer, the Tadrart, Timimoun, the M’Zab Valley — the visa-on-arrival route is available to you whatever passport you hold, even if the rest of the trip is Algiers, the coast and the Roman cities. If your trip stays in the north, or you are travelling independently, you need the consulate visa.
Both routes run through us as the licensed operator. On the consulate route we produce the paperwork the consulate asks for; on the visa-on-arrival route we file the details and permits that make entry on arrival possible. See visa support for what we prepare, and the full visa guide for the document checklist and the reasons applications get refused.
What about visa-free entry?
A small number of nationalities can enter Algeria without a visa. The list is short, it changes, and the consequences of getting it wrong fall on the traveller at the boarding gate — so we do not publish one. Your nearest Algerian consulate is the authority on your own passport, and a single phone call settles it. If you are exempt, nothing on this page applies to you beyond the ordinary passport-validity rules; if you are not, one of the two routes above is your way in.
Frequently asked
Do I need a visa to visit Algeria?
Almost certainly yes if you are travelling independently or to the north. The Algerian tourist visa is obtained before departure at the consulate covering your place of residence, with an invitation letter and confirmed bookings. A small number of nationalities are exempt; confirm your own case with the consulate.
Can I enter Algeria without going to a consulate?
Yes, on one route: an organised itinerary that includes a Sahara trip. A licensed Algerian operator files your details and the permits in advance and your visa is issued on arrival at Algiers airport. It is not something an independent traveller can arrange at the airport.
Which nationalities can use the visa-on-arrival route?
It is open to travellers of any nationality on an organised itinerary that includes the Sahara. We confirm your specific case in writing before you book flights, so nothing depends on an assumption.
Does Algeria have an e-visa?
No. There is no general online tourist e-visa for Algeria. Be sceptical of commercial sites offering one — at best they are form-filling services, and the consulate is not obliged to recognise them.
How long does the consulate visa take?
Anything from about two weeks to over a month, depending on the consulate and the season. Summer and the period before major holidays are slowest. Never buy non-refundable flights before the visa is in your passport.
What does the invitation letter have to say?
It has to match your bookings. We issue it on headed paper with your dates, itinerary and accommodation, so the letter and the confirmed programme corroborate each other — a mismatch between the two is the most common reason a file is returned.
Can you sponsor my visa if I only want the north?
Yes. We provide the invitation ($25) and confirmed programme for any itinerary of at least 3 days that includes airport pickup and drop-off, including trips that never go south. The visa-on-arrival route needs a Sahara trip in the programme; the consulate route works for everything.
Tell us your passport and your dates
We confirm which route applies to you, in writing, before you book anything.
Planning a trip to Algeria?
Algeria Compass is a licensed Algerian tour operator. Tell us your dates and interests and we will craft your private, guided tour across Algeria.
Plan a journey →