Strengthened by political relaxation between France and Algeria, the sky is clearing for adventure tourism and hiking on the high plateaus of Hoggar and Tassili. But if the planets are aligned for the restart of the Saharan tourist in Algeria, there are still points of friction…

Algerian Sahara: the most beautiful desert in the world once again accessible to tourism

Entry requirements

Between the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert, Algeria has so much to offer travelers. Still, to consider a trip to Algeria, you must know all the formalities and access conditions to get to the country.

Passport, visa, accessible areas and unrecommended places… we detail everything you need to know to go to Algeria.

Travel Algeria, let’s go!

Travel Algeria: what health protocol?

The health protocol linked to the Covid-19 pandemic has been lightened. From now on, travelers who wish to go to Algeria no longer need to carry out a PCR test before departure and no longer have the obligation to present proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

Travel Algeria: do you need a visa?

To travel to Algeria, French nationals must have a visa.

It can be obtained from the Algerian consulate in his place of residence.

Algeria has 18 consulates in France : Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Lille, Bobigny, Créteil, Nanterre, Pontoise, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Besançon, Grenoble, Metz, Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse and Montpellier.

There are different types of visas: family, tourist, business, work, cultural, study and transit.

Still, the lead times are quite long. The Algerian authorities have announced the creation and “imminent” launch of an electronic visa without, however, specifying a date.

To obtain a tourist visa, you will need to present the following documents:

– passport + 1 copy of the first page of the passport

– 2 recent and identical passport photos

– 1 travel insurance certificate in your name – repatriation assistance

– either from a certificate of accommodation legalized by the Town Hall of the place of accommodation in Algeria, either a hotel reservation or a certificate from a travel agency specifying the nature and place of the trip.

– Proof of resources (salary slip, work certificate, Pôle emploi certificate, RSA certificate:, Kbis)

The price of the visa is 110 € for a stay of less than 90 days.

If you are traveling with children, it is recommended that you check all the formalities to be completed on the Service Public website.

The family record book or a certified copy may be requested.

For business visas, the application must be supported by a letter from the employer (mission letter) or a letter of invitation from the partner in Algeria, as well as a hotel reservation or proof of supported by the inviting organization.

Is a passport required?

To travel to Algeria, the French traveler must be in possession of a passport with a minimum validity of 6 months on the date of the visa application.

What are the areas where tourism is possible?

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) has relaxed and updated the travel recommendations. However, several areas remain formally discouraged or discouraged unless there is an imperative reason.

These are mainly areas close to the borders with Morocco , Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Tunisia.

Some mountainous massifs are also not recommended except for imperative reasons such as the Wilaya of Batna or the Aurès and Chréa massifs.

To find out about all the areas concerned, it is advisable to consult the MEAE’s Travel Advice website, “security ” tab.

Since mid-October, the French authorities have turned part of the Algerian desert into pale yellow, which makes it possible to relaunch itinerant circuits in this area. It had been closed for several years.

Other possible visits: the city centers of Oran or Algiers which are classified in green by the Quai d’Orsay, that is to say in normal vigilance.

Learn more about Algeria

Algeria is a North African country that borders the Mediterranean to the north and has much of its desert territory in the Sahara.

The country has borders with several countries: Morocco to the east, Mauritania, Mali, Niger to the south, Libya and Tunisia to the east.

The capital of Algeria is Algiers. It is the largest country in North Africa with 2.382 million km². According to data from the World Bank in 2021, the country has 44.62 million inhabitants.

The currency is the Algerian Dinar.

Algeria’s economy continues to rely heavily on the oil and gas sector, which accounted for 19% of GDP, 93% of merchandise exports and 38% of budget revenue between 2016 and 2021.

However, as Brahim Oumansour, associate researcher at IRIS, told us in a previous article: “The Algerian authorities have this ambition and even have the need to get the country out of its dependence on hydrocarbons. The oil windfall has often deterred development other sectors in Algeria including the development of tourism.

It is a sector that has been completely abandoned, compared to neighboring Tunisia or Morocco.

It is a real paradox, because it is the largest country in the area and the most diverse in the region. It extends from the Sahara to the mountains of Kabylia with wide access to the Mediterranean coast.”

How to get to Algeria?

To get to Algeria there are several possibilities: plane, car and ferry.

Several airlines offer flights from France departing from Paris but also from many provincial towns.

Air Algérie, Air France, Transavia, ASL Ailines France or Tassili Airlines (non-exhaustive list) are among the companies serving Algeria from France.

There are also several ferry companies operating from France and Spain, such as Algeria Ferries, Corsica Linea, GNV…