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Virginia office
A WASHINGTON TRAVEL & PASSPORT VISA SERVICES. Inc
13800 Coppermine Rd
2nd Floor
Herndon. Va 20171

abu@visadc.com

Washington Dc.office
A WASHINGTON TRAVEL & PASSPORT VISA SERVICES. Inc
2100 M Street, NW Suite 170-265
Washington, DC 20037
1-571-437-3077
1-202-234-4908
1-866-729-3434.

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa, with over four-fifths of its territory covered by the Sahara desert. The country has a population of 35 million people mainly located near the northern coast.  Algeria is a multi-party, constitutional republic.  Facilities for travelers are available in populated areas but sometimes limited in quality and quantity.Read the Department of State’s Background Notes on Algeria for additional information.

REGISTRATION / EMBASSY LOCATION: If you are going to live in or visit Algeria, please take the time to tell our embassy about your trip.  If you use our service,  we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency.  Here’s the link to the Department of State’s travel registration page.  

Local embassy information is available below and at the Department of State’s list of embassies and consulates.

U.S. Embassy, Algiers, Algeria
5 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Alger Algerie
Telephone: -213- 770-08-20-00, which can also be reached after hours.
Email: ACSAlgiers@state.gov

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: Passports and visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to Algeria.  The Algerian visa application must be typed in all capital letters.  The Algerian Embassy no longer accepts handwritten visa applications.  Algerian-American dual nationals can enter Algeria with either an Algerian visa in their U.S. passport or using an Algerian passport.  We recommend that such dual nationals travel to Algeria using an Algerian visa in their U.S. passport.  For  the most current information on entry/exit requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria at 2137 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 265-2800.  

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Algeria.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website.  For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Terrorism continues to pose a threat to the safety and security of  U.S. citizens traveling to Algeria.  Terrorist activities, including bombings, false roadblocks, kidnappings, ambushes, and assassinations occur regularly, particularly in the Kabylie region east of Algiers.  Since early 2007, vehicle-borne suicide bomb attacks have emerged as a terrorist tactic in Algeria, including in the capital.  The last suicide car bomb attacks in Algiers, in December 2007, targeted the local UN headquarters and the Algerian Constitutional Council.  The attacks occurred in areas where many diplomatic missions and residences are located.  The group that claimed credit for the December 2007 attacks has pledged more attacks against foreign targets, and specifically U.S. targets. The same group operates throughout most of Algeria, including its southern region, and has kidnapped foreigners in neighboring countries. This kidnapping threat was noted in the Department of State’s Worldwide Caution, dated February 12, 2010.

TheTravel Warning for Algeria contains the most current information concerning the threat from terrorism.

The Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens avoid overland travel in Algeria.  U.S.citizens who reside or travel in Algeria should take prudent security measures while in the country, including making provisions for reliable and experienced logistical support. Additionally, sporadic episodes of civil unrest have been known to occur. U.S. citizens should avoid large crowds and maintain security awareness at all times.  Visitors to Algeria are advised to stay only in hotels where adequate security is provided.  All visitors to Algeria should remain alert and adhere to prudent security practices, such as avoiding predictable travel patterns and maintaining a low profile.

Currently, Embassy staffing is at full capacity but may not be able to provide full emergency consular services in certain areas of the country due to security restrictions.  U.S. government employees traveling between cities must be accompanied by a security escort.  Overland travel is not recommended.  U.S. citizens should also carefully consider the security risks involved when using public transportation, such as buses and taxis.

Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution.

You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the United States and Canada, or by calling a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except U.S. federal holidays.

There is nobody better at protecting you than yourself.  Take some time before travel to improve your personal security—things are not the same everywhere as they are in the United States.  Here are some useful tips for traveling safely abroad.

CRIME: The crime rate in Algeria is moderately high and increasing.  Serious crimes have been reported in which armed men posing as police officers have entered homes and robbed the occupants at gunpoint.  False roadblocks/checkpoints have been employed to rob motorists. see Traffic Safety and Road Conditions section below.  Some of these incidents resulted in the murder of the vehicles' occupants; there has been an increase in the kidnapping of vehicle occupants who appear to be wealthy.  Petty theft and home burglary occur frequently, and muggings are on the rise, especially after dark in the cities. Theft of contents and parts from parked cars, pick-pocketing, theft on trains and buses, theft of items left in hotel rooms, and purse snatching are common. Alarms, grills, and/or guards help to protect most foreigners' residences.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available.  Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, you may be breaking local law, too. 

INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME:  If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime abroad, you should contact the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate (see the Department of State’s list of embassies and consulates).  If your passport is stolen, we can help you replace it.  For violent crimes such as assault and  rape, we can, for example, help you find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends, and help you receive money from them if you need it.  Although the investigation and prosecution of any crime are solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney, if needed.

The local equivalent to the 911 emergency line in Algeria is:  17 for the police and 14 in case of fire.  These numbers may only be dialed from landline phones. From a mobile phone, dial 021-71-14-14 in case of fire; 021-23-63-81 for an ambulance; 021-73-53-50 for the police.  Reliability and response time of emergency services vary but are not to U.S. standards.  Emergency operators may or may not speak French and normally do not speak English.

Please see our information on victims of crime, including possible victim compensation programs in the United States.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES:  While you are traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen.  Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.  In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you.  In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings.  In some places, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail.  These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.  There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods or engage in child pornography.  While you are overseas, U.S. laws don’t apply.  If you do something illegal in your host country, your U.S. passport won’t help.  It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.  Persons violating Algerian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.  Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Algeria are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. 

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: ALL foreign currency being brought into Algeria should be disclosed when entering the country. While this requirement is not publicized when entering the country, upon arrival you should ask a customs official for a form to declare foreign currency. Each person leaving Algeria will be stopped and asked if he/she has any foreign money and will possibly be searched. If foreign currency was declared when entering the country, any disparity between the amount arrived with, and the amount held at departure, must be accounted for. If a traveler failed to declare any currency when entering Algeria, and is found to possess foreign currency while exiting the country, the penalties may be severe.

Foreign currency must be exchanged only at banks or authorized currency exchange locations, such as major hotels.  Photography of military and government installations is prohibited.  It is also illegal to import weapons, body armor, handcuffs, or binoculars.

Proselytizing:  Islam is the state religion of Algeria.  The Algerian government allows non-Muslim religious worship only in structures exclusively intended and approved for that purpose.  Activities such as proselytizing, engaging in activities the Algerian authorities could view as encouraging conversion to another faith, and convening religious ceremonies in private residences are prohibited.

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MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Hospitals and clinics in Algeria are available and improving in the large urban centers but are still not up to Western standards.  Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for services.  Most medical practitioners speak French; English is not widely used.

Prescription medicines are not always readily available.  Some pharmacies may at times be out-of-stock.  In addition, the medicine may be sold under a different brand name and may contain a different dosage from in the United States.  Please be aware that some newer medications may not yet be available in Algeria.  It is usually easy to obtain over-the-counter products.

Emergency services are satisfactory, but response time is often unpredictable.  In all cases, response time is not as fast as in the United States.

Cases of tuberculosis are regularly reported but do not reach endemic levels.  Every summer, public health authorities report limited occurrences of water-borne diseases, such as typhoid.  In addition, HIV/AIDS is a concern in the remote southern part of the country, especially in border towns.

Good information on vaccinations and other health precautions, can be found via the CDC website.  For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the the World Health Organization (WHO) website.  The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

MEDICAL INSURANCE: You cant assume your insurance will go with you when you travel.  It’s very important to find out BEFORE you leave.  You need to ask your insurance company two questions:

Does my policy apply when I’m out of the U.S.
Will it cover emergencies like a trip to a foreign hospital or an evacuation?
In many places, doctors and hospitals still expect payment in cash at the time of service.  Your regular U.S. health insurance may not cover doctors’ and hospital visits in other countries.  If your policy doesn’t go with you when you travel, it’s a very good idea to take out another one for your trip. For more information, please see our medical insurance overseas page.

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States.  The information below concerning Algeria is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Algerian roads are overcrowded, and traffic-related accidents kill a large number of people every year.  Drivers will encounter police and military checkpoints on major roads within and on the periphery of Algiers and other major cities.  Security personnel at these checkpoints expect full cooperation.  Motorists should be aware that terrorists employ false roadblocks as a tactic for ambushes and kidnappings, primarily in the central regions of Boumerdes and Tizi Ouzou and some parts of eastern Algeria (see Crime section above).

Travel overland, particularly in the southern regions, may require a permit issued by the Algerian government.  For specific information concerning Algerian driver’s permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, contact the Algerian embassy.

 Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Algeria, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Algeria’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.  Further information may be found on the FAAs safety assessment page.

CHILDREN'S ISSUES: Please see our Office of Children’s Issues web pages on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.

This replaces the Country Specific Information for Algeria dated April 2, 2010, to update sections on Registration/Embassy Location, Entry/Exit Requirements, and Special Circumstances.