Algeria

SAFETY: good within organised tourist circuits, with areas advised against
The security situation has improved markedly compared with the past: Algiers and the main cities are protected by a well-structured security apparatus, and organised tourist circuits are travelled without problems. A terrorist threat nevertheless persists at a limited level, concentrated in the border belts and in the mountainous interior. The Italian Foreign Ministry strongly advises against travel to the areas bordering Mali, Niger, Libya, Morocco (border closed), Mauritania and Tunisia (provinces of Khenchela and Tébessa) and advises against the rural and mountainous interior of the north, including Kabylia. Tourist itineraries, in particular in the Sahara (Djanet, Tamanrasset, Assekrem) and at the northern sites (Djémila, Timgad, Ghardaïa, Constantine, Oran, Tlemcen, Tipasa, Annaba), must be undertaken only with group tours organised by agencies recognised by the Algerian Government, which notify the route to the security authorities: desert and off-road excursions only with an authorised guide and within the supervised routes. In the cities: normal caution, avoid outlying districts at night, visit the Casbah of Algiers only in daylight and in a group; take care on the roads. Before departure, check the country page on viaggiaresicuri.it and register your trip on dovesiamonelmondo.it.

DOCUMENTS AND VISA: passport valid for at least 6 months with at least one blank page (Israeli stamps may cause difficulties at the border). An entry visa is compulsory for Italian citizens and must be obtained before departure from the Algerian Embassy in Rome or the Consulates General in Milan and Naples, according to the region of residence (application form, photos, hotel booking or travel programme, health insurance; about two weeks, no fast-track procedure). Since 2023 a visa on arrival (Algiers and Djanet airports) has been available for tourists taking part in a trip organised by an Algerian agency recognised by the Ministry of Tourism with at least one stop in the Sahara: the agency registers the passport details in advance on a government portal and sends a boarding authorisation; the visa is stamped and paid for on arrival. A nationwide electronic visa has been announced by the Algerian authorities but does not appear to be in operation yet: check before departure. On entry a form with personal details and contacts is completed; checks on visas and expiry dates are strict, both on entry and on exit. From 1 January 2026 amounts over 1,000 euros (cash, securities, valuables) must be declared at customs. Minors need their own passport.

CLIMATE: Mediterranean along the coast (hot, humid summers and mild, rainy winters: in Algiers about 28 °C in summer and 13 °C in winter), drier and continental on the high plateaus, desert in the Sahara, with wide swings between day and night temperatures and almost no rain. The best time for the Sahara (Tassili n'Ajjer, Hoggar, oases) is October to April, with warm days and cold nights; spring and autumn are ideal for the coast and the Roman sites of the north. In summer the heat makes the desert impractical.

CURRENCY: Algerian dinar (DZD), not convertible abroad and not exportable: it can be changed only locally, at banks and authorised exchange offices (including in the large hotels), avoiding any unofficial intermediary. Credit cards: accepted only in a few large international hotels and restaurants; ATMs are scarce (usually in the main hotels). It is therefore necessary to bring enough cash in euros for the whole stay (tips, extras, purchases), bearing in mind the customs declaration requirement above 1,000 euros.

TIME ZONE: UTC +1, the same time as Italy; 1 hour behind Italy during Italian daylight saving time (Algeria does not use it). The working week runs from Sunday to Thursday.

LANGUAGE: Arabic and Tamazight (Berber) are the official languages; French is widely used as a lingua franca, in hotels, restaurants and tourist services. English is less spoken.

HEALTH AND VACCINATIONS: no compulsory vaccinations (a yellow fever certificate is required only for travellers arriving from endemic countries or who transited there for more than 12 hours); routine vaccinations (tetanus, diphtheria, polio, pertussis, hepatitis B) and those against hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended; rabies and meningitis possibly for longer stays. Food-borne infectious diseases and sporadic cases of malaria occur in some areas and seasons: drink only sealed bottled water, take care with food hygiene and protect yourself from mosquito bites. Public hospitals are not up to European standards, especially outside the main cities; private clinics in the large cities offer better services. Bring a supply of your own medicines with prescriptions. Health and travel insurance covering medical expenses and air repatriation is strongly recommended (it is also required for the visa).

ELECTRICITY: 230 V and 50 Hz (as in Italy) – Sockets: type C and F, European standard (normally no adapter needed).

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 00213 – Code for Italy: 0039 – GSM: Mobilis (best coverage in the centre and south), Djezzy and Ooredoo networks, also 4G, with good coverage on the coast and the high plateaus; in the Sahara coverage is limited or absent and authorised guides carry satellite phones (whose import by tourists is subject to authorisation). Local SIM cards can be bought at the airport; roaming with Italian operators works but is expensive – Internet: Wi-Fi in city hotels, rare in desert camps – Web extension: .dz – Emergency numbers: police 17 (1548 from mobiles), gendarmerie 1055 (1023 from mobiles), civil protection 14 or 1021, ambulance 16, general emergency 112; Italian Embassy in Algiers (emergencies) +213 661 55 64 10.

RULES, LAWS AND CUSTOMS: Algeria is a Muslim country with traditional customs, especially outside the big cities: modest clothing covering shoulders and knees is advisable (foreign women are not required to wear a veil, except in mosques), together with restrained behaviour in public. Alcohol is legal but not widespread: it is found only in some hotels and restaurants; drink-driving is a criminal offence (limit 0.1 g/l). Severe penalties for drugs, even in minimal quantities; homosexuality is a criminal offence. Photographing government and military buildings, checkpoints and sensitive infrastructure is strictly forbidden; the import of drones, binoculars, GPS devices, satellite phones and radio equipment is subject to restrictive authorisations. Dinars, raw or worked coral in quantity and items of national heritage (antiques, artefacts) may not be exported. Foreigners must report their presence and any travel outside the province of stay: on organised tours the agency and the hotels take care of this. During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight hours is avoided. Friday is the weekly holiday.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria – Location: North Africa, on the Mediterranean between Morocco and Tunisia; the largest country in Africa, more than 80% of it covered by the Sahara – Area: 2,381,741 sq km – Capital: Algiers – Population: about 47.5 million – Religion: Sunni Islam (Maliki school) – Languages: Arabic, Tamazight; French widely spoken – Measures: metric system.

SOURCES: Viaggiare Sicuri – Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (viaggiaresicuri.it), the Italian Embassy in Algiers (ambalgeri.esteri.it) and the Algerian diplomatic and consular missions in Italy for visas (list on esteri.it).