For years getting a visa for Algeria was a daunting task. Nowadays things are very different. Still, to this day, there are only seven countries that can access Algeria visa-free – Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Seychelles, and Tunisia. Everyone else will need to get a visa before arriving.
Currently, the visa can be done in two ways:
Option 1 - visit an embassy
First, going to your nearest Algerian embassy and applying for a tourist visa, which can take about 2-3 weeks depending on which country you’re applying in. This previously was the only way, however now they have introduced a new visa on arrival (VOA) program.
Option 2 - visa on arrival
The other way to enter Algeria is through the new VOA program. This allows travellers to obtain a visa at the port of entry instead of going through an embassy. To do this you will need to obtain an embarkation authorisation from a tour agency which will allow you to board your flight. This will then be shown to customs officials and they will stamp a visa in your passport. This type of visa is only available to tourists who are visiting the southern part of Algeria. To prove this you will also have to show proof of travel (such as a flight itinerary) to show that you are going visit places in the south.
The VOA is free when arriving into Algiers International Airport, however if you arrive into either Oran or Constantine from abroad then you will be charged an additional 50 EUR fee.
Summary - which visa can/should you do?
So in summary, if you're going to only Algiers and surrounds, you don't need to be on a tour, but you also can't get the VOA and need to get the visa at an embassy. The VOA is to promote tourism to the south, so is only eligible if you're going to the south, but you need to be on a tour to do that. So basically, you can either book on a tour, visit the south (and other parts) and get VOA, or not book on a tour and visit only the north, but have to visit an embassy to get the visa.
