Includes information on acceptable business etiquette, dress, business cards, gifts, etc.

Business Customs

Algeria has a unique business culture that results from many factors, including the country’s location at the crossroads of Africa and the Mediterranean basin, its ethnic diversity of Arabs and Berbers, a 130-year history of French colonization, a guerrilla war for independence, its championship of developing states’ causes, and a decade-long struggle against rampant terrorist activity. Algerians attach great importance to titles and hierarchy.  Requests, invitations, and proposals should be addressed to the head of an organization. Personal contact is essential, and heads of Algerian organizations expect meetings with counterparts. Faxed letters in French on letterhead are more likely to elicit a response from Algerians than email communication.
 

Travel Advisory

Please see the Department of State’s Travel Advisory for the latest information.
 

Visa Requirements

U.S. citizens need a visa to enter Algeria. Travelers should clearly stipulate the intended date of entry and planned duration of stay on their application. A letter of invitation from an Algerian business or government agency is usually required, the Commercial Section at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers can assist with letters.

Please visit the Web site of the Embassy of Algeria in Washington, DC. Visa information is available under the heading Consular Section. Approval of visas and the return of passports may take several weeks.
 

Telecommunications

Algeria’s telecommunications are mostly modern. Algeria’s telecommunications infrastructure and procedures have improved significantly, making negotiations for service less difficult. GSM technology has made mobile phones commonplace and service is available in almost all areas of the country. Easier access to Internet, the introduction of 3G/4G, and the deployment of optic fiber are helping Algeria to boost its ICT development. Most hotels and private businesses have Internet. Internet and e-mail penetration within government ministries is limited.
 

Transportation

A number of international airlines serve Algeria. There are no direct flights between Algeria and the United States. Air Algérie and Tassili Airlines provide domestic service.

There is railway passenger service between the major northern cities and bus services to many of the smaller cities and towns. Good paved roads cover the northern region and connect some oases, but congestion and security checkpoints impede overland travel. Rental cars are available, and prices are quite like rates in Europe. Parking is also an issue in urban areas, and many companies hire a car and driver for daily meetings of executives. See the State Department’s Algeria travel advisory for the most current information on travel within Algeria.
 

Language

Arabic is the official language of Algeria and Berber is a national language. French is widely spoken in business and government circles, and English is often understood and increasingly used by the private sector. Good interpreters are in high demand and are expensive, so plan ahead to secure interpretation for business meetings. Contact the Embassy’s Commercial Section for suggestions on local translators.
 

Health

No vaccinations are required for entry. Typhoid, tetanus, polio, cholera, and preventive rabies inoculations are strongly recommended. Tap water is considered potable in Algiers, but drinking bottled water is recommended. For additional information see the World Health Organization website.
 

Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays

The standard workweek in Algeria is Sunday to Thursday, 08:30 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Algeria is in the GMT +1 time zone, six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and in the same time zone as Central European Time. Algeria does not observe daylight savings during the summer, at which point it is one hour behind Central European Time and five hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.

The following is a list of Algerian holidays in 2019 as well as dates on which the U.S. Embassy in Algiers will be closed in observance of U.S. holidays (see next page):
 
HolidayObserved in USAObserved in AlgeriaObserved at Post
New Year’s DayTue, Jan  1Tue, Jan  1Tue, Jan  1
Berber New Year Day_Yennayer (ALG)Sat, Jan 12Sat, Jan 12Sat, Jan 12
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (US)Mon, Jan 21N/ASun, Jan 20
President’s Day (US)Mon, Feb 18N/ASun, Feb 17
Labor Day (ALG)N/AWed, May 1Wed, May 1
Memorial Day (US)Mon, May 27N/ASun, May 26
Eid El Fitr (ALG end of Ramadan)N/ATue-Wed,
June 4 & 5		Tue-Wed,
June 4 & 5
Independence Day (US)Thu, July 4N/AThu, July 4
Eid El Adha (ALG)N/AFri, July 5thFri, July 5
Labor Day (US)N/ASun-Mon,
Aug 11 & 12		Sun-Mon,
Aug 11 & 12
Awal Muharram (ALG*Mon, Sep 2N/ASun, Sep 1
Islamic New Year)N/ASun, Sep 1Sun, Sep 1
Ashura (ALG) *N/ATue, Sep 10Tue, Sep 10 
Columbus Day (US)Mon, Oct 14N/ASun, Oct 13
Revolutionary Day (ALG)NAFri, Nov 1Fri, Nov 1
Veterans Day (US)Mon, Oct 14N?ASun, Nov 10
El Mawlid Ennabbaoui (ALG*Prophet’s Birthday)N/ASun, Nov 10Sun, Nov 10
Thanksgiving Day (US)Thu, Nov 28N/AThu, Nov 28
Christmas Day (US)Wed, Dec 25N/AWed, Dec 25

* ALG Religious Holidays are subject to lunar sighting as official confirmation by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

 

Temporary Entry of Materials and Personal Belongings

Algerian customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information call (212) 354-4480, send an e-mail to atacarnet@uscib.org.
 

Web Resources

Other websites that may be useful, include, but are not limited to:

Contacts, Market Research and Trade Events

Contacts
  • Market Research
  • Trade Events

Contacts

For more information about commercial opportunities in Algeria, please contact:     

U.S. Embassy Foreign Commercial Service

Market Research

View market research reports here:

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html

 

Trade Events

Please click on the links below for information on upcoming trade events:
     
  • SAFEX – Algerian Society for Fairs and Exports
 
  • https://www.export.gov/trade_events_search#/



 


 

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