Visa request for Algeria

Hi everyone, We’re French and we’d like to visit Algeria, especially Kabylie, for a stay of about ten days. We’ll be renting a car (which are the best car rental agencies?)

It seems that to get a tourist visa for less than 90 days, we need to show proof of accommodation + a flight confirmation from France to Algiers. (Which hotels in Algiers do you recommend? And which airlines?)

What should we do if the visa is ultimately refused? It’s not ideal if the response takes 2 months and we have to cancel the hotel and flight.

What do you suggest we do? What are the best practices?

Thanks in advance! Patrick from Nantes

Hi there, You're lucky to have the Algerian Consulate in Nantes – rue du Général Buat. You can go there directly to get information (appointment required, I think).

From my own travel memories: We were a group in 4x4s leaving from France. In addition to the visa, we needed an invitation letter from an Algerian tourist agency. We had to submit our itinerary and were required to have a guide for the entire stay (1 month). Maybe the requirements have changed since then... A friend who went recently with his own vehicle also had to use a tourist agency and a guide. I’m not sure about renting a car.

Safe travels!

Hi there,

The processing time for a visa application varies depending on the consulate—it can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks. There’s no reason your application should be refused. As for hotels, it depends on where you’re arriving, but in Algiers, you’ve got plenty of options for all budgets. I’d recommend a quick Google search (or Google Maps), reading reviews, and then contacting the hotel directly by phone. Another option is Airbnb—again, you’ll find lots of choices in Algiers and elsewhere. Just prioritize apartments with at least three positive reviews.

For car rentals, do a Google search for rental agencies in Algiers—you’ll easily find ones with lots of reviews, like AutoRentDz. That’s exactly what I did in 2023: I rented a car from an agency I found on Google with great reviews, and everything went smoothly.