Published: July 8, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Algeria Travel Advisory and Algeria Country Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Algiers:
5 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, El Biar district of Algiers.
Tel: +213 (0) 770-08-2000; Regional Security Office: +213 (0) 770-08-2168.
Hours of Operation: Sunday-Thursday, 0800-1700.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The Algeria Country Chapter maintains a Google Group for communications. Many private-sector security managers are not permanently based in Algeria. Interactions and meetings with Embassy Regional Security Office typically occur in small-group or individual sessions.
Contact OSAC’s Middle East & North Africa team with any questions.
Algeria Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise increased caution in Algeria due to terrorism and kidnapping.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a MEDIUM-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria.
The National Police (DGSN) reported that 394,189 crime cases have been recorded by the judicial police in 2024, 81% of which were handled in the police's area of jurisdiction (urban areas). The most common crimes tend to be crimes of opportunity (e.g., pickpocketing, purse snatching, burglary, and similar crimes) involving criminals operating primarily in high-traffic and high-density areas. However, statistics show criminals tend to focus on those who appear unfamiliar with their surroundings or have otherwise drawn attention to themselves. Areas foreigners frequent are generally less vulnerable, since they enjoy more robust police presence, though crime still does occur. Algiers and many of the larger coastal cities are safer due to the significant deployment of security forces. In addition to police personnel, Algiers province employs an extensive camera network for monitoring general safety and combating crime. Algeria uses video surveillance in at least seven major cities and expects to expand the program.
General theft and residential burglaries are more common in low-income neighborhoods but do occur occasionally in more affluent areas. The DGSN recorded 96,371 cases of damage to property, 85,698 cases of damage to persons, all of which resulted in 255,372 presentations before the courts.
Because burglaries are often crimes of opportunity, a well-secured home is often enough to deter criminals. Many middle-class Algerian families improve their residential security by installing grilles over windows and doors. Assume that criminals prepare for confrontation, though most avoid violence. As part of the activities of the public security services, the National Security units recorded 98,277 traffic offenses, 1,688,774 traffic violations, and 30,757 coordinated offenses, in addition to the impounding of 35,191 vehicles. Still on the roads, it was learned that of the 1,653 stolen vehicles, 970 were recovered.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria, indicating that criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure, or continue to detain individuals in order to compel a third party (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release.
The areas along Algeria’s borders, especially along the east and south, have the most concentrated risk of kidnapping due to the areas’ remoteness and porous borders. In past years, al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has kidnapped foreign nationals in the Sahel to obtain ransom. Another terrorist group known to kidnap for ransom is Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), though that group operates primarily in Northern Mali and along the border region with Algeria, prompting foreign governments and international organizations to warn against living, traveling, or working in that region. However, kidnappings of foreigners by terrorist organizations or armed criminal groups have not happened in Algeria since 2014.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria, indicating that terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist.
Terrorist groups remain active throughout Algeria, though Algerian military operations over the past several years have been very successful in countering terrorist activity. The most recent attack occurred in September 2024 when two shepherds were killed by an armed group in Beni Snouss in western Algeria, near the Moroccan border. The attackers then rigged the crime scene with explosives injuring three Algerian soldiers upon detonation.
Although terrorist groups typically target Algerian security services and local government targets, they still aspire to target Western interests. AQIM, AQIM-allied groups and ISIS elements, including the Algerian affiliate locally known as Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria (JAK-A, now calling itself ISIS-Algeria), remain present, though they are assessed to have limited capabilities as a result of successful Algerian counterterrorism operations.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Algiers as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
Algeria witnessed increased social unrest in February 2019 when a grassroots protest movement known as the Hirak broke out across the country. Protests came to a full stop in May 2021 when the government banned all gatherings without prior authorization. Despite the protest bans, thousands of Algerians mounted a protest in October 2023 condemning the Israel-Hamas conflict. Although presidential elections scheduled for fall 2024, no popular movement or anti-system activities are expected due to the heavy security posture implemented by the Algerian government.
Protests & Demonstrations
From February 2019 until May 2021, the Hirak movement prompted weekly anti-government demonstrations in major urban centers across the country. While the pandemic and restrictive social gathering measures stalled the movement during most of 2020, weekly demonstrations and marches resumed in February 2021 until security forces suppressed demonstrations for good in May 2021 ahead of parliamentary elections. While these events were largely peaceful, there were reports of arbitrary arrests, detainment of journalists and media, and the use of tear gas and other anti-riot control measures.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
Regional and global events have the potential to inflame public opinion and incite large demonstrations. U.S. policy decisions concerning Israel, as well as the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, resulted in negative commentary against the U.S. in Algerian media in late 2020.
Law Enforcement
The police emergency lines in Algeria are 1548 and 17; for gendarmes, call 1055. For local first responders, refer to the Embassy’s Emergency Assistance page.
The 130,000-member National Gendarmerie, which performs police functions outside urban areas under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense, and the 200,000-member General Directorate of National Security or national police, under the Ministry of Interior, share responsibility for maintaining law and order. The army has some domestic security responsibilities. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control over the security forces. Impunity for police and security officials remains a problem as members of the security forces have committed some abuses.
The Algerian Civil Protection works as firefighters, EMT, and medical first responders. Algerian Customs works closely with the police and gendarme at border points enforcing import laws and regulations.
Police Response
Security services are prevalent in urban areas. Police checkpoints, stations, and patrols are easily recognizable and widely deployed, particularly in Algiers. While emergency telephone lines do exist, reliability and response time for non-emergency services varies, and are not up to U.S. standards. Emergency operations generally speak Arabic and French, but normally do not speak English. The DGSN has also established web-based applications for reporting crime or contacting authorities. Police rarely notify embassies or consulates following the arrest of a foreign national, particularly if an individual is a dual-national of Algerian origin. U.S. citizens may request permission to communicate with the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers but should not expect Algerian police to contact the Embassy proactively.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Algeria, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Algeria.
The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention. A detainee has the right to appeal a court’s pretrial detention order and, if released, seek compensation from the government. Nonetheless, overuse of pretrial detention remained a problem. The government increasingly used pretrial detention after the beginning of the Hirak popular protest movement in 2019. Security forces routinely detain individuals who participate in unauthorized protests. Arrested individuals report that authorities held them for four to eight hours before releasing them without charges. The number of prisoners of conscience, most of whom are in pretrial detention, is estimated at around 300 persons.
Authorities continue their anticorruption campaign against political, military, and security officials, as well as prominent business leaders from the Bouteflika era.
The law provides for criminal penalties of two to 10 years in prison for official corruption, but the government has not fully implemented the law. Although the current government has emphasized rooting out corruption, it remains a problem. Officials sometimes engage in corrupt practices with impunity.
The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption, which were prosecuted in the courts as part of the government’s “operation clean hands” anti-corruption campaign.
Cybersecurity
As in most parts of the world, cybersecurity incidents continue to be a concern in Algeria. Businesses (especially banks) and social networks appear to be the top targets for fraud, blackmail, and radicalization.
Import/Export Restrictions
Items such as satellite phones, binoculars, and drones are considered sensitive equipment and will be confiscated by Customs if brought into the country without prior authorization.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
