How safe is Algeria for travelers?

The travel advisory, stated plainly

The FCDO advises against all travel to within 30 km of Algeria's borders with:

• Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger
• Tunisia, in the provinces of Illizi and Ouargla and in the Chaambi mountains area

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 30 km of the rest of the Algeria to Tunisia border.

• Travelling against that advice can invalidate travel insurance.
• Algiers, Oran and Constantine carry no such advisory, which is why this page is written for arrivals there.

Terrorism and kidnap

• Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Algeria. Attacks have often focused on the Algerian state but could be indiscriminate and target foreign nationals, and there is a lone-actor risk.
• The threat is higher along the southern border, where the kidnap risk is concentrated, along the Libyan and Tunisian borders, in rural and mountainous areas in the north and between Tunisia and Algiers, and in the Sahara.
• AQIM and Daesh-affiliated groups operate across the region and are likely to consider Western nationals legitimate targets.
• British nationals are seen as legitimate kidnap targets, tourists included, and the FCDO warns that the reason for your presence is unlikely to protect you. The British government does not make substantive concessions to hostage takers, and paying a ransom is itself illegal under the Terrorism Act 2000.
• The authorities do run effective counter-terrorism operations, and there is a visible security presence around foreign visitors that the FCDO acknowledges can feel intrusive. That presence is the reason the cities are as safe as they are.

The closed border

• The land border between Algeria and Morocco is closed. Do not attempt to cross it.

If you are detained

• The authorities do not always inform the British Embassy when a British national is arrested. If you are detained, insist on your right to contact the embassy, and expect it to take time for consular staff to get permission to visit.

Laws that catch visitors out

• It is illegal to be under the influence of alcohol in a public place. Most restaurants do not serve alcohol.
• Drones, binoculars, telescopes and certain photographic equipment cannot be brought in without authorisation.
• There is zero tolerance for drug offences. Penalties for trafficking, smuggling, use and possession are severe and can extend to the death penalty depending on severity.
• Sexual acts between people of the same sex are illegal.
• British men of Algerian origin may be liable for national service even after living abroad. Check with the Algerian consulate before travelling.

Ramadan

• Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public during daylight hours, including in a car. No loud music, no dancing, no swearing in public.
• Check opening hours, expect hotels serving food in fasting hours to screen you from other guests, and allow for tiredness in the late afternoon.

Documents and checkpoints

• You do not have to carry the passport at all times, but take it on longer journeys, and you must have it for a domestic flight.
• Keep copies of the photo page and the visa or entry stamp somewhere separate.
• At military or police checkpoints, approach slowly, do not cross boundaries without permission, and be ready to show photo ID.

Driving

• Algeria has a very high road accident rate and driving can be erratic, with little lane discipline and confusion over right of way, especially at roundabouts. Take care crossing on foot even at a signal.
• Roads carry sand drifts, large potholes that appear after heavy rain, and large speed bumps. Slow down for sand.
• Roads and vehicles may be unlit at night outside towns.
• A UK photocard licence works for up to 3 months, and the authorities may ask for an international driving permit as well. Buy the IDP before you leave the UK, because you cannot get one abroad.
• Check petrol station availability before a long journey in a remote area.

Natural hazards

• Wildfires happen most summers and can flare without warning in extreme weather.
• Parts of the country flood severely, with deaths, submerged houses and cars swept away.
• Earthquakes are a risk in the north, including Algiers. The May 2003 earthquake near Algiers killed over 2,200 people; smaller ones happen regularly.