Algeria Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Algeria.
A two-tier system: free public hospitals and fee-paying polyclinics. Urban facilities are adequate for first aid. Serious trauma cases are evacuated to France.
International visitors normally use private Polyclinique d'Alger or Clinique les Falaises in Algiers. Payment is expected up-front; keep all receipts for insurance.
Green-cross shops are plentiful in city centres and stock French generics. Pharmacists can issue many medicines without prescriptions. Carry the generic name of any regular drug.
Proof of travel insurance is checked on arrival if you need a visa. It is strongly advised for visa-free visitors too.
- ✓ Bring a French translation of any prescription; Arabic-only labels can confuse border officers.
- ✓ Tap water is chlorinated but tastes brackish. Sealed bottles are cheap and recommended.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpocketing in Algiers' Casbah, Oran 's Medina and on the Algiers- Constantine train.
Poor lane discipline, unlit vehicles and wandering livestock on rural highways.
Residual militant cells in the south and along southern borders with Mali/Niger.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Men posing as official guides attach themselves to visitors, give a short walk, then demand high payment and lead tourists to overpriced craft shops.
Menus list prices in dinar but extras (bread, water) are added at an inflated tourist rate.
Street changers give old 1,000-dinar notes (withdrawn) or short-count bundles.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Buy bus tickets inside the station booth, not from touts touts.
- • Women alone should sit directly behind the driver on inter-city coaches.
- • Photocopy your passport. Police roadblocks outside Algiers often ask for ID.
- • Cash dominates. Only top-end hotels and Carrefour supermarkets accept foreign cards.
- • Do not photograph military barracks, police stations or border posts. Fines are immediate.
- • Always ask before photographing women in rural Kabylie villages.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Algerian law guarantees equal access. But social norms remain conservative outside large cities.
- → Sit in the front section of Algiers metro reserved for women and families.
- → Avoid accepting invitations to private homes unless introduced by a hotel concierge.
- → Carry a scarf for instant head-cover if entering working mosques.
Same-sex acts are illegal under Article 338 of the Penal Code with penalties up to 3 years and fines.
- → Book twin beds rather than doubles if unsure of hotel policy.
- → Avoid discussing sexuality with strangers; social-media meet-ups carry entrapment risk.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Medical evacuation to France costs thousands without cover. Hospitals demand deposits up-front.
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