Just Landed in Algeria? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is cheap and 4G is solid across the main cities, though speeds drop sharply once you leave the coastal belt. Fixed home internet (Algerie Telecom's 'Idoom' ADSL and fibre) is slower to arrange and usually needs a residence document and a fixed address, so many newcomers live on mobile data for the first months. All prepaid SIMs are registered to your passport at the point of sale.

Typical cost: A SIM costs from around 300 DZD; a monthly data bundle of 10-30 GB runs roughly 1,000-2,000 DZD, and Idoom home fibre plans start around 2,000-4,000 DZD per month depending on speed

Algeria runs on cash. Card acceptance is rare outside big hotels and a handful of supermarkets, and the country is largely cut off from international card networks, so your foreign Visa or Mastercard often will not work at ATMs or tills. The domestic CIB and Edahabia cards work locally but are of little help to a brand-new arrival, so plan to bring cash to exchange.

Opening an account: Opening an account as a foreigner is slow and usually requires a residence permit, proof of address and often local employment. State banks such as BEA, BNA, CPA and the postal system (Algerie Poste, whose CCP account comes with an Edahabia card) are the common routes, alongside private banks like AGB and Societe Generale Algerie. Expect to be sent away to return with more documents at least once.

Cash: Carry dinars for everything: taxis, markets, small shops, rent and utilities are almost all cash-only. The informal exchange market known as 'Square' (after Square Port Said in Algiers) gives a much stronger rate than the banks but is unregulated and technically illegal, so only use trusted contacts and never flash large sums.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and appreciated rather than expected: round up taxi fares to the nearest note, leave 5-10% in a sit-down restaurant if the service was good, and hand a small note to porters and petrol attendants.

Foreigners staying beyond a short visit must obtain a residence permit (carte de residence / titre de sejour) from the local wilaya or the foreigners' section of the police prefecture, and holders of a long-stay visa are expected to convert it after arrival rather than simply live on the visa. Hotels register their guests with the police automatically, but once you take private accommodation the onus shifts to you, and requirements, processing times and the exact document list vary noticeably by wilaya and by nationality.

Deadline: Long-stay visa holders should begin the residence-permit application shortly after arrival, typically within the validity window of the entry visa; do not let your entry visa lapse first, as overstaying complicates everything and can trigger fines or exit problems

Where: The wilaya (provincial governorate) or the foreigners' section of the police prefecture (Direction de la reglementation et des affaires generales) in your city of residence

Algiers has a clean, modern metro, a tram network and the extensive ETUSA bus system; intercity travel uses SNTF trains and long-distance coaches from stations like Kharrouba. Yellow taxis are everywhere but frequently have no working meter, so agree the fare before you get in, or use a ride-hailing app where the price is shown up front. A single metro or tram ticket is around 40-50 DZD.

From the airport: From Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG), about 20 km east of central Algiers, take the official airport taxi (agree the fare, roughly 1,500-2,500 DZD to the centre), book a Yassir ride, or use the ETUSA airport shuttle bus into the city for a fraction of the taxi price. Traffic into Algiers can be heavy, so allow extra time in rush hour.

Most rentals are found through local agents, word of mouth and Facebook groups rather than international portals; Ouedkniss is the dominant classifieds site for flats, and Lkeria is a growing property portal. Leases are frequently informal and paid in cash, contracts are often light, and landlords commonly prefer, and will ask foreigners for, a large chunk of the year up front.

Typical rent: A modest one-bedroom flat in a normal Algiers district runs roughly 30,000-55,000 DZD per month; furnished flats in central or upmarket areas favoured by expats (Hydra, El Biar, Sidi Yahia) commonly run 80,000-200,000 DZD

Deposit norm: One to three months' rent as a deposit is standard, and it is common for landlords to request six to twelve months paid in advance, especially from foreigners without a local guarantor

Public hospitals (CHU teaching hospitals in Algiers, Oran and Constantine) are free or heavily subsidised but often crowded and under-resourced, with long waits and limited English. Those who can afford it use private clinics in Algiers and Oran for faster, better-equipped care, and French is the working language in most clinics and doctors' offices. Pharmacies are well-stocked and a pharmacie de garde stays open overnight and on Fridays on a rota.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, go directly to a private clinic or a doctor's cabinet and pay cash on the day. For emergencies, call SAMU on 16 for medical help or the Protection Civile on 14 for accidents, fire and rescue, or go straight to a hospital emergency department (urgences). The unified emergency number 112 also works.

Insurance: There is no automatic cover for new arrivals. Employees are enrolled in the state CNAS social security scheme once they have a contract, but most expats carry private international health insurance and pay upfront for private care, reclaiming afterwards; keep every receipt and prescription for your insurer.

• Greet people warmly and take time for it; a handshake and 'Salam' or 'Bonjour' before getting to business is expected, and rushing straight to the point is seen as rude.
• Dress modestly, especially away from the coast and in smaller towns; covering shoulders and knees avoids unwanted attention, and this matters more for women in conservative areas.
• Lean on French and learn a few words of Darija, as English is not widely spoken in offices, taxis or markets and a little effort in French opens doors.
• Accept hospitality graciously; refusing an offered coffee, tea or a bite outright can cause offence, so take at least a token amount even if you are not hungry.
• Be discreet with alcohol and especially so during Ramadan; drinking is legal but low-key and not sold everywhere, and eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight in Ramadan is frowned upon.
• Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, and remove your shoes when entering a home if your host has done so.
• Be patient and courteous with officials; visible frustration rarely speeds anything up, whereas a calm, polite manner and a French-speaking contact often does.

• The working week runs Sunday to Thursday and Friday is the main day of rest, so plan admin, banking and shopping around the Friday-Saturday weekend.
• Photographing government buildings, police, military sites, ports and airports can get you into serious trouble; always ask before photographing people, especially women.
• Bureaucracy is slow, paper-based and inconsistent between wilayas; bring copies, patience and ideally a local contact who speaks French or Arabic to interpret.
• Several land borders and the deep Sahara are restricted or off-limits to foreigners; do not attempt independent travel to border zones or the far south without checking current rules.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and topics like religion and politics are best handled with tact until you know your company well.