Travel & customs
International Visa card and the travel allowance in Algeria (2026)
Since 19 July 2026 the annual travel allowance is paid onto an international card from your Algerian bank. Here is how it works and what to prepare.
For decades, Algerians travelling abroad could buy only a token amount of foreign currency at the official rate. The allowance was raised to 750 euros a year for adults and 300 euros for minors, and Bank of Algeria Instruction 07-2026 now pays it onto an international Visa or Mastercard issued by an Algerian bank. That turns a local bank card into the most practical way to pay abroad for people who live in Algeria.
01 Travel & customs
What changed in July 2026
Instruction 07-2026 of 13 July 2026 took effect on 19 July 2026. Every approved intermediary bank can pay the allowance, and holders of a Visa, Mastercard or other international card from an Algerian bank can request it there. The allowance is paid per person, so a spouse needs their own card, and a parent can receive it for up to two minor children.
02 Travel & customs
Getting an international card
You can use an international card you already hold; a new card is not mandatory. Banks may also issue a dedicated card valid for at least three years. CPA, for example, launched a “CPA VISA Classique” travel card with an annual fee of 3,000 DA, and asks for at least 10,000 DA on the dinar account to cover fees. The dinar counter-value cannot be paid in cash: it is debited from your account.
Spending abroad
Card payments in shops, contactless payments and ATM withdrawals abroad are allowed.
Online
Online purchases linked to the trip, such as hotels, can be paid with the card.
Unused balance
What you do not spend stays on the card for future trips.
03 Travel & customs
Documents to bring
- A return ticket or the travel tax receipt
- A valid passport and a copy of its first page
- A visa when the destination requires one
- Proof of income
04 Travel & customs
Rules to know
- The allowance can be claimed once per calendar year.
- If the trip is cancelled, or you come back within seven days, the full amount must be refunded.
- If you received it between 21 July and 31 December 2025, you can claim again in 2026.
- If you received it between 1 January and 18 July 2026, the next claim opens on 1 January 2027.
FAQ Travel & customs
Questions
How much is the travel allowance?
750 euros a year for adults and 300 euros for minors, at the official rate, once per calendar year.
Can I use the card for online shopping at home?
The allowance is meant for spending linked to the trip abroad, including online bookings for it. It is not a general online shopping budget.
Is this the same as a foreign-currency (devises) account?
No. A devises account holds your own foreign currency. The allowance is foreign currency you buy at the official rate, once a year, loaded on a card.
EXDZ publishes information only and does not sell currency or cards. Rules come from the Bank of Algeria and each bank sets its own card fees; confirm with your bank before travelling.
Sources
Rules and amounts come from these reports of Bank of Algeria announcements.