Key facts
Key facts for business in Algeria
The short answer
Company registry in Algeria: Centre National du Registre du Commerce (CNRC) – Sidjilcom. Tax authority: Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Algeria before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (influenced by Islamic law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Arabic, Tamazight |
| Currency | Algerian dinar (DZD) |
| Regional blocs | Arab Maghreb Union |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1989 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1996 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 9 July 2026 |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Algeria
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Centre National du Registre du Commerce (CNRC) – Sidjilcom | sidjilcom.cnrc.dz |
| Investment promotion | Agence Algérienne de Promotion de l'Investissement (AAPI) – Algerian Investment Promotion Agency | aapi.dz |
| Tax | Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) | mfdgi.gov.dz |
We could not confirm an official website for: central bank, currency and foreign exchange, work and residence permits, courts and justice. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Centre National du Registre du Commerce (CNRC) – Sidjilcom.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Agence Algérienne de Promotion de l'Investissement (AAPI).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: the national immigration authority.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (the central bank) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Algeria is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Algeria for business matters
ADNA (Algiers office)
Algiers
Bennani & Associés (Algiers office)
Algiers
Cabinet Avocats Ouali
Algiers
Cabinet d'Avocats Habchi
Algiers
Gide Loyrette Nouel (Algiers)
Algiers
Loucif + Co
Algiers
LPA-CGR avocats (Algiers)
Algiers
Matouk Bassiouny (Algeria office)
Algiers
VARTIS Avocats (Algiers)
Algiers
9 firms in Algeria list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Algeria.
Checking a lawyer in Algeria
We could not find an official online source for who admits lawyers in Algeria. Ask any lawyer you consider for their bar or law-society membership and admission details, and confirm them with that body or with the courts.
Questions
Doing business in Algeria: questions
Where do you register a company in Algeria?
With Centre National du Registre du Commerce (CNRC) – Sidjilcom (sidjilcom.cnrc.dz). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Algeria.
Is Algeria a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1989 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Algeria accept apostilles?
Yes – Algeria is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 9 July 2026 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Algeria?
Algerian dinar (DZD).