Algeria updates tourist allowance access amid fraud crackdown

Algerian banks, including the Banque du Développement Local (BDL) and Banque Nationale d’Algérie (BNA), are implementing measures to facilitate access to the 750 euro tourist allowance. These initiatives aim to simplify the process for citizens traveling abroad by reducing international card issuance fees and allowing foreign currency balances to be used for online payments, such as hotel and flight reservations.

Simultaneously, authorities are cracking down on fraudulent activities related to this allowance. The Sidi M’hamed court in Algiers has opened a case involving 22 individuals suspected of bypassing exchange regulations. The network allegedly used a scheme where individuals traveled to Tunisia through official border crossings to obtain exit stamps on their passports, only to return to Algeria via unmonitored points to avoid minimum stay requirements. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of up to six years for those involved in redirecting the allowance to the parallel currency market.