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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

7 clusters · 18 sources · 34 days · First seen about 1 month ago · Last updated about 13 hours ago

Categories: BUSINESS · POLITICS · HEALTH

Algeria's digital reforms and travel allowance

Entities: Visa · Crédit Populaire d'Algérie · CPA VISA Classique · Algerian travelers · Algerian Ministry of Finance

Overview

In late June 2026 Algeria introduced the "Waqar" card, giving retirees a 50 % discount on train tickets and launching an online platform for biometric passport renewal abroad. The government then shifted the €750 tourist allowance from cash to prepaid international bank cards, aiming to curb fraud and digitise public payments. The new scheme, combined with orange‑level heat alerts and soaring temperatures of up to 49 °C in southern wilayas, strained households and pushed the parallel euro rate to about 27 750 dinars per 100 € by mid‑July. On 20 July the Central Bank of Algeria, led by Governor Mohamed Lamine Lebou, met senior bank officials to accelerate issuance of the international payment cards that allocate €750 for adults and €300 for youths. The same day CNEP‑Bank opened two new branches in Douéra and Sidi Abdallah, expanding its network to 234 locations and offering full services, including Islamic‑finance products. A decree published on 3 June overhauled licensing for businesses dealing in gold, silver, platinum and precious stones and tightened border‑currency controls. A follow‑up decree on 23 July further required written declarations for cash, payment instruments, negotiable securities, precious metals and gemstones. Continuing the rollout, the National Bank of Algeria (BNA) clarified on 25 July how the state‑funded tourist allowance is loaded onto the international cards: each adult receives €750, children aged 12‑19 receive €300 (max two per household), and adult students qualify for the full €750. The allowance cannot be withdrawn as cash in Algeria and must be used abroad; loading requires a travel ticket or reservation, passport, income proof, the card, family record and children’s passports. On 28 July the Crédit Populaire d'Algérie (CPA) launched the CPA VISA Classique, a Visa‑network card dedicated solely to the travel allocation.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] The Crédit Populaire d'Algérie launched the CPA VISA Classique card for travelers. (CPA press release)
[● 3 SOURCES] The card is exclusively tied to the amount granted under the right‑to‑exchange travel allocation. (CPA communication)
[● 3 SOURCES] No minimum balance is required on the foreign‑currency account to obtain the card. (CPA statement)
[● 3 SOURCES] A dinar‑account must hold at least 10,000 DA to cover the annual fee of 3,000 DA and commissions. (CPA statement)
[● 2 SOURCES] All card transactions are debited exclusively from the foreign‑currency account linked to the travel allocation. (CPA statement)
[● 2 SOURCES] Existing CPA Visa and Mastercard holders will retain exchange services on their current cards. (CPA statement)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The launch follows a ministerial decision to allocate travel funds via bank cards to curb misuse and improve transparency. (CPA press release)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The CPA VISA Classique card uses the international Visa network for payments and cash withdrawals abroad. (CPA communication)

Timeline

about 13 hours ago

[BUSINESS] 3 sources
Algeria's CPA launches travel‑specific VISA card
Algeria's Crédit Populaire d'Algérie introduced the CPA VISA Classique, a travel‑specific Visa card linked to the right‑to‑exchange allocation, requiring a 10,000 DA account balance and covering an annual fee 3
3 days ago

[POLITICS] 5 sources
Algeria's €750 Tourist Allowance Explained by National Bank
Algeria’s BNA details its €750 tourist allowance, now loaded onto a bank card and usable abroad only, with specific amounts for adults, students and children, and required documentation.
5 days ago

[BUSINESS] 6 sources
Algeria Tightens Financial Controls on Precious Metals and Traveler Currency Declarations
Algeria’s 2026 finance decree tightens licensing for precious‑metal businesses and requires travelers to declare cash and valuables at borders, boosting anti‑money‑laundering controls.
9 days ago

[BUSINESS] 4 sources
Algeria expands tourist cash allocation and opens new CNEP‑Bank branches
Algeria's central bank pushes faster issuance of tourist travel cards worth €750 for adults and €300 for youths, while CNEP‑Bank adds two new branches in Douéra and Sidi Abdallah, expanding its network to 234.
10 days ago

[HEALTH] 3 sources
Algeria's euro rate climbs on black market amid new tourism allowance rules
Algeria's black‑market euro rate rose as new tourism allowance rules push demand, while orange‑level heat alerts forecast up to 49 °C across much of the country.
18 days ago

[POLITICS] 13 sources
Algeria shifts tourist allowance to card payments to curb fraud
Algeria will now issue the €750 tourist allowance on a bank card instead of cash to stop fraud and protect foreign‑exchange reserves, with strict usage rules and a one‑month IT‑integration deadline.
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Algeria launches 50% train fare discount for retirees and online passport renewal for diaspora
Algeria introduced a 50 % rail fare discount for retirees via the Waqar card and launched an online system for renewing biometric passports abroad, starting with the Paris consulate.

Sources

1001infos.net · afrik-foot.com · algerie-eco.com · algerie360.com · algeriepatriotique.com · andorradifusio.ad · foot01.com · fr.awras.com · lapresse.tn · lasentinelle.dz · lecourrier-dalgerie.com · maghrebactu.com · maghrebemergent.com · observalgerie.com · terra.com.co · tsa-algerie.com · turismo.corrientes.gob.ar · veronesi.net

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history