Immigration
Law 08-11 on entry and residence, with criminal penalties for irregular stay
Entry, residence and movement of foreigners are governed by Law 08-11 of 2008, which criminalises irregular entry and stay. There is no domestic asylum determination procedure.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Ministry of Interior through wilaya authorities; Ministry of Labour for work permits. UNHCR Algiers conducts refugee status determination.
- Deadline — Foreigners staying beyond three months require a residence card
- Deadline — Work permits are employer-tied and issued for up to two years
Governing law
- Law 08-11 on the conditions of entry, stay and movement of foreigners
- Ordinance 70-86 on the Nationality Code, amended in 2005
- Law 09-01 amending the penal code on migrant smuggling
In practice
Law 08-11 treats irregular entry and stay as criminal offences carrying imprisonment as well as removal, which is stricter than the Moroccan and Tunisian frameworks and shapes practice for sub-Saharan migrants in particular. Algeria acceded to the Refugee Convention in 1963 but has no implementing statute, so recognition rests with UNHCR and confers no domestic work authorisation; the Sahrawi population in the Tindouf camps is handled under a separate arrangement entirely and is not processed through that route. The 2005 amendment to the Nationality Code allowed transmission of nationality by an Algerian mother, which was retroactive. Employment of foreign nationals requires a permit tied to a specific employer and post, and quota-style restrictions apply in practice through the permit process.