Hiring a foreign employee in Algeria: work permit, temporary authorisation and residence

Which document for which situation

Law No. 81-10 distinguishes the work permit, the temporary work authorisation and a simple declaration. A foreign manager of a company falls under another text and another document, the professional card.

The conditions set by law

Before applying: showing no Algerian can fill the job

Decree No. 82-510 of 25 December 1982 requires the employer to check with the employment services, before filing, that the job cannot be filled by a national worker (art. 7). The application comes with a reasoned report from the employer and the opinion of the workers' representatives; without them, the services will not accept the file (Law No. 81-10, art. 6).

The reasoned report states at least (Decree No. 82-510, art. 2):

• The employer's name or company name.
• The requirements of the job, a description of the tasks and the nature of the work.
• The reasons for employing a foreigner, in particular their titles, diplomas and qualifications.

The work permit file

The hiring employer files the application with the competent employment services, those of the wilaya where the job is located (Decree No. 82-510, art. 6). The employee does not file it.

Deadlines and issue

1. 1

   Filing

   The employer files with the wilaya employment services and receives a receipt.

2. 2

   Answer within 45 days

   The 1982 decree gives the employment services 45 days to notify their answer to the employer. With no answer by then, their approval is deemed granted (art. 9).

3. 3

   Issue within 15 days

   The permit is issued within 15 days of approval (art. 10), to the employer's authorised representative or to the worker, in exchange for the receipt.

4. 4

   Stamp duty

   The document carries a 20,000 DA stamp, paid at the tax office. The law charges it to the beneficiary (Law No. 81-10, art. 12; Stamp Code, art. 142 bis).

5. 5

   Residence card

   The worker then applies to the wilaya for a residence card: the permit does not exempt them from residence formalities (Decree No. 82-510, art. 4).

Short assignments: temporary authorisation or simple declaration

For salaried work of 3 months or less, the employer applies for a temporary work authorisation, through a reasoned request and after consulting the workers' representatives. It cannot be renewed more than once in a year (Law No. 81-10, art. 8). The renewal request is filed at least 8 days before expiry, with a report explaining why the assignment continues (Decree No. 82-510, art. 17).

A foreigner called in exceptionally for work lasting 15 days or less, with no more than 3 months' total presence in the year, does not need this authorisation (Law No. 81-10, art. 9). The employer declares them to the wilaya director in charge of labour, with a report on the exceptional nature of the work, an information sheet and a count of the days worked in Algeria over the past 12 months (Decree No. 82-510, art. 20).

Special cases

• National of a country whose treaty with Algeria waives the permit: the employer declares them to the employment services at least 15 days before recruitment and receives a receipt per worker (Law No. 81-10, art. 3; Decree No. 82-510, art. 19). Ask the employment services whether such an agreement exists for the nationality concerned.
• Foreign spouse of an Algerian citizen: the permit is issued and renewed for 2 years on presentation of the marriage civil-status documents (Law No. 81-10, art. 11). The stamp duty drops to 2,000 DA.
• Refugee or stateless person: the technician threshold does not apply to political refugees (art. 3), and no stamp duty is due on the work document (Stamp Code, art. 142 bis).
• Secondment or assignment of 3 months or less in the year: no stamp duty on the work document (art. 142 bis).

Duration, renewal and change of employer

The work permit lasts 2 years at most and is renewed under the same conditions as the first application (Law No. 81-10, art. 10). File the renewal at least 45 days before expiry: the receipt lets the employee keep working until the permit's end date, and the employment services notify their answer at least 15 days before that date (Decree No. 82-510, art. 13 and 14). On renewal, the stamp duty is increased by 100%, to 40,000 DA.

The permit is tied to one employer. When their contract ends, a foreign employee may exceptionally be allowed to work for a new employer, who then files their own application (Law No. 81-10, art. 15). The file includes a certificate from the former employer on the employee's conduct and professional qualities, and a work certificate releasing them from any commitment (Decree No. 82-510, art. 12).

Residence: visa and residence card

The work permit does not settle residence. To enter Algeria, the foreigner presents a passport and the required visa, issued by Algerian consular offices; the consular visa is valid for 2 years at most and allows stays of up to 90 days per entry (Law No. 08-11, art. 7 and 8). The permit file must also prove that the worker entered lawfully.

To live and work in Algeria as an employee, the foreigner applies to the wilaya for a residence card. They obtain it only if they hold a work permit, a temporary work authorisation or an employment declaration, and the card cannot last longer than that document (Law No. 08-11, art. 16 and 17). The application is made 15 days before the visa expires (art. 18).

The 10-year card can be granted to a foreigner who has lived in Algeria continuously and lawfully for 7 years or more (Law No. 08-11, art. 16).

Foreign manager: the professional card

The work permit covers salaried work. A foreigner who runs or manages a commercial company under its articles falls under the professional card of Executive Decree No. 06-454 of 11 December 2006. They apply to the regulation and general affairs directorate of the wilaya of the registered office, and the wali issues it. It lasts 2 years, is renewed on a request filed at least 60 days before expiry, and its stamp duty has been 30,000 DA since the 2025 finance law. The holder applies for a residence card within 90 days, unless they sit on a management body and do not live in Algeria.

After hiring: your obligations as an employer

Otherwise, a foreign employee follows the rules for any employee: written contract, registration with CNAS (the social insurance fund for salaried workers), contributions and income tax withheld from pay.

Penalties

• Employing a foreigner without a permit or authorisation, with an expired document or in a job other than the one on the document: fine of 10,000 to 20,000 DA per offence (Law No. 81-10, art. 19, as worded in 2015).
• Failing to send the end-of-contract notice or the annual list: fine of 5,000 to 10,000 DA, doubled for a repeat offence (art. 23, as worded in 2015).
• Employing a foreigner without lawful residence: fine of 200,000 to 800,000 DA (Law No. 08-11, art. 49).

The services can also withdraw the permit if the documents provided prove inaccurate, or if the employee leaves the job, employer or conditions set by their document (Law No. 81-10, art. 14).

Common mistakes

• Letting the employee start before the permit is issued.
• Giving them a job other than the one stated on the permit.
• Believing the work permit doubles as a residence permit.
• Filing the renewal less than 45 days before expiry.
• Forgetting the 48-hour employment declaration or the annual list.
• Applying for a work permit for the statutory manager, who needs a professional card.

What Neuron does, and what it does not

Neuron does not apply for work permits and does not represent employers before the employment services. We set up the hiring company and provide its registered office in Dely Brahim for 6,000 DA a month, under a notarised contract of 1 or 2 years. We do not do bookkeeping or social security returns: the CNAS forms can be filled in yourself with our free guides.