Libya Algeria
Libya 
AlgeriaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Libya and Algeria share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Algeria
- Drive on the right.
- Zero alcohol tolerance for driving.
- Checkpoints common between cities.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
What to see when you arrive in Algeria
- the Roman ruins of Timgad and Djémila
- the Casbah of Algiers
- the Sahara oases of the M'Zab Valley
- the Tassili n'Ajjer rock art
- the coastal city of Oran
Once you're driving in Algeria
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Algeria requires foreign visitors to carry an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva format) together with their national licence to rent and drive; the IDP is accepted for up to 1 year. A non-resident may drive on the home licence plus IDP for up to about 3 months after arrival before needing local formalities.
Tolls & road charges
Most Algerian roads are toll-free; the main exception is the East-West Highway (Autoroute Est-Ouest) linking the Tunisian and Moroccan borders, where booths take cash in Algerian dinar, so carry small notes. There is no vignette or electronic-tag system to buy in advance.
Parking in the cities
In Algiers, parking is informal: roving attendants (gardiens/parkingueurs) in reflective vests direct you into street spaces and expect a small dinar tip to watch the car. Formal enforcement is light and ticketing/towing mainly happens when you obstruct traffic; use guarded hotel parking overnight where possible.
Fines & camera enforcement
An overhauled traffic code (190 articles) sharply increased penalties; speeding, red-light running, phone use and seatbelt offences draw graduated fines that can include licence points or bans, and minor fines are often collected on the spot in cash. Alcohol behind the wheel is heavily penalised. Rental firms recover camera/checkpoint fines from the renter.
If you have an accident
Stop, do not move the vehicles, and call police on 17 (or 1548) in towns or the Gendarmerie on 1055 on rural roads; the unified mobile emergency number is 112. Photograph the scene and obtain a police report (constat) for your insurer or rental company before vehicles are moved.
Driving in the capital
Algiers traffic is dense and assertive with frequent jams on the seafront and approaches; police and Gendarmerie checkpoints are routine, so keep your IDP, passport and rental papers handy and expect to stop and present them.
Sources: gov.uk · rhinocarhire.com · globalpetrolprices.com · dzair-tube.dz