Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport: a practical guide

Where is Algiers airport?

The airport is in the municipality of Dar El Beïda, on the eastern side of the capital, next to Bab Ezzouar. Bab Ezzouar is the business district of eastern Algiers, and it is where you will find the hotels closest to the airport, a few minutes away by car.

Outside rush hour, allow around twenty minutes to reach central Algiers by road. At busy times the drive can take much longer, so for an early-morning flight or a late-night arrival, leave plenty of margin or sleep near the airport. The airport operator advises arriving three hours before your departure.

The three terminals: international, domestic and Hajj

Algiers airport is run by SGSIA, the public company that manages it, and has three terminals. The International Flights Terminal opened on 29 April 2019. It is reserved for international flights, has a capacity of 10 million passengers a year and offers free Wi-Fi. It has two levels: departures upstairs and arrivals downstairs.

Domestic flights (to Oran, Constantine, Annaba, Tamanrasset and other cities) and Umrah flights use the Domestic and Umrah Flights Terminal. A third terminal, Terminal 2, handles Hajj and charter flights. Terminal numbers have changed over the years and can be confusing, so always check the terminal shown on your ticket or boarding pass.

If you connect from an international flight to a domestic one, the airport has a transit circuit: you go to the domestic transit room, check in, complete police formalities and walk across the connecting bridge to the domestic terminal. Leave a comfortable margin between flights, especially if you need to collect and re-check your bags.

Getting to central Algiers: train, bus, taxi or transfer

Train: since April 2019 a railway line has linked the airport with Agha station, in the heart of Algiers, via Bab Ezzouar. The ride takes about twenty minutes and the line runs every day. The airport station is underground, between the terminals, and you walk to your terminal by following the signs. Trains do not run at all hours, so check the timetable on the airport's website or at the station before you travel.

Bus: ETUSA, the Algiers city bus company, serves the airport seven days a week, with lines towards Place Audin, Place des Martyrs and Kharouba, including line 39 to Audin and line 100 to Place des Martyrs. It is the cheapest option, but departures can be irregular and the service runs mostly during the day.

Taxi: official taxis wait outside the terminals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and serve every part of Algiers. Take one from the official rank and agree on the fare before you get in.

Private transfer: for a night arrival, a family trip or a lot of luggage, the simplest solution is a driver waiting for you at the exit, at a price agreed in advance. You can book your airport transfer on Nreservi together with your hotel.

Metro: the Algiers metro does not reach the airport yet. An extension of line 1 from El Harrach towards the airport is under construction, in several phases.

On arrival: passport, visa and currency

Have your passport ready and, if your nationality requires one, your visa. Visa rules depend on your passport, so check them before booking on the official travel advice site of your own country (GOV.UK for British travellers, travel.state.gov for Americans, travel.gc.ca for Canadians) and with the Algerian embassy or consulate where you live. Our Algeria visa page summarises the main cases.

Currency: Algerian customs require a written declaration, on entry and on exit, of foreign currency above a legal threshold. For Algerian travellers, resident or not, the threshold is 1,000 euros or the equivalent. Foreign nationals should check the threshold that applies to them on the Algerian customs website, douane.gov.dz, before leaving, as it has changed in recent years.

Changing money: change your euros, pounds or dollars at a bank or an authorised exchange office and keep your receipts. When leaving Algeria, a non-resident who declared currency on arrival may be asked to show the matching exchange receipts.

Staying near Algiers airport

For an early flight, a late arrival, a one-night stopover or a trade fair at the Safex exhibition centre, the most practical option is to stay in Bab Ezzouar. Hotels there are a few minutes from the airport, and some offer a shuttle with limited hours. Tell the hotel your flight time in advance.

If you are staying several days to visit the Casbah, the Maqam Echahid memorial or the seafront, a hotel in central Algiers is more convenient. See our pages on hotels near Algiers airport and hotels in Algiers to compare.

Book online by card, or in dinars

Nreservi is an Algerian travel agency. You book your hotel and your airport transfer online and pay by bank card from abroad. If a relative in Algeria prefers to pay, they can pay in Algerian dinars by BaridiMob, bank transfer or cash at our agency in Telemly, central Algiers. Your voucher arrives by email or WhatsApp, and you can also book with NIA, our assistant on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions