What's Illegal inAlgeria?

The single thing worth knowing first: Drug penalties are severe. Photography of government and military sites is restricted. Same-sex relations are criminalized. It is the kind of rule that looks minor at home and becomes a serious problem at the border or in public, which is exactly why it tops this page.

Within everyday activities and public behavior, Algeria treats Photography of military/government, Public drunkenness, and Topless sunbathing, among others, as off-limits. Carrying or doing any of these can mean confiscation, fines, or detention depending on the case — and a foreign prescription, habit, or "I didn't know" rarely helps once you are stopped. Each entry below links to the official source it is checked against, with the verified ones marked.

Two things travelers regularly get wrong about Algeria: Algeria allows alcohol but it's not as openly sold as in Tunisia or Morocco; and Religious materials in Arabic for non-Islamic faiths can attract attention. Assumptions like these are how otherwise careful visitors end up in trouble, so it is worth checking the specifics rather than guessing.

One important caveat: Sahara border regions have severely restricted access for foreigners. Laws and their enforcement can shift between regions and over time, so treat this page as a sourced starting point and confirm anything borderline against the official links before you rely on it.