Starting a Business · Algeria
Starting a Business - Algeria
Algeria substantially liberalised foreign investment under its 2022 Investment Code, abolishing the blanket 51/49 local-majority rule for most productive sectors and creating a one-stop-shop regime through AAPI. Foreign investors may now own 100% in the majority of sectors, though the 51/49 rule is retained for strategic industries and for any company importing goods for resale, and the multi-step incorporation process (notarisation, CNRC registration, BOAL publication, tax ID) typically takes 2–4 weeks.
The 2022 Investment Code removed the blanket 51/49 local-majority requirement for general production of goods and services, including telecoms, banking, agri-food, and construction. The 51/49 rule remains mandatory for strategic sectors (military, railways, ports, airports, pharmaceuticals, mining, upstream hydrocarbons) and—critically—for any company importing goods into Algeria with intent to resell (reinstated by the 2021 Finance Law).
The standard vehicle for foreign investors is the SARL (société à responsabilité limitée), requiring a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 50 partners. Minimum share capital is 100,000 DZD (approx. USD 740), which must be fully paid up at incorporation and imported through official banking channels.
The process involves approximately six steps: (1) reserve company name with CNRC via the Sidjilcom portal; (2) have articles of association drafted and notarised in Arabic by an Algerian notary; (3) open a corporate bank account and deposit capital; (4) publish a legal notice in the Official Bulletin of Legal Announcements (BOAL, fee ~7,000 DZD); (5) register with CNRC to obtain the Trade Register extract; (6) obtain a Tax Identification Number (NIF) via the online portal nifenligne.mfdgi.gov.dz and a statistical identifier.
End-to-end incorporation typically takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending primarily on the speed of notarial drafting, lease finalisation for the registered office, and bank account opening. Bureaucratic delays at individual agencies can extend this.
The 2022 Investment Code established AAPI as the single interlocutor for investors, with one-stop shops at national and local levels covering tax, customs, trade registration, and urban planning formalities. An upgraded one-stop shop format was announced as operational in April 2026, with new governing legal texts published in the Official Gazette to streamline procedures further.
Foreign investors have a statutory right under the 2022 Investment Code to transfer dividends and investment proceeds abroad in foreign currency, provided initial capital was imported through official banking channels. The minimum threshold for dividend transfer entitlement is set at 25% of total project cost.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/24/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →