24 Countries Without Visa: The Hidden Privilege of the Algerian Elite

Earlier this week, the former chief of staff of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Abdelaziz Khelef, was denied entry at Orly Airport in Paris despite holding a diplomatic passport, an incident that marks a new escalation in the diplomatic rift between Algeria and France. Last week, a senate group initiated discussions aimed at canceling the 1968 accords with Algeria. French officials have also cited the possibility of rescinding a reciprocal arrangement from July 10, 2007, signed by then,Foreign Ministers Bernard Kouchner (France) and Mourad Medelci (Algeria), which was later amended on December 16, 2013, by Manuel Valls (France) and Ramtane Lamamra (Algeria).

According to Xavier Driencourt, who served as France’s ambassador to Algeria from 2008,2012 and 2017,2020, this agreement allows the “entire Algerian nomenklatura, diplomats, military, politicians, and their families” to travel to France without a visa to get free medical care. Driencourt has argued for terminating the deal, describing it as a “simple exchange of letters” that could be revoked at the discretion of the French Foreign Minister. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin recently supported this stance, calling the agreement’s potential revocation a “measure of retaliation” against Algeria’s “hostile actions” and alleged “hybrid warfare” on French soil. Darmanin maintains that ending the visa exemption is the most effective way to address what France considers increasingly antagonistic policies by the Algerian military regime.

Algerian diplomatic passport holders can travel to at least 24 countries without a visa, including a 90-day visa exemption within the Schengen Area.

France’s revocation of diplomatic passports has brought to light the sordid backstage of an Algerian military system complicit in unheard-of privileges. Algeria has negotiated bilateral agreements with 23 countries, guaranteeing free visa access to 24 nations – including 7 Schengen countries, 3 Gulf states, not to mention numerous destinations in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and even Latin America.

World Map with the 24 Countries that Algerian Diplomatic Passport Holders Can Visit Without A Visa, and which Algerian citizens cannot without a visa. These destinations span Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Specifically, the visa-free list includes seven Schengen countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Poland, Switzerland,also applicable to Liechtenstein,Bulgaria, and Finland), two non-Schengen European countries (Serbia, Bosnia), three Middle Eastern countries (Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan), five African nations (Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, Burundi, Uganda), two Asian countries (China, India), three Eastern Bloc nations (Russia, Belarus, Azerbaïdjan), and one Latin American country (Colombia).

Public opinion is often under the illusion that only diplomats posted abroad benefit from these passports, but the truth is quite different. These passports, available to several thousand or even ten thousand servants of the military regime living and working in Algeria – with their wives and children – represent a scandalous exclusivity. What’s more, they enjoy advantageous discounts on Air Algérie and benefit from fare agreements with international airlines.

What’s even more distressing, and provokes indignation, is that these bilateral agreements were knowingly sought, discussed, negotiated and signed by the Algerian regime, which deliberately chose to reserve this passport for free movement only for loyal submissives of the system, leaving the rest of the population in administrative misery. The visa, in short, has become a weapon, carefully orchestrated to maintain flagrant inequality, the symbol of a power that refuses to be shared.

Who Issues Diplomatic Passports in Algeria ?

Diplomatic passports in Algeria are issued by the Central Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically under the Directorate General of Protocol, the Directorate of Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges, the Sub-Directorate of Travel Documents, and the Bureau of Diplomatic and Service Passports.

Who Receives Diplomatic Passports?

The pool of beneficiaries in Algeria is notably large, and estimated to be about thousands to ten-thousands, extending beyond what is typical in many democratic countries. Our sources argue that the broad eligibility serves to reinforce patronage and loyalty within the elite of the systeme or “nomenklatura.” It should be noted that beneficiaries do not need to be diplomats or hold a diplomatic post to benefit from the diplomatic passport. In fact, most beneficiaries of the diplomatic passport are family members of the Algerian nomenklatura stationed in Algeria.

Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of individuals who qualify for diplomatic passports, along with their spouses and children:

Former High-Ranking Officials

Former high-ranking officials and their families such as former presidents, for example Liamine Zeroual, his wife and kids. Former prime ministers such as Aïmene Benabderrahmane, Abdelaziz Djerad, Sabri Boukadoum, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, Ali Benflis, Ahmed Benbitour, Mokdad Sifi, their wives and kids. Former parliament presidents such as Ibrahim Boughali, Slimane Chenine, Abderrazak Terbeche, Mouad Bouchareb, Saïd Bouhadja, Larbi Ould Khelifa, Amar Saadani, Karim Younes, their wives and kids. Former presidents of the Constitutional Council such as Kamel Fenniche, Saïd Boulchair, their wives and kids. Former foreign ministers such as Ramtane Lamamra, Sabri Boukadoum, Abdelkader Messahel, Youcef Yousfi, Lakhdar Brahimi, Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, Mohammed Seddik Benyahia, their wives and kids. Former defense ministers, all died. Former ministers of state, their wives and kids. Former chiefs of staff of the ANP (Algerian National People’s Army), their wives and kids. Former army generals, their wives and kids, counted by hundreds. Former ambassadors, their wives and kids, are multiple hundreds. Former consuls general, their wives and kids: hundreds.

Current Government Officials

List of Algerian diplomatic passport beneficiaries enjoying visa-free travel. It should be noted that the beneficiaries do not need to be diplomats nor hold a diplomatic position to benefit from the diplomatic passport. In fact, the majority of diplomatic passport beneficiaries are family members of the Algerian nomenklatura serving in Algeria.

Prime minister: Nadir Larbaoui, his wife and his kids. Director of the cabinet: Boualem Boualem, his wife and his kids. Advisors to the president: Kamel Sidi Said his wife and kids, Chafik Mesbah, wife and kids. General secretaries of the presidency, wife and kids.

Military leaders and their families: Chief of staff of the ANP: Said Chengriha, wife and kids. Army generals wives and kids. General secretaries of the Ministry of National Defense wife and kids, Commanders of the Republican Guard: Tahar Ayad, his wife and kids. Commanders of the National Gendarmerie: Yahia ALI OULHADJ, his wife and kids. Commanders of the military regions: wives and kids. Central director of army security: Mahrez Djeribi, wife and kids. Director of external relations and cooperation: wife and kids.

Other High-Ranking Positions

Ministers from all government departments: wife and kids. President of the Constitutional Court: Omar Belhadj wife and kids. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court wife and kids. President of the Council of State: wife and kids. Attorney General at the Supreme Court: wife and kids. State Commissioner at the Council of State: wife and kids. President of the Court of Auditors: wife and kids. Governor of the Bank of Algeria: wife and kids. Mediator of the Republic: wife and kids. Rector of the Great Mosque of Algiers: wife and kids.

Historic and Revolutionary Figures

Members of the National Council of the Algerian Revolution, veterans of the National Liberation Army (ALN), and heads of historic “wilayas” (regions).

Abderrahmane Fares