Algeria introduces new currency declaration rules for cross-border travellers
New regulations require electronic declarations, expand reporting obligations to precious metals and gemstones, and strengthen anti-money laundering controls.
By Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS — Algeria has introduced new procedures governing the declaration of currency and valuables by travellers entering or leaving the country, as part of broader efforts to strengthen financial oversight and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The new ministerial decree, published in Official Gazette No. 51, amends existing regulations governing currency declarations and introduces revised reporting requirements for cross-border travellers.
Under the updated rules, travellers must submit a written declaration to the competent customs office upon entering or departing Algeria using an official customs form, which must be completed, signed and registered by the relevant authorities.
The regulation also introduces electronic declarations as a mandatory procedure. Travellers are now required to complete the declaration through the designated online platform before reporting to customs, a measure aimed at simplifying administrative procedures while enhancing the efficiency of border controls.
The declaration requirement has also been expanded beyond banknotes and payment instruments to include precious metals and gemstones carried by travellers.
For non-resident travellers wishing to take out funds previously brought into Algeria but not spent during their stay, the new provisions require the presentation of the original entry declaration endorsed by a Bank of Algeria branch, an authorised intermediary bank or an approved foreign exchange office, as proof of currency exchange transactions conducted within the country.
The decree further grants customs officers the authority to request any information or supporting documentation necessary to verify the origin and intended destination of transported funds and valuables.
In addition, the regulations provide for the establishment of dedicated databases covering declarations of both domestic and foreign currency. The databases will include travellers’ identification details, addresses inside or outside Algeria, travel documents, declared amounts, departure and destination points, as well as information on the source of funds and their beneficial owner.
The system will also record violations related to false declarations, non-declaration or breaches of legal obligations. The collected data may be exchanged and utilised within the framework of national and international cooperation, particularly with Algeria’s authority responsible for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, in order to strengthen the monitoring of cross-border financial flows.
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