Are you traveling to Algeria and looking for the best way to stay connected? This is a complete guide for finding the best sim card for traveling to Algeria.
Find out where to buy a prepaid sim card in Algeria, the best e-sim cards for Algeria, the best 4G/LTE mobile data network, a vlog about my experiences staying connected in Algeria, more about the data speed, my recommendation and info about international sim cards for Algeria.
Traveltomtom is on a mission to visit every country in the world and since I am also a full time nomadic travel blogger for more than 10 years I constantly change countries. On arrival I always look for the best ways to get connected.
Nowadays I often buy an e-sim card online, but depending on the length of my trip I also use local prepaid sim cards. In my sim card guides I compare all the options and come with a conclusion and talk about my experiences.
That is how on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all around the world: Europe, France, Paris, Marseille, Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, USA, Miami, New York, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Marrakech, Saudi Arabia, Medina, Jeddah, Riyadh and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and e-sim card advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me!
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for Algeria are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an Ooredoo sim card for Algeria. After traveling in Algeria for more than 2 weeks I came to the conclusion that they have the fastest 4G data speed, good network coverage and works the best for traveling around Algeria.
For those travelers who want to arrive prepared in Algeria or those that just need a little data to stay in touch with family, the cheapest way to stay connected is an e-sim card for Algeria. You can already order an Algeria e-sim card on the internet for $7 USD.
When you travel to Algeria and are visiting more countries on your journey then look into ordering an international travel sim card with data valid in multiple countries. Read more about global travel sim cards with data in my guide for finding the best international sim cards for traveling in 2024.
Make sure your phone is unlocked before using an international sim card, local prepaid sim card or an e-sim cards for Algeria. If your phone is locked these sim cards wont work. To make sure your phone is unlocked ask your mobile internet provider in your home country.
Best e-sim cards for Algeria
No doubt that e-sim cards are the easiest way to get connected when traveling to Algeria in 2024. No more visiting a sim card store and swapping physical sim cards, you arrange everything online in just a couple minutes.
Upon arrival in Algeria you can only get physical prepaid sim cards. There are no e-sim cards available at the shops in Algiers Airport, neither in the city center. But luckily you can order an e-sim card for Algeria on the internet.
You order an e-sim card for Algeria on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an Algeria e-sim card installed on your phone.
Upon arrival it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands in Algiers
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Algeria.
Airalo
Airalo is a trusted and reliable e-sim card provider that Traveltomtom has used in more than 50 countries around the world.
Check out the Airalo e-sim card plans for Algeria in 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $13 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $17.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $27 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $49 USD
Click here for more info or to directly order an e-sim card for Algeria via Airalo.
These Algecom e-sim cards for Algeria are data-only. Algecom uses the 4G/LTE mobile network of Ooredoo in Algeria. More about the best 4G/LTE network in Algeria below.
Before ordering an e-sim card for Algeria make sure your phone is e-sim card compatible. How to find out? Simply ask Google about your phone model.
Why buying a sim card for Algeria
Yes most hotels have WiFi, but don’t expect it to work like home. WiFi in Algeria is not always stable and the internet speed varies a lot. Traveltomtom recommends to simply not rely on WiFi when traveling in Algeria.
Also as soon as you leave the hotel, your smartphone become useless. No more ordering a taxi through an app, checking Google Maps for directions, sending WhatsApp messages or staying in touch with friends. And what about emergencies or checking your banking apps without a working data connection on your phone?
Staying connected when traveling to Algeria makes life so much more convenient and traveling so much more fun.
In Algeria I stayed in a lot of different hotels. At for example Sofitel Algiers or the Mgallery Royal Hotel in Oran the WiFi was terrible and I was happy with my 4G signal on my local prepaid sim card from Algeria.
Also be aware that being connected to a public WiFi connection is through an UNSECURED network, the use of a VPN in these cases is recommended to protect your data.
Mobile internet providers in Algeria
There are three mobile internet providers in Algeria: Djezzy, Mobilis and Ooredoo. All mobile internet operators offer prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Registration process
For buying a prepaid sim card in Algeria you need to bring a photo ID, which for tourists means a passport. A copy of your passport will be taken in the sim card shop and you get a new Algerian sim card with a mobile phone number starting with +213.
If for some reason you want to avoid the mandatory sim card registration with your passport then look into buying an e-sim card for Algeria. There is no registration required for an e-sim card, just your email address to receive the e-sim card.
Where to buy a sim card for Algeria
Algiers International Airport - ALG
The best place to buy a prepaid sim card in Algeria is of course at the international airport on arrival. Pretty much all international flights arrive in Algiers and great news, it is very easy to buy a prepaid sim card for tourists at Algiers Airport.
After you pass through customs, got your Algerian passport stamp and collected your luggage you walk into the arrival hall. If you walk to your left then you will immediately see shops from Djezzy, Mobilis and Ooredoo. They are all next to each other and can’t be missed.
Unfortunately the mobile phone shops at Algiers Airport do not accept credit cards, they only accept cash payments. There are several ATMs in the arrival hall that accept foreign credit and debit cards.
All the sim card stores at Algiers Airport are open from 07.00 am till 08.00 pm.
Even the ‘old’ airport in Algiers, which is now the domestic airport has phone stores of Ooredoo, Djezzy and Mobilis.
If you arrive at any of the other international airports like Oran or Constantine then you will have to wait till you reach the city center to buy a sim card for Algeria as there are no mobile phone shops in the smaller airports.
Phone stores city center
When you weren’t able to buy a sim card for Algeria at the airport Traveltomtom recommend to locate the nearest official mobile internet operator retail store near to the place where you are staying. All the mobile internet providers have shops around the city center of every bigger city in Algeria. To locate the nearest one simply use Google Maps.
Convenience stores
You can also buy a sim card for Algeria in random convenience stores around the country. There are endless small shops that have big advertisement on the window about prepaid sim card plans.
The registration process is the same, you have to bring your passport. Prices for prepaid sim cards and data plans are also the same. However, Arabic is the spoken language and sometimes a little bit of French. Therefore Traveltomtom recommends even more to buy a sim card for Algeria at Algiers Airport on arrival.
Online
That said, if you want to skip all the hassle and arrive prepared in Algeria then simply buy a sim card for traveling in Algeria online.
As explained earlier there are international prepaid sim cards for Algeria that you can order online. These sim cards will be send to your home address before your trip and are pre-activated. Even easier is ordering an e-sim card for Algeria online.
Prices prepaid sim cards in Algeria
Prices below are in Algerian Dinar. The official currency exchange rate as per June 2024 is: $1 USD = 134 DZD and 1,000 DZD = $7.44 USD. However, keep in mind that in Algiers city center you can exchange your money for a much better rate and you get more than 40% better exchange rates than the official bank rates. For $1 USD you can get around 200 Algerian Dinar.
Prices for prepaid sim cards at official retail stores in the city, convenience stores and the stores at Algiers airport are all the same. And for Western standards they are very cheap!
You can only get a physical prepaid sim card, there are no e-sim cards for tourists available in Algeria.
Djezzy
A Djezzy sim card starts from 1,500 DA and there are 3 different prepaid plans available:
- 50 GB data + 2,000 DA calling credit for 30 days = 1,500 DA
- 80 GB data + 4,000 DA calling credit + 15 international minutes for 30 days = 2,000 DA
- 150 GB data + 6,000 DA calling credit + 30 international minutes for 30 days = 3,000 DA
All the prepaid sim card plans with data include unlimited calls to Djezzy phone numbers. For more info check out the Djezzy website.
Mobilis
A Mobilis sim card starts also from 1,500 and the data packages and prepaid plans are pretty similar to Djezzy. There are 6 different plans available:
- 50 GB data + 3,000 DA calling credit for 30 days = 1,500 DA
- 50 GB data + 360 minutes + 10 sms for 30 days = 1,500 DA
- 80 GB data + 4,000 DA calling credit for 30 days = 2,000 DA
- 80 GB data + 480 minutes + 20 sms for 30 days = 2,000 DA
- 150 GB data + 6,000 DA calling credit for 30 days = 3,500 DA
- 150 GB data + 720 minutes + 30 sms for 30 days = 3,500 DA
Mobilis prepaid sim card plans also include unlimited calls to Mobilis phone numbers and same plans include unlimited Facebook. Check the Mobilis website for more info.
Ooredoo
You can already buy an Ooredoo prepaid sim card starting from 500 DA or choose one of the following data plans:
- 3 GB data + 100 minutes + 50 sms for 15 days = 500 DA
- 8 GB data + 100 minutes + 120 sms for 30 days = 1,200 DA
- 30 GB data + 150 minutes + 150 sms for 30 days = 1,500 DA
- 50 GB data + 300 minutes + 200 sms for 30 days = 2,000 DA
- 70 GB data + 700 minutes + 350 sms for 30 days = 3,500 DA
Ooredoo includes unlimited Facebook and unlimited calls to Ooredoo phone numbers in their prepaid plans. Check out the Ooredoo Algeria website for more info.
Best 4G/5G network in Algeria
To find the best sim card for traveling in Algeria lets also compare the mobile network coverage maps of Algeria of all the internet providers. You don’t want to travel away from Algiers city and lose phone signal.
Or what about the best sim card in Algeria for traveling off the beaten path? A prepaid sim card without a network connection is useless.
Is there 5G in Algeria?
No, as of June 2024 there is no 5G in Algeria. Depending on where in the country you are, a 4G/LTE connection is the fastest data speed you can find. I must say sometimes I found exceptional fast data speed according to my data speed test.
Djezzy 4G/5G network coverage map
Mobilis 4G/5G network coverage map
Ooredoo 4G/5G network coverage map
After comparing the mobile data network coverage maps we can conclude that Djezzy has the smallest mobile internet network and Mobilis the most extensive 4G/LTE network in Algeria in 2024.
Based on the 4G/LTE data network coverage maps, Mobilis is the best sim card for traveling off the beaten path in Algeria.
Data speed in Algeria
As said before the data speed in Algeria actually didn’t disappoint and even though there is no 5G, the 4G/LTE data speed would often reach over 100 Mbps download speed. However, that only applies for the cities. As soon as you start traveling in Algeria the connection becomes pretty unstable.
In the cities I had no problems streaming and uploading videos and even in desert cities I mostly reached a data speed of more than 50 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
If you travel overland then expect slow data speed while on the road.
Best sim card for Algeria in 2024
After comparing the prepaid sim card plans, the prices, the e-sim cards, the mobile data network coverage combined with my own experiences we can conclude that Ooredoo is the best sim card for Algeria in 2024.
Ooredoo has overall the best mobile data network in Algeria and the most extensive 4G/LTE network. Even in the desert and on the road Ooredoo outperformed Mobilis in many ways.
E-sim cards for Algeria are the easiest way to stay connected as you are connected as soon as you arrive in Algeria. International prepaid sim cards also allow you to connect as soon as the plane lands, but are more expensive.
If you are a heavy data user just like me then an e-sim card for Algeria is much more expensive than a local prepaid sim card.
Order a prepaid sim card for Algeria online
If your phone is not e-sim card compatible or you simply prefer a physical sim card then look into ordering an international prepaid sim card for traveling in Algeria on the internet. This physical prepaid sim card will be delivered at your home address before your trip to Algeria and is pre-activated.
Via SimOptions you can order the following international prepaid sim card that is valid in 126 countries, including Algeria:
- 10 GB data for 15 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to directly order this international prepaid sim card for Algeria via SimOptions.
See more of my experiences in my vlog about buying a sim card for Algeria below.
I am sure some of the above tips for staying connected when traveling to Algeria were helpful. If there is anything you would like to know then please leave me a comment below or reach out to me on social media.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of June 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Algeria!