Which vehicles can you import to Algeria?

The 2026 Finance Act reopened the CCR to used vehicles: new or under five years old, where previously only new vehicles got through (art. 127, rewriting art. 202 of the customs code). Contrary to the dominant narrative, the limit did not “go from 3 to 5 years”: the three years belong to the resident scheme, which has not moved.

For a resident private individual, nothing changes in 2026: under three years old, once every three years, under Executive Decree 23-74. Two schemes, two audiences, two sets of rules — half the mistakes reported to us come from mixing them up.

Petrol, petrol-electric hybrid, electric: the list is positive, and short. What is not on it does not get through — that is how diesel has been excluded from the CCR since 1 January 2026, without even being named by the text. On the resident side, the exclusion comes from Executive Decree 23-74.

A transitional arrangement allowed diesels bought before 2026 to be cleared under the CCR; it expired on 30 June 2026. If someone offers you an “eligible” diesel today, the answer is no — and a diesel that ships is a re-export at your expense, at best.

The borderline cases, honestly: the plug-in hybrid is not singled out by the text (“petrol and electric hybrid”) and should get through, with no official confirmation to date; factory LPG and CNG are absent from the eligibility lists; and no power cap is written down for electric vehicles — silence in the texts, not a guarantee.

See the petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles →

CCR: new or strictly under five years old at the date of entry into the customs territory. Resident: under three years, from first registration to the declaration of release for consumption. Two different definitions — and in both cases, the date of purchase does not count.

The practical consequence: transport eats into the age allowance. A vehicle that is “just” within the age at departure can be over it on arrival or when the declaration is filed. We keep out of the catalogue any vehicle without a comfortable margin on this rule.

The 1,800 cc cap applies to the duty-free schemes: under the CCR, a passenger vehicle above it does not get through — exactly 1,800 does, the bound is inclusive. It is, in fact, a quiet tightening: before 2026, petrol went up to 2,000 cc; vehicles eligible yesterday no longer are.

Under the resident scheme, there is no engine-capacity cap — we cite the text: art. 66 of the 2023 Finance Act expressly provides for the case above 1,800 cc, with the reduction cut to 20% (against 50% below, and 80% for electric). There, engine capacity affects the bill, not admission. Many sites claim otherwise; they do not cite their sources.

Around the passenger car (nine seats at most): the CCR alternatively admits a commercial vehicle up to 5.95 tonnes or a registered two-wheeler; on the resident side, the commercial vehicle is capped at 3.5 tonnes. One vehicle per entitlement, in every case.

Executive Decree 23-74 (art. 6) requires three things, cumulatively: good working order, the absence of any major or critical defect, and compliance with safety and environmental requirements — manufacturer’s standards included where applicable. The check falls to an expert approved by the Ministry of Mines, at the port.

The penalty is total: re-export at the importer’s expense or, failing that, takeover by customs — the loss of the vehicle, not just the transport. An accident-damaged or modified vehicle does not try its luck: it loses it.

No mileage cap appears in the texts we have read in full. Age and condition are what govern — the odometer weighs on the value and on the inspection, not on admissibility.

Executive Decree 23-74 (art. 8) sets a list of six documents. Above all, remember the two that are discovered too late: the certificate of good working order less than three months old, issued by an authorised body in the country of registration, and the compliance inspection report drawn up on arrival. The first expires while you hesitate; the second cannot be made up for.

• The certificate of good working order less than three months old — the document most often expired at unloading
• The compliance inspection report, drawn up by the approved Ministry of Mines expert on arrival
• The foreign registration certificate and proof of ownership
• The customs transit permit (TPD), to be settled within the month

The manufacturer’s certificate of conformity (COC) is not on the decree’s list on the resident side, but it is demanded in practice on the CCR side, and the expert can require the manufacturer’s documentation. Our position: we sell no vehicle without complete manufacturer documentation — so the debate does not concern you.

Every vehicle in our catalogue is sifted through these rules before publication: permitted engine type, age with a margin, engine capacity by scheme, documented condition. The vehicle page shows eligibility calculated by scheme — when a vehicle does not get through for your situation, the site tells you so and explains why.

• CCR: petrol, hybrid or electric · new or under 5 years old on arrival · 1,800 cc at most · once in a lifetime
• Resident: petrol, hybrid or electric · under 3 years old at release for consumption · 50% or 20% reduction depending on engine capacity · once every 3 years
• Everyone: good condition checked by an expert at the port · technical certificate less than 3 months old · one-month TPD

See the eligible vehicles in the catalogue →