Diesel is banned from import into Algeria: what is actually covered

Which vehicles does the diesel ban actually cover?

The ban targets passenger vehicles (véhicules de tourisme) with a diesel engine. It applies whether the vehicle is new or used. There is no quota, no exemption for individuals, and no exemption for the personal import regime.

• Covered: diesel passenger cars, diesel SUVs, diesel light passenger vans up to 9 seats.
• Not covered: heavy goods vehicles, and commercial light vehicles. The prohibition was written to steer the passenger fleet away from diesel, not to stop freight and utility transport.
• Not covered by the ban itself, but still restricted: hybrid vehicles with a diesel combustion engine fall under the diesel definition and should be treated as prohibited unless a specific authorisation is obtained.

If a dealer offers you a "diesel that will pass because it is used", that is wrong. The ban is on the engine type, not on the vehicle age.

On what legal basis is diesel prohibited?

The prohibition rests on a specific set of texts, not on a general policy statement. This matters: it means the ban cannot be waived by an individual customs officer.

Decree 23-74 was published in the Official Journal no. 11 of 22 February 2023. That is the same text that sets the personal import conditions and the reduction rates.

What can you import instead?

The practical answer for Algerian buyers is simple: petrol, hybrid, or electric. Every model we carry is a 1.5L or 1.5T petrol unit, so none of them is affected by the ban.

Does the ban also affect the transfer-of-residence regime?

Yes, explicitly. Article 127 of the 2026 Finance Law (law no. 25-17 of 14 December 2025), which reformed the certificate of change of residence (C.C.R.) regime, expressly excludes diesel vehicles — new or used.

Under that regime you may import a passenger vehicle running on petrol, hybrid or electric, with a maximum displacement of 1,800 cm³, or a commercial vehicle under 5.95 tonnes, or a motorcycle, within a value ceiling of 8 to 10 million DZD depending on your profile.

This is the one place where 1,800 cm³ genuinely acts as a ceiling rather than a tax bracket. In the ordinary personal import regime, displacement above 1,800 cm³ is allowed — it simply costs more.

What if you already own a diesel car abroad and want to bring it in?

You cannot, under any of the import regimes currently open. The vehicle will be refused at the customs declaration stage, and once it has sailed, returning it or storing it at port is expensive.

If you are moving to Algeria and own a diesel vehicle, the realistic options are to sell it before departure, or to arrange a purchase that complies — a petrol or hybrid model of the same size will normally cost you less in the end, because it also qualifies for the reduction.

Frequently asked questions

References consulted

• Official Journal no. 76 — decree 22-383
• Official Journal no. 11 of 22 Feb 2023 — decree 23-74
• Algerian Customs

Continue the guide

• 🚢Importing a car from China to Algeria: the complete guideFrom order to registration plate: taxes, required documents, sea freight, customs clearance and real lead times. The entry point to all our guides.
• 🧾Customs duty and taxes on importing a vehicle15% up to 1,800 cc, 30% above, 19% VAT, TIC, 2% solidarity levy and 2% customs fee: the official 2026 rates and a detailed DZD calculation.
• 📉The 50% reduction for engines up to 1,800 ccThe exact conditions of the regime: under 3 years old, one per individual every 3 years, own foreign currency — and the rates repayable on resale.
• 📑Required documents: COC, ECTN/BSC, BL and bank domiciliationThe complete list of documents to assemble before shipment, who issues each one, how long it takes — and why a single missing piece blocks the whole clearance.