France suspends visa-free agreement with Algeria for diplomatic passports

France has officially suspended the bilateral agreement with Algeria that allowed visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

The decision, published in France’s official gazette on August 19, follows Algeria’s earlier move to halt the implementation of the same accord, Caliber.Az reports via Moroccan media.

Originally signed in Algiers on December 16, 2013, and enacted by Decree No. 2014-1003 on September 4, 2014, the agreement enabled short-stay visa-free travel for Algerian and French officials. Algeria stopped applying the agreement on May 11, 2025.

In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, France suspended the agreement on May 16, 2025, with the suspension formally taking effect on August 7, as provided under Article 8 of the accord. On the same day, Algeria announced the termination of the agreement, framing its decision as a reaction to France’s suspension.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry accused Paris of “distorting reality” and attempting to shift responsibility for the deterioration in bilateral relations. In a statement, the ministry criticised a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron that called for the temporary suspension, asserting:

"It was France, and France alone, that initiated such a request. By deciding to suspend this agreement, France is offering Algeria the perfect opportunity to, in turn, announce the outright termination of that very same agreement."

Macron’s letter had come in response to a series of measures imposed by Algerian authorities on French diplomats, including expulsions and travel restrictions, and called for the formal suspension of the 2013 visa exemption pact.

The visa-free arrangement had facilitated high-level mobility between the two nations, particularly for Algerian officials travelling to France. However, following France’s suspension, Algiers chose to withdraw entirely from the framework rather than preserve it.

By Tamilla Hasanova