Moving to the UK from Algeria: Guide
A guide for Algerian nationals planning to move to the UK, covering visa routes, document requirements and the published Home Office fees.
- Section
- Moving to the UK From...
- Reading time
- 6 min
- Last checked
- 1 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Algeria is a visa national country: a visit needs a Standard Visitor visa, not an electronic travel authorisation.
- A tuberculosis test is needed for a stay of more than 6 months. Algeria has approved clinics.
- An approved English test is needed on most routes: B2 for a new Skilled Worker application, A1 for a first partner visa.
- A criminal record certificate is only required for some Skilled Worker jobs, not for every application.
- The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds and gives no dinar price.
Algeria is on the UK's visa national list, so an Algerian passport holder needs a visa to come to the UK, including for a visit. This guide covers the main routes, the documents each one asks for, including the tuberculosis test, and what the Home Office publishes as the fee.
Visa Routes for Algerian Citizens
Algeria is on the UK's visa national list, so an Algerian passport holder needs a visa for any stay, including a short visit. The £20 electronic travel authorisation is not open to visa nationals. The main routes are:
- Skilled Worker visa. Requires a job offer from a UK licensed sponsor at the minimum salary of £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher. Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's job must sit at degree level (RQF 6) unless the occupation code is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List.
- Student visa. With a confirmation of acceptance for studies from a licensed UK institution. See the student visa guide.
- Family visa. If your spouse or partner is a British citizen or a settled person. See the spouse visa guide. The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year for a new application.
- Graduate route. After a UK degree, the Graduate route gives 2 years of work permission, or 3 after a PhD. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027 the 2-year period shortens to 18 months.
The Youth Mobility Scheme is not open to Algerian nationals: Algeria is not one of the countries or territories listed on it.
Document Requirements
- Valid Algerian passport.
- Tuberculosis test certificate. Needed if you are coming for 6 months or more and have lived in Algeria, or another listed country, for 6 months or more within the last 6 months. It must be done at a Home Office approved clinic in Algeria. Each clinic sets and publishes its own fee.
- Criminal record certificate. Not needed for most applications. GOV.UK asks for one from a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK whose job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. The Algerian document is an extrait de casier judiciaire.
- Certified English translation. Documents in Arabic or French must be accompanied by a certified translation.
- English language test. An approved secure English language test at the level the route requires: B2 for a new Skilled Worker application since 8 January 2026, A1 for a first partner visa.
What It Costs
The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds. It does not publish a dinar price, and the exchange rate it applies is the rate on the day you pay, so this guide gives no conversion.
- Skilled Worker visa, applying from outside the UK: £819 for 3 years or less, £1,618 for more than 3 years
- Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants and anyone under 18
- Student visa: £558
- Standard Visitor visa: £135 for 6 months
- Settlement: £3,226 for each person
GOV.UK publishes no price for an English language test or a tuberculosis test; the providers and clinics set their own. See our UK visa fees guide.
Healthcare
Paying the healthcare surcharge does not make the National Health Service free. It buys care on the same basis as a UK resident, so you then pay what a resident pays. In England that is £9.90 for a prescription and dental charges of £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10 depending on the band of treatment. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Algerian Community in the UK
Algerian communities in the UK are concentrated in London, with smaller groups in Manchester and Birmingham. The Home Office does not publish a count of Algerian nationals resident in the UK, so this guide gives none.
After Arrival
- Set up or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and check your online immigration status. There is no card to collect: biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024
- Apply for a National Insurance number
- Register with a doctor (GP surgery)
- Open a UK bank account
- Understand your employment rights
Path to Settlement
After 5 years on a qualifying visa, you can apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain), which costs £3,226. Twelve months after receiving settlement, you can apply for British citizenship, which costs £1,709 to apply plus a £130 ceremony fee, £1,839 in total. The UK does not require you to give up another nationality.
Next Steps
Check the published requirements for a Skilled Worker visa or student visa. For official information, visit the British Embassy Algiers page and the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page.
Questions and answers
Do Algerian citizens need a tuberculosis test for a UK visa?
You need one if you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more and you have lived in Algeria, or another listed country, for 6 months or more and were living there within the last 6 months. Algeria is on the Home Office list and has approved clinics. The test must be done at a clinic approved by the Home Office; each clinic publishes its own fee, so this guide gives no price.
Do Algerian citizens need to prove English language ability?
Yes, on the routes that carry an English requirement. Algeria is not on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so an approved secure English language test is needed. A new Skilled Worker application has needed level B2 since 8 January 2026. A first partner visa is A1.
Do I need an Algerian police certificate for a UK visa?
Only for some applications. GOV.UK says a criminal record certificate is needed if you are applying for a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK and your job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. Where it is needed, the Algerian document is an extrait de casier judiciaire, obtained from the court in your place of birth or from the Ministry of Justice. Neither the Home Office nor the Ministry of Justice publishes a processing time, so this guide gives none.
How much does it cost to move to the UK from Algeria?
The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds only. A Skilled Worker visa applied for from outside the UK costs £819 for 3 years or less and £1,618 for more than 3 years, plus the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 a year (£776 for students, their dependants and under-18s). A Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months is £135, and a Student visa is £558.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.